Des Moines County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Des Moines County was named for the Des Moines River and is located in southeastern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Des Moines County Courthouse 513 North Main Street / PO Box 158 Burlington, Iowa 52601 Phone: 319-753-8272 Des Moines County Website

Populated Places
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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:

History Timeline

 * Pre June 1834 Part of Wisconsin
 * June of 1834 Des Moines County Congress, IA Genweb, passed an act attaching the Black Hawk Purchase to the Territory of Michigan
 * September 1834 Legislature of Michigan divided this land purchase into two counties, Dubuque and Des Moines. The dividing boundary was a line running west from the lower end of Rock Island. At this time County courts were established with Des Moines County Court placed in the city of Burlington. Des Moines was named after the Des Moines River.
 * 1 October 1834 Created 1 October 1834.

Biographies

 * Men of Affairs and Representative Institutions of Des Moines, Iowa. 1909 Des Moines: Press Club of Des Moines. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Portrait and Biographical Album of Des Moines County, Iowa...of prominent and representative citizens of the county. 1888. Chicago, IL: Acme Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry.com — index and images ($).


 * Biographical Review of Des Moines County, Iowa: Containing Biographical and Genealogical Sketches of many of the Prominent Citizens of today and also of the Past. 1905. Chicago, IL: Hobart Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library Vol pp1-550 and pp551-1107; Hathitrust pp1-598 and pp599-1107 — index and images; Internet Archive; Ancestry.com — index and images ($).


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

Census Records

 * 1836 The first census of the original counties of Dubuque and Demoine (Iowa) taken in July, 1836 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)

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
 * Census index for Des Moines County at IAGenWeb, transcribed for the years of 1836, 1836 Territorial Census, 1838, 1840, 1850, 1852, 1860.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes Lutheran Methodist Presbyterian
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)
 * Church records, 1855-1917. St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church or German Methodist Church (Burlington, Iowa) at FamilySearch; — images
 * 1866-1903 McClintock, John C., Mt. Pleasant, 1866-1870; Burlington, 1871-1896; and Sioux City, 1896-1903 at FamilySearch; — images

Court Records

 * 1833-1920 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1835 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1835-1850 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1835-1937 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1836-1928 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1839-1855 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1844-1886 (*); County Judge at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1847-1865 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1849-1857 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1869-1870 (*); Court of Appeals at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1869-1875 (*); Justice of the Peace at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1873-1884 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1907-1932 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1908-1991 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1915 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1919-1926 (*); County Treasurer at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * 1749-1990 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1749-1990 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1889-1891 Des Moines, Iowa Directory, 1889-91 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1887 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1844-1886  at FamilySearch Catalog - images

Funeral Homes

 * Arnolds Highland Park Funeral Home in Des Moines
 * Celebrate Life Iowa Cremation Services in West Des Moines
 * Hamilton's Altoona Funeral Home in Altoona
 * Hamilton's Crematory in Des Moines
 * Hamilton's Funeral Home in Hamilton's
 * Hamilton's Southtown Funeral Home in Hamilton's
 * Henderson's Highland Park Funeral Home in Des Moines
 * Iles Dunn’s Funeral Home in Des Moines
 * Iles Grandview Park Funeral Home in Des Moines
 * Iles Westover Funeral Home in Des Moines
 * Lunning Funeral Chapel in Burlington
 * McLaren’s Resthaven Chapel & Mortuary & Resthaven Cemetery in West Des Moines
 * Merle Hay Funeral Home in Des Moines

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records


 * 1837-1926  at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1843-1885  at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1848-1905   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1905-1909 Real estate register 2, Des Moines County, Iowa, 1905-1909. Des Moines County Genealogical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 2

Local Histories

 * The History of Des Moines County, Iowa Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, etc., A Biographical Directory of Citizens,... Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men. 1879. Chicago, IL: Western Historical Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive; Hathitrust — index and images.


 * History of Des Moines County, Iowa, and It's People. 1915. Augustine M. Antrobus. Chicago, IL: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Vol I Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive; Hathitrust — index and images; Vol II online at: Internet Archive;Hathitrust — index and images.


 * Yellow Spring and Huron. A Local History Containing Sketches of all the People, Institutions, and events, from the earliest settlement to date of Publication. 1897. James Warren Merrill. Mediapolis, IA: J.W. Merrill. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive; Google Books.


