Plymouth County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Plymouth County was named for Plymouth, Massachusetts and is located in northwestern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Plymouth County Courthouse 215 4th Avenue SE LeMars, IA 51031 Phone: 712-546-4215 Plymouth 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 Plymouth County, Iowa: With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families. 2 volumes. By W. S. Freeman. Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen, 1917. Online at: Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library. Vol. I contains history, Vol. II contains biographies.
 * History of the Counties of Woodbury and Plymouth, Iowa: Sketches of the Prominent Men, and Biographies of Many of the Representative Citizens. By Will Leach Clark and William V. Norris. Chicago, IL: A. Warner and Company Publishers, 1891. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).


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

Bold text=== Business, Commerce, and Occupations ===


 * Iowa, State Employees at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

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
Lutheran
 * 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Directories

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


 * 1914 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Fisch Funeral Home and Monument, LLC in Remsen
 * Mauer Johnson Earnest Funeral Homes in Kingsley and Le Mars
 * Rexwinkel Funeral Homes in Le Mars
 * Rohde Funeral Home in Kingsley

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1856-1875   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1856-1907   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1857-1907   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1859-1918   at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images

Local Histories

 * History of Plymouth County, Iowa: With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families. 2 volumes. By W. S. Freeman. Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen, 1917. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library. Vol. I contains history, Vol. II contains biographies.
 * History of the Counties of Woodbury and Plymouth, Iowa: Sketches of the Prominent Men, and Biographies of Many of the Representative Citizens. By Will Leach Clark and William V. Norris. Chicago, IL: A. Warner and Company Publishers, 1891. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Plymouth County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1875-2007 Plymouth County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1883-1941 Fire Insurance Maps for Plymouth County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1941.
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * Atlas of Plymouth County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Standard Historical Atlas of Plymouth County, Iowa: containing Maps of Villages, Cities and Townships of the County, 1907 at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * IAGenWeb - Plymouth County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Plymouth County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * Plymouth County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * Standard Historical Atlas of Plymouth County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Plymouth 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

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1869-1906 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1872-1944 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * (*); compiled by Janice Stofferan at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Newspapers

 * 1884-86 Barometern. 1884-86. Sioux City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1951-1952 Lemars Semi Weekly Sentinel. 1951-52. Le Mars, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1953-1957 Le Mars Sentinel. 1953-54 and 1957. Le Mars, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1953-1959 Le Mars Globe Post. 1953-54, 1956-57, and 1959. Le Mars, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1958, 1969, 1977 Le Mars Daily News Sentinel. 1958, 1969, and 1977. Le Mars, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1963 and 1972 Le Mars Daily Sentinel. 1963 and 1972. Le Mars, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 1964 The Sioux City Sunday Journal. 1964. Sioux City, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
 * 2006-2009 Akron Hometowner - digitized issues in Google News Archive

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1871-1928 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1871-1928 (*); 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 ($)
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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

 * 1845-1987 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
 * 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 ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Sioux City Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Vermillion South Dakota FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Remsen Public Library 211 Fulton Street Remsen, IA 51050 Phone: 712-786-2911 Email: [mailto:jklein@midlands.net jklein@midlands.net] Website Facebook Akron Public Library 350 Reed Street PO Box 348 Akron, IA 51001 Phone: 712-568-2601 Website Facebook Le Mars Library 46 1st Street SW Le Mars, IA 51031 Phone: 712-546-5004 Website

Museums
Plymouth County Historical Museum 335 1st Avenue SW Le Mars, IA 51031 Phone: 712-546-7002 Email: [mailto:pchmuseum@gmail.com pchmuseum@gmail.com] Website

Societies
Northwest Iowa Genealogical Society C/O Le Mars Public Library 46 First Street S.W. Le Mars, IA 51031 Email: [mailto:lchdvm736@gmail.com lchdvm736@gmail.com] Website Marcus Historical Society PO BOX 321 Marcus, IA 51035 Website Hawarden Historical Society PO Box 68 Hawarden, IA 51023 Email: [mailto:bsrvhs79@gmail.com bsrvhs79@gmail.com] Website

Websites

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