Cass County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Cass County, Iowa ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Cass County was named for Lewis Cass and is located in southwestern Iowa.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Cass County Courthouse
5 West 7th Street
Atlantic, IA 50022
712-243-2105
Cass County Website
Cass County, Iowa Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1880 | 1853 | 1880 | 1865 | 1853 | 1870 | 1847 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
1932 Courthouse was destroyed by fire in March, but there is no reported record loss. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
|
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[8]
| Cities | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Listed below are resources for Bible records specific to Cass County. To find more resources, go to the Iowa Bible Records page.
- Cass County Bible Records at IAGenWeb Project
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- History of Cass County, Iowa: Together with Sketches of its Towns .... 1884. Springfield, IL: Continental Historical Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
- Cass County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
Iowa recorded not only federal, but state censuses for several in-between years as well. For more information, see the very informative Iowa Census article.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 1,612 | — |
| 1870 | 5,464 | 239.0% |
| 1880 | 16,943 | 210.1% |
| 1890 | 19,642 | 15.9% |
| 1900 | 21,274 | 8.3% |
| 1910 | 19,047 | −10.5% |
| 1920 | 19,421 | 2.0% |
| 1930 | 19,422 | 0.0% |
| 1940 | 18,647 | −4.0% |
| 1950 | 18,532 | −0.6% |
| 1960 | 17,919 | −3.3% |
| 1970 | 17,007 | −5.1% |
| 1980 | 16,932 | −0.4% |
| 1990 | 15,128 | −10.7% |
| 2000 | 14,684 | −2.9% |
| 2010 | 13,956 | −5.0% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
State Census
- 1885 Iowa State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1895 Iowa State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1905 Iowa State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images (individual cards, not family context)
- 1915 Iowa State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1925 Iowa State Census, 1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Most church records are held by individual churches. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Iowa Church Records.
Church Records and Indexes
Lutheran
- 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1873-1930 Affidavits, 1873-1930(*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1875-1901 Court Record Index, 1875-1901(*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
- 1888-1973 Register of the Justice of the Peace, 1888-1973(*); Justice of the Peace at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Lamb Funeral Homes in Massena
- Schmidt Family Funeral Homes in Anita and Atlantic
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. They include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Iowa Land and Property for information about early Iowa land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, transactions were usually recorded and housed at the county courthouse.
Online Land and Property Records
- 1853-1929 Land deed records, 1853-1929 at FamilySearch Catalog - images and indexes
- 1854-1904 Town lot deed records, 1854-1904 at FamilySearch Catalog - images and indexes
- 1879-1950 Homestead record, v. 1, 1879-1950 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Cass County, which may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Iowa Local Histories.
- Cass County in the World War, 1917-1918-1919. 1919. By J.C. Beard. Atlantic, Iowa: J.C. Beard. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
- Compendium of History and Biography of Cass County, Iowa. 1906. Chicago, Illinois : Henry Taylor & Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Exposition Souvenir Album. 1904. By Charles F. Chase. Atlantic, Iowa Democrat Pub. Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- History of Cass County, Iowa: Together with Sketches of its Towns .... 1884. Springfield, IL: Continental Historical Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
County and state maps, historical and more current, are valuable research tools. For online maps and collections in libraries and societies, see Iowa Maps. Historical maps may be especially useful.
for more resources
- 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Cass County at Ancestry ($) - index.
- 1875-2007 Cass County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
- 1883-1948 Fire Insurance Maps for Cass County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1948.
- Atlas of Cass County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- Cass County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
- IAGenWeb - Cass County.
- Iowa Digital Library, Cass County at Iowa University Libraries.
- Maps of Townships of Cass County(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- Standard Atlas of Cass County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Cass County at State Library of Iowa.
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places.
Migration[edit | edit source]
Early migration routes to and from Cass County for European settlers included:
- Mormon Trail 1846 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah[9]
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Military Records[edit | edit source]
Multiple Wars
- 1835-1998 Iowa, Armed Forces Grave Registrations, ca. 1835-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index only
- 1862-1910 Iowa, Records of Persons Subject to Military Duty, 1862-1910 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Civil War
- 1861-1949 Iowa, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Civil War service men in Cass County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed here:
- - 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
World War I
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Please see the Iowa Naturalization and Citizenship page for state-wide information.
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1859-1990 United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1870-1928 Naturalization Records, 1870-1928(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1877-1929 Naturalization Index, 1877-1929(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
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.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1864-1948 Probate Records, 1864-1948(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1873-1931 Will Records, 1873-1931(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1885-1987 Notary Public Records, 1885-1987(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Iowa tax records complement land records and can supplement the years between censuses. Iowa's unique Old Age Assistance tax gives names, addresses and birth years. There may be gaps of several years. For more information, see the wiki page Iowa Taxation.
Online Tax Indexes and Records
- 1934-1958 Iowa, Old Age Tax Assistance Records, 1934-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded by civil officials on registers, certificates, and other documents. Copies or extracts may be purchased from the Iowa Department of Public Health or the County Clerk's office. See also Iowa Vital Records.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1939 Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1880-1935 Iowa, County Births, 1880-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1921-1942 Iowa, Birth Records, 1921-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 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 ($)
- 1838-1934 Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1880-1951 Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1990 Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and some images; Also at: MyHeritage($)
- 1880-1992 Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1904-1951 Iowa, Death Records, 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 ($)
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Cass County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Council Bluffs Iowa Family History Center
- Des Moines Iowa Family History Center
- Logan Iowa Family History Center
- Danish Immigrant Museum - an affiliate library
- Omaha Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Cass County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
Atlantic Public Library
507 Poplar St
Atlantic, IA 50022
712-243-5466
Email: atlanticpubliclibrary@gmail.com
Website
Cumberland Public Library
119 Main St
Cumberland, IA 50843-0150
712-774-5334
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Cass County Historical Museum
408 Main St
Griswold, IA 51535
712-778-5040
Email: casshistory@netins.net
Facebook
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Cass County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Iowa Societies.
Cass County Genealogical Society
507 Poplar St
Atlantic, Iowa 50022-1241
712-243-5466
Email: casscgs@gmail.com
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Cass County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
- Cass County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
- Cass County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
- Cass 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
- FamilySearch Catalog – 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.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed 24 May 2021.
- ↑ Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed 24 May 2021.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Cass, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_County,_Iowa." accessed on 1 June 2021
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Iowa.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed 24 May 2021.
- ↑ Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed 24 May 2021.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Iowa.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Cass County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_County,_Iowa, accessed 25 August 2019.
- ↑ 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).