R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

Iowa
Research Outline
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Table of Contents
Helps For Using This Research Outline
     References To The Family History Library Catalog
     References To Other Family History Library Publications
Archives And Libraries
     Computer Networks And Bulletin Boards
     Familysearch™
Bible Records
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
     Federal Censuses
     Mortality Schedules, 1850–1880
     Territorial Censuses
     State Censuses
Church Records
Court Records
Directories
Divorce Records
Emigration And Immigration
     Routes To Iowa
Gazetteers
Genealogy
     Nationwide Indexes
     Statewide Collections And Indexes
Historical Geography
History
Land And Property
     Land Office Records
     Homestead Grants
     Other Iowa Land Records
     County Records
     Early Private Land Claims, 1700s–1837
     Territorial Papers Of Iowa, 1838–1852
Maps
     Land Ownership And Plat Maps
     County Atlases
Military Records
     Revolutionary War, 1775–1783
     Early Records Beginning With 1837
     Mexican War, 1846–1848
     Civil War, 1861–65
     Spanish-american War, 1898, And Philippine Insurrection, 1898–1902
     World War I, 1917–1918
     Military Discharge Records, 1860s–1950s
     Militia Records, 1860s–1900s
     National Guard Application Forms, 1870–1920
     Location Of Original Records
Minorities
Native Races
Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers
Obituaries
Periodicals
Probate Records
Public Records
Schools
Societies
Taxation
Vital Records
     County Records Of Births And Deaths
     State Records Of Births And Deaths
Other Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions

MINORITIESLook this term up in the glossary.

Immigrants began to settle in Iowa around 1833. The Family History Library has many books about the different ethnic groups that settled in Iowa, including Amish, Danish, Dutch, German, and Swedish immigrants. These books may contain biographical information about individuals, groups that immigrated together, and ministers who immigrated with members of their church congregation.

An excellent bibliography about the different immigrant groups is:

Petersen, William John. Iowa History Reference Guide. (Cited fully in the “For Further Reading” section of this outline.)

Dawson, Patricia and David Hudson. Iowa History and Culture: A Bibliography of Materials Published Between 1952 and 1986. (Cited fully in the “For Further Reading” section of this outline.)

There were relatively few African Americans in Iowa before the Civil War. For a list of books and articles about slavery in early Iowa, see pages 5–6 of:

Robertson , James J. Jr. Iowa in the Civil War: A Reference Guide. Iowa City, Iowa: The State Historical Society of Iowa, 197- (FHL book 977.7 A1 no. 40; fiche 6049713; computer number 150168.)

For books about ethnic groups, see the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:

IOWA - MINORITIESIOWA, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- MINORITIES


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NATIVE RACESLook this term up in the glossary.

Among the major American Indian tribes that lived in what is now Iowa were the Sauk (or Sac) and Fox tribes. Events in their history include:

1665–1712 Three relatively small tribes (including the Sauk and the Fox) failed to overcome the French and allied Indians; they then fled to central Wisconsin.
1728 A series of attacks nearly destroyed the remaining Fox tribe.
1832 Fox survivors moved southward into Iowa and aligned with the Sauk in the Black Hawk War. The Sauk and Fox tribes merged and were forced to move into Kansas by a U.S. government proclamation. Later the Fox tribe returned to Iowa and lived on a settlement tract of 80 acres that they had purchased.

The following are examples of available records:

Indian (Sac & Fox) Census of Iowa, ca. 1836–1840. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1978. (FHL film 1022202 item 4; computer number 1110.)

United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Indian Census Rolls, 1885–1940. Washington, D.C., 1965. (FHL films 581444–446; computer number 77106.) These rolls include the Sauk and Fox tribal rolls from 1888 to 1939. Film 581446 includes births and deaths from 1924 to 1932.

Annuity Payroll of the Sac and Fox of the Mississippi in Iowa, Sept. 15, 1910. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1975. (FHL film 0989445 item 12; computer number 74263.) This record serves as a partial census for this tribe.

For further information on American Indians, see:

Petersen, William John. Iowa History Reference Guide. (Cited fully in the “For Further Reading” section of this outline.) Pages 22–31 list books and articles about the various American Indian tribes, agents, treaties, and the half-breed tract in Iowa.

To find American Indian records in the Family History Library Catalog look in the Subject Search under the name of the tribe, such as:

FOX INDIANSPOTAWATOMI INDIANSSAUK INDIANS
You can also look in the Locality Search under:

IOWA - NATIVE RACESIOWA, [COUNTY]- NATIVE RACES

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