Dallas County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Dallas 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]
Dallas County was named for George Mifflin Dallas and is located in southwestern Iowa.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Dallas County Iowa Courthouse
801 Court St, Rm 203
PO Box 38
Adel, IA 50003
Phone: 515-993-5816
Dallas County Website
Dallas 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 | 1850 | 1880 | 1860 | 1850 | 1863 | 1847 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
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:[7]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Listed below are resources for Bible records specific to Dallas County. To find more resources, go to the Iowa Bible Records page.
- Highley Family Bible at Bible Records
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- The History of Dallas County, Iowa...Containing Biographical Directory... . 1879. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Past and Present of Dallas County, Iowa: Together with Biographical Sketches... . 1907. By R.F. Wood. Chicago, IL: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Hathitrust.
- Dallas County, Iowa Biographies Project at RootsWeb — links to biographies and local histories
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- 1846-1988 Iowa, Dallas County, Violet Hill Cemetery, Lot Records, 1846-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
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. | %± |
| 1850 | 854 | — |
| 1860 | 5,244 | 514.1% |
| 1870 | 12,019 | 129.2% |
| 1880 | 18,746 | 56.0% |
| 1890 | 20,479 | 9.2% |
| 1900 | 23,058 | 12.6% |
| 1910 | 23,628 | 2.5% |
| 1920 | 25,120 | 6.3% |
| 1930 | 25,493 | 1.5% |
| 1940 | 24,649 | −3.3% |
| 1950 | 23,661 | −4.0% |
| 1960 | 24,123 | 2.0% |
| 1970 | 26,085 | 8.1% |
| 1980 | 29,513 | 13.1% |
| 1990 | 29,755 | 0.8% |
| 2000 | 40,750 | 37.0% |
| 2010 | 66,135 | 62.3% |
| 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.
Lutheran
- 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1855-1860 Minute Book, 1855-1860(*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1855-1913 Court Records, 1855-1913(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1860-1891 Incumbrance Book, 1860-1891, v. 1(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1861-1886 Minute Books, 1861-1886(*); Commission of Insane at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1869-1888 Court Records, 1869-1888(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1873-1897 Stay Bond Record, No. 1, 1873-1897(*); Courts 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]
- Iles Funeral Homes in Dallas Center and West Des Moines
- Johnson Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Dexter and Redfield
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
- 1848-1905 Town lot records, 1855-1902; index, 1853-1903 at FamilySearch Catalog - images and indexes
- 1850-1936 Land records, 1850-1936; indexes, 1850-1903 at FamilySearch Catalog - images and indexes
- 1851-1858 Original entries in Dallas County, 1851-1858, from the United States Land Office, Fort Des Moines in 1859; and, 1851-1864, from the State Land Office, Des Moines in 1873/1882 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1867-1913 Land transfer records, 1867-1913; index, 1904-1921 at FamilySearch Catalog - images and indexes
- 1867-1930 Miscellaneous land records, 1867-1930 ; indexes, 1875-1921 at FamilySearch Catalog - images and indexes
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Dallas County, which may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Iowa Local Histories.
- Hastie's history of Dallas County, Iowa. 1938. By Eugene N Hastie. Des Moines, IA: Wallace-Homstead Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- The History of Dallas County, Iowa... . 1879. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History of Quaker Divide: Struggles and Accomplishments of Settlers... . 1914. By Darius B Cook. Dexter, Iowa: Dexter Sentinel. Online at: FamilySeach Digital Library, Hathitrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Past and Present of Dallas County, Iowa... . 1907. By R.F. Wood. Chicago, IL: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Iowa Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.
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, Dallas County at Ancestry ($) - index.
- 1875-2007 Dallas County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
- 1888-1933 Fire Insurance Maps for Dallas County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1888 and 1933.
- Atlas of Dallas County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- Dallas County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
- IAGenWeb - Dallas County.
- Iowa Digital Library, Dallas County at Iowa University Libraries.
- The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Dallas 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]
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 Dallas 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 A
- - 46th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C
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
- 1873-1915 Naturalization Records, 1873-1915; index, 1873-1906(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 3 indexes, images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1874-1889 The Perry Chief. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1876-2000 The Newspaper Archives of Altoona Public Library at Digital Archives of the Altoona Public Library
- 1883-1885 Perry Pilot. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1886-1915 The Perry Advertiser. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1892-1893 The Reporter. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1893-1914 The Bulletin. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1895-1896 The Perry Bulletin. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1895-1964 The Perry Daily Chief. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1898-1910 The Chief Reporter. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1914-1957 Chief Advertiser. Perry, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1970-2007 The Newspaper Archives of Johnston at Digital Archives of the Johnston Historical Society
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
In most counties in Iowa, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1851-1911 Will Records, 1851-1911(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1858-1933 Probate Records, 1858-1933(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1860-1978 Probate Index, 1860-1978(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1862-1886 Real Estate Record, 1862-1886, v. 1(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1863-1923 Probate Calendar, 1863-1923(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1867-1930 Miscellaneous Land Records, 1867-1930 ; Indexes, 1875-1921(*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1869-1965 Register of Wills Deposited with the Clerk, 1869-1965(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- Index to Will Records no. 3-5(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & 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]
- 1907-1970 Divorce Records, 1907-1970(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Dallas 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
- Ames Iowa Family History Center
- Des Moines Iowa Family History Center
- Indianola Iowa Family History Center
- Newton Iowa Family History Center
- Danish Immigrant Museum - an affiliate library
- Iowa Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Dallas County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
Adel Public Library
303 S 10th Street
Adel, IA 50003
515-351-2993
E-mail: Librarian@adel.lib.ia.us
Website
Facebook
Roy R. Estle Memorial Library
1308 Walnut Street
Dallas Center, IA 50063
515-992-3185
Website
Facebook
Museums[edit | edit source]
Adel Historical Museum
1129 Main Street
PO Box 248
Adel, IA 50003
515-993-4525
Website
Dallas County Forest Park Museum And Arboretum
14581 K Avenue
Perry, IA 50220
515-465-3577
Email: conservation@co.dallas.ia.us
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Dallas County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Iowa Societies.
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Dallas County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
- Dallas County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
- Dallas County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
- Dallas County at Iowa USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
- Dallas County at LDSGenealogy - collection of links by state, county, city, and record type
- 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]
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed on 11 April 2021.
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed on 11 April 2021.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Dallas, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_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.
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed on 11 April 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, "Dallas County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_County,_Iowa, accessed 8 August 2019.