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Iowa Decatur County
Guide to Decatur County Iowa genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Decatur County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa | |
 Location of Iowa in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | January 13, 1846 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Leon |
| Courthouse | |
Contents |
County Courthouse
Decatur County Courthouse
207 Main Street
Leon, IA 50144-1647
(515) 446-4331
History
The county is named after U.S. naval officer Stephen Decatur (1779-1820).[1]
Parent County
1846--Decatur County was created 13 January 1846 from unorganized territory. It was attached to Davis County prior to organization 6 March 1850.
County seat: Leon [2]
Boundary Changes
See an interactive map of Iowa boundary changes.
Record Loss
March 31, 1874 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.
For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:
- Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
- Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle
Places/Localities
Populated Places
Neighboring Counties
Clarke | Lucas | Ringgold | Union | Wayne | Harrison County, Missouri | Mercer County, Missouri
Resources
Cemeteries
Census
Iowa recorded not only the federal census but state census through out the years too. The state census contains very valuable genealogical information. Where the census information can be found, what years it was taken, mortality schedules, census substitutions and much more is discussed in the very informative Iowa Census article.
Church
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Iowa Church Records.
LDS Ward and Branch Records
- Garden Grove
Court
Land
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Iowa Land and Property for additional information about early Iowa land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Decatur County, Iowa. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Iowa Local Histories.
Maps
Migration
Early migration routes to and from Decatur County, Iowa for European settlers included:
- Mormon Trail 1846 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah[3]
Military
Newspapers
NewspaperArchive.com ($) has a large collection of digitized Iowa newspapers online. This database is sometimes free at libraries.
Probate
In most counties in Iowa, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
The Family History Library Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for Iowa - Decatur - Probate records.
Taxation
Iowa tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Tax lists were usually made every year, however, there may be gaps of several years. For more information, see the wiki page Iowa Taxation.
Vital Records
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Iowa Department of Public Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.
Societies and Libraries
Family History Centers
Web Sites
References
- ↑ "List of counties in Tennessee", Wikipedia.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ National Park Service, "Auto Tour Route Maps" in Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/mopi/planyourvisit/maps.htm (accessed 18 July 2011).
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- This page was last modified on 18 June 2013, at 17:47.
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