Cherokee County, Iowa Genealogy

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

Description
Cherokee County was named for the Cherokee people and is located in northwestern Iowa.

County Courthouse
Cherokee County Courthouse 520 W Main St Cherokee, IA 51012 Phone: 712-225-6708 Cherokee 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

 * Biographical History of Cherokoe County, Iowa. Chicago, IL: W.S. Dunbar & Co., & Publishers, 1889. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).
 * Cherokee County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories

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
Church Records and Indexes Lutheran
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)

Court Records

 * 1872-1886 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1880-1992 (*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index only
 * 1890-1933 (*); Coroner; County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1907-1934 (*); Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee
 * Greenwood Schubert Funeral Home in Cherokee and Marcus

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1856-1904   at FamilySearch Catalog - images and indexes
 * 1859-1917   at FamilySearch Catalog - images and indexes
 * 1871-1971   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1874-1985   at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Cherokee County Iowa. Iowa Writers Program of WPA for the State of Iowa. Cherokee, IA: Cherokee County Schools, 1940. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry;.
 * History of Cherokee County, Iowa. By Thomas McCulla. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Pub., 1914. Online at: Vol. I - FamilySearch Digital Library; Vols. I & II -  HathiTrust;  Vol. II - FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * Northwestern Iowa, its History and Traditions. By Arthur Francis Allen. Chicago, IL: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1927. Online at: HathiTrust, Ancestry ($);.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Cherokee County at Ancestry ($) - index.
 * 1904-2007 Cherokee County 1904-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
 * 1883-1914 Fire Insurance Maps for Cherokee County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1914.
 * Atlas of Cherokee County, Iowa at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Cherokee County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
 * IAGenWeb - Cherokee County.
 * Iowa Digital Library, Cherokee County at Iowa University Libraries.
 * The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Cherokee 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
 * 1871-1936 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Newspapers

 * 1886-2003 Newspaper Archives at Aurelia Public Library - index and images, contains Aurelia Sentinel
 * 1956 Cherokee Daily Times. Cherokee, IA, USA at Ancestry ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1758-1997 Iowa Wills and Probate Records 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1859-1927 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1859-1933 (*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - 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 & 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 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 ($)
 * 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1951 Iowa, Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry ($) — 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 some images
 * 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * 1904-1951 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and some images
 * 1920-1967 Iowa, U.S., Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Sioux City Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Spencer Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Storm Lake Iowa FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Cherokee Public Library 215 South 2nd Street Cherokee, IA 51012 Phone: 712-225-3498 Email: [mailto:cherokeeplia@gmail.com cherokeeplia@gmail.com] Website Aurelia Public Library 232 Main St Aurelia, IA 51005 Phone: 712-434-5330 Email: [mailto:aurelia.library@aurelia.lib.ia.us aurelia.library@aurelia.lib.ia.us] Website

Museums
Sanford Museum 117 E Willow St Cherokee, IA 51012 Phone: 712-225-3922 Email: [mailto:sanfordmuseum@sanfordmuseum.org sanfordmuseum@sanfordmuseum.org] Website

Societies
Marcus Historical Society Genealogy Dept Box 321 Marcus, IA 51035 Phone: 503-577-068 or 712-225-3681 Email: [mailto:gennote@hotmail.com gennote@hotmail.com] Website

Websites

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