Iowa Archives – Access Genealogy

Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Story County, Iowa

This manuscript offers a broad survey of Iowa’s development and the individuals who shaped it. It opens with a concise history of the state, followed by a series of biographical sketches highlighting notable Iowans whose careers influenced law, politics, commerce, and community life. A substantial section is devoted to Story County, providing a descriptive account of its formation, settlement patterns, and early growth. This county history is supplemented by an extensive collection of personal profiles documenting the lives of its leading residents.

History and Legends of Placenames in Iowa

Dr. Leon C. Hills’ book, “History and Legends of Place Names in Iowa,” is an important resource for readers on the state’s place names. Hills researched over four hundred names, detailing their origins, which stem from Indigenous tribes, settlers, and historical events. Although written for elementary pupils, the work sought not merely to entertain but to preserve valuable fragments of Iowa’s early past that might otherwise have been forgotten; in doing so, it can provide you with a rich supplement to your research into your Iowa family history.

The Iowa Nugen Family

This genealogy starts at about 1750 with the birth of Richard Nugen who first settled on the Kanawha River in what is now West Virginia, and then settled in Indiana where he raised a son named John Nugen. John married Mary See and raised a large family in Indiana of fourteen children, all who lived to adulthood. This genealogy traces the four sons of John and Mary See who settled in Iowa: David, Charles, Jarrett and Silas. This PDF is free to read and download.

Fay Family in Bremer County Iowa

The Fay family in Bremer County, Iowa, traces its lineage back to John Fay, who arrived in Boston from England in 1656. The family has roots in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Illinois over 204 years. John settled in Marlborough, where he had eight children and was a significant landowner. The Fays are believed to have French origins, with some traditions suggesting they fled from France due to religious persecution. Key genealogical sources include Orlin P. Fay’s genealogy and John F. Horton’s historical records.

Iowa County History and Genealogy Books Online

These are free books online where you can research your Iowa ancestry. This list contains county and local history, genealogical and biographical books, as well as atlases and farm plats.

History of Adair County Iowa and its People – vol 2

Back in 1915, Lucian Moody Kilburn, was engaged to write a history of Adair County Iowa by the Pioneer Publishing Company of Chicago Illinois, he then being at that time a resident of the county for 50 years. The manuscript was divided into two volumes. This volume, numbered 2, provides biographical sketches of 348 leading men and women of the County of Adair including many of its founding families. You can read or download the free eBook from this website.

History of Adair County Iowa and its People – vol 1

Back in 1915, Lucian Moody Kilburn, was engaged to write a history of Adair County Iowa by the Pioneer Publishing Company of Chicago Illinois, he then being at that time a resident of the county for 50 years. The actual general history of the county, however, was prepared by Gordon K. Miller. The manuscript was divided into two volumes. This volume, volume 1, provides the general history of Adair County that Mr. Miller prepared. You can read or download the free ebook from this website.

Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrants

This article helps you access the Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrants for free. Following two simple steps, one to search, and the other to browse the actual microfilms, you can quickly find your ancestors Revolutionary War pension record, or Bounty-Land record and download the images. During 1800-1900 the United States issued more than 80,000 pensions and bounty-land-warrants to soldiers of the Revolutionary War, their spouse, or their children. Was your ancestor one of them?

1914 Plymouth County, Iowa, Atlas and farm directory

This 1914 Plymouth County, Iowa, atlas provides township maps for all townships and towns found within Plymouth County, Iowa, in 1914. The “farm directory” is found on each township map which appear as a land owner map for that township. The 4 towns found within the county, Akron, Kingsley, Le Mans, and Remsen have maps but they do not provide the property owners name in most instances. This atlas does not provide an index, and since the names of lot owners appear in multiple direction of the map, you will need to search each map by hand. That requires you to know the township.

Sagas of the Hawkeyes

These articles about history in Iowa have been culled from old newspapers, local histories and biographies and were published in 1945 as a manuscript.

History of the John Wilson Family

“History of the John Wilson Family: With Local Sketches” by Mary Wallace Wilson offers an in-depth chronicle of the Wilson family’s lineage, tracing their roots back to Scottish ancestors who emigrated to the United States. Starting with the establishment of family reunions in 1922 in Waterloo, Iowa, the book weaves together biographical accounts and local history, enriched by the personal endeavors of family members like Grace Galloway Henderson and Nelle Wilson Darrens, who diligently collected and compiled these records. The narrative also includes descriptions of significant places like Tranquility Church in Wolf Creek Valley, where the Wilsons were prominent figures.

The Descendants of Franklin Mary Noyes Rowe of Humboldt County, Iowa

Home of Franklin and Mary Noyes Rowe 1887-1905

This book, “The Descendants of Franklin Mary Noyes Rowe of Humboldt County, Iowa, with Some Notes on Their Ancestors,” authored by Velma Rowe Coffin in Storm Lake, Iowa, in 1955, is a meticulously researched genealogical record spanning 87 pages. It traces the lineage of Franklin Rowe, born December 30, 1836, in Onondaga County, New York, and provides insights into his ancestry and descendants. Free to read or download.

United States Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1800-c. 1955

3,907 land management tract books containing official records of the land status and transactions involving surveyed public lands arranged by state and then by township and range. These books indicate who obtained the land, and include a physical description of the tract and where the land is located. The type of transaction is also recorded such as cash entry, credit entry, homesteads, patents (deeds) granted by the Federal Government, and other conveyances of title such as Indian allotments, internal improvement grants (to states), military bounty land warrants, private land claims, railroad grants, school grants, and swamp grants. Additional items of information included in the tract books are as follows: number of acres, date of sale, purchase price, land office, entry number, final Certificate of Purchase number, and notes on relinquishments and conversions.

Iowa Death Records by County

Iowa Atlases, Farm Directories, and Plat Books

This collection contains digital atlases, farm directories, and plat books for all 99 Iowa counties. We have collated these from a variety of online sources, and provide them here as a single source for all online Iowa County Atlases, Farm Directories, and Plat Books.

WPA Iowa Graves Registration Survey

Chronicling America Historical Newspapers

Chronicling America is a Website providing access to information about historic newspapers and select digitized newspaper pages, and is produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). NDNP, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress (LC), is a long-term effort to develop an Internet-based, searchable database of U.S. newspapers with descriptive information and select digitization of historic pages. Supported by NEH, this rich digital resource will be developed and permanently maintained at the Library of Congress. An NEH award program will fund the contribution of content from, eventually, all U.S. states and territories.

Iowa World War 2 Casualties – Army, Air Force

This database contains War Department casualties (Army and Army Air Force personnel) from World War II for Iowa. Information provided includes serial number, rank and type of casualty. The birthplace or residence of the deceased is not indicated. An introduction explaining how the list was compiled, a statistical tabulation, and the descriptions of the types of casualties incurred are also included.

Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898

These township plat maps began with the Public Lands Survey in the United States initiated by the Land Ordinance Act of 1785, and this collection includes maps for all or parts of Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. Maps were prepared from survey field notes taken by deputy surveyors and can include physical details and man-made improvements. They also indicate township and section lines, section numbers, acreage of holdings, and sometimes names of landholders.

Small Town Newspapers

Small Town Papers gives you access to the people, places and events recorded in real time over the decades or even centuries! Browse and search the scanned newspaper archive from 1846 up to the current edition! Their archives contain millions of names of ancestors not found anywhere else. Enhance your Ancestry research with their high resolution scanned newspaper archive. Find distant relatives and discover your ethnic heritage by reading the articles about family and friends written back in the day.