 * Des Moines, Iowa pictorial and biographical deluxe supplement. 1911. Chicago, IL: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.


 * Portrait and biographical album of Des Moines County, Iowa, containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county. 1888. Chicago, IL: 1888. Acme Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry.com ($).


 * The Blue book of Des Moines, Iowa, 1897-1898. 1898. Des Moines, IA: The Blue Book Directory Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Des Moines County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1873-2007 Des Moines County 1873-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1884-2009 Fire Insurance Maps for Des Moines County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1884 and 2009.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * Des Moines County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * General Highway and Transportation Map, Des Moines County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * IAGenWeb - Des Moines County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Des Moines County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Des Moines County at State Library of Iowa.
 * 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

Civil War service men in Des Moines County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed here:
 * - 1st Regiment, Iowa Infantry (3 months, 1861), Companies D and E
 * - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company K
 * - 6th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
 * - 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
 * - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
 * - 25th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Companies D, E and G
 * - 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C
 * - 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies F and G
 * - 48th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D
 * - Engineer Regiment of the West, Missouri Volunteers (Union), Company K

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1835-1937 (*); District Courts at FamilySearch Catalog — index, images
 * 1849-1857 (*); Iowa Genealogical Society at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1849-1857 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1847-1930 (*); Manuscript (Alphabetical) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1855-1930 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1836-1928 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index, images
 * 1866-1868 (*); County Judge at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 22 January 1866 - 3 November 1868 (*); Des Moines County Genealogical Society at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Newspapers

 * 1857-1882 The Burlington Weekly Hawkeye. 1857, 1862-1865, 1875, 1876,1880, 1882; Burlington, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1880 Burlington Hawk Eye. 1849-1851, 1874, 1876-1880; Burlington, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1855-1883 Weekly Hawk Eye And Telegraph. 1855-1861, 1883; Burlington, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1858-1883 The Weekly Hawk Eye. 1858-1861, 1883; Burlington, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1843-1845, 1976 Hawk Eye. 1843-1845, 1976; Burlington, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1854-1855 Burlington Tri Weekly Hawk Eye. 1854, 1855; Burlington, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1835-1973 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1835-1989 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1847-1865 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1901-1930 (*);  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
Iowa law did not require birth records be maintained by civil authorities until 1880. For records of these early births, try delayed births, church records, and death records. Birth records kept by the District Court, 1880-1904; 1906-1934, have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa and 1880-1931 at the.


 * 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
Some early Marriages Of Des Moines County 1837 to 1850 have been transcribed and published. Des Moines County Marriage Records, from 1880-1904; 1906-1935 have been microfilmed and can be found at the State Historical Society in Des Moines, Polk County Iowa. Index to marriage records, 1921-1977; marriage records, 1835-1930 at the.
 * 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, ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)

Death
Death records are held by the District Court, 1835-1930, have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society in Des Moines, Polk County Iowa and 1880-1921 at the.
 * 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, ($)

Divorce

 * 1835-1930 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1835-1930 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1835-1930 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1835-1950 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Family History Centers

 * Burlington Iowa Family History Center
 * Macomb Illinois Family History Center
 * Nauvoo Illinois Family History Center


 * Burlington Public Library - Iowa - an affiliate library
 * McDonough County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries
Burlington Public Library  210 Court Street Burlington, IA 52601-1647 319-753-1647 E-mail: [mailto:iowabpl@gmail.com iowabpl@gmail.com] Website Facebook Danville Station 102 N Main Street PO Box 304 Danville, IA 52623-0304 319-392-8317 E-mail: [mailto:danville.iowa.library@gmail.com danville.iowa.library@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Museums
Heritage Center 501 N 4th Street Burlington, IA 52601 319-752-7449 E-mail: [mailto:robins@dmchs.org robins@dmchs.org] Website Facebook

Societies
Des Moines County Historical and Genealogical Society 501 North 4th Street PO Box 493 Burlington, IA 52601 319-572-9290 E-mail: [mailto:dmcgs@dmcgs.org dmcgs@dmcgs.org] Website

Websites

 * Des Moines County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Des Moines County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Des Moines County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Des Moines County at Iowa USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * 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
 * – 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.