Woodbury County, Iowa Genealogy

Guide to Woodbury County, Iowa ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
Woodbury County was named for Levi Woodbury and is located in western Iowa.

County Courthouse
Woodbury County Courthouse 620 Douglas Street Sioux City, IA 51101 Phone: 712-279-6611 Woodbury County Website

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Biographies

 * History of the Counties of Woodbury and Plymouth, Iowa: Biographies of many of the Representative Citizens. Chicago, IL: A. Warner & Co., 1891. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).


 * Woodbury County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories

Census Records
State Census


 * 1885 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1895 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images (individual cards, not family context)
 * 1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes Lutheran
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)

Court Records

 * 1906-1943 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * 1889-1893 Sioux City, Iowa Directories, 1889-90, 1892-93 at Ancestry ($)

Funeral Homes

 * Armstrong - Van Houten Funeral Homes, Inc. in Anthon and Danbury
 * Christy-Smith Funeral Homes in Sioux City
 * Meyer Brothers Funeral Homes in Sioux City
 * Nicklas D Jensen Funeral Home and Monument Company in Correctionville and Moville
 * Waterbury Funeral Service in Sergeant Bluff and Sioux City

Local Histories

 * History of the Counties of Woodbury and Plymouth, Iowa: Biographies of many of the Representative Citizens. Chicago, IL: A. Warner & Co., 1891. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).
 * Past and Present of Sioux City and Woodbury County, Iowa. By Constant R. Marks. Chicago, IL: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1904. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * Woodbury County History. Iowa Writers Program, Work Projects Administration. Sioux City, IA: Woodbury County Schools, 1942. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).


 * Iowa Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Woodbury County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Woodbury County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1884-1916 Fire Insurance Maps for Woodbury County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1884 and 1916.
 * IAGenWeb - Woodbury County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Woodbury County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Woodbury County at State Library of Iowa.
 * Woodbury County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1835-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index only
 * 1862-1910 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War
 * 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1855-1943 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — part index, images
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1882-1909 — Sioux Valley News at Ancestry.com ($) — Correctionville, IA, USA
 * 1909-15 and 1955 — Correctionville News at Ancestry.com ($) — Correctionville, IA, USA
 * 1912-14 and 1937 — The Correctionville Argus at Ancestry.com ($) — Correctionville, IA, USA
 * 1884-86 — Barometern at Ancestry.com ($) — Sioux City, IA, USA
 * 1964 The Sioux City Sunday Journal at Ancestry.com ($) — Sioux City, IA, USA

Obituaries

 * Woodbury County, Iowa Obituary and Death Notice Collection. Genealogy Buff. Obituaries and Death Notices from the Sioux City, Moville, Sloan, Correctionville, and Danbury areas.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)
 * 1856-1893 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1856-1925 (*);District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1858-1925 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1868-1885 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1934-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Birth

 * 1850-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1921-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1518-1996 Iowa, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1809-1992 Iowa, Marriages, 1809-1992 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * 1836-1926 Iowa, Marriages, 1836 - 1926 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)
 * 1941-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Death

 * 1850-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and some images; Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * 1904-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1920-1967 Iowa, U.S., Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)

Family History Centers

 * Sioux City Iowa Family History Center
 * Storm Lake Iowa Family History Center
 * Vermillion South Dakota Family History Center

Libraries
Hamann Memorial Library 311 E Main PO Box 293 Anthon, IA 51004-0293 Phone: 712-373-5275 Email:[mailto:hamannmemorial@longlines.com hamannmemorial@longlines.com] Website Facebook Sioux City Public Libraries Aalfs Downtown Library 529 Pierce Street Sioux City, IA 51101 Phone: 712-255-2933 Email: [mailto:questions@siouxcitylibrary.org questions@siouxcitylibrary.org] Website Facebook Woodbury County Library 825 Main Street PO Box 625 Moville, IA 51039-0625 Phone: 712-873-3322 Email:[mailto:wcolib@wiatel.net wcolib@wiatel.net] Website Facebook

Museums
Sergeant Bluff Historical Museum PO Box 203 409 4th Street Sergeant Bluff, IA 51054-0203 Phone: 712-943-2028 Email: [mailto:sbhmuseum@gmail.com sbhmuseum@gmail.com ] Website Facebook Sioux City Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Betty Strong Encounter Center 900 Larsen Park Road Sioux City, IA 51103 Phone: 712-224-5242 Email:[mailto:tbennett@siouxcitylcic.com tbennett@siouxcitylcic.com] Website Facebook Sioux City Public Museum 607 4th Street Sioux City, IA 51101 Phone: 712-279-6174 Email: [mailto:scpm@sioux-city.org scpm@sioux-city.org] Website Facebook

Societies
Woodbury County Genealogical Society PO Box 624 Sioux City, IA 51102-0624 Website

Websites

 * State Historical Society of Iowa — select from research collection topics
 * State Library of Iowa — electronic depository of documents intended for the general public produced by Iowa agencies
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collection — digital images from a variety of Iowa cultural institutions
 * Woodbury County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Woodbury County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Woodbury County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Woodbury County at Iowa USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * Woodbury County at Linkpendium - genealogy and family history
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.