Linn County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Linn County, Iowa ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Linn County was named for Lewis Fields Linn and is located in eastern Iowa.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Linn County Courthouse
51 Third Avenue Bridge
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Phone: 319-398-3411
Linn County Website
Linn 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 | 1840 | 1880 | 1860 | 1841 | 1860 | 1847 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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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 | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Townships | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Listed below are resources for Bible records specific to Linn County. To find more resources, go to the Iowa Bible Records page.
- Family Bible Records, Linn County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- Linn County Family Bible Records at USGenNet - transcriptions
- Linn County Iowa Bibles at USGenWeb Iowa Archives - transcriptions
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Biographical Record of Linn County, Iowa. 1901. Chicago, IL: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust — index & images.
- The History of Linn County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, a Biographical Directory of its Citizens. 1878. Chicago, IL: Western Historical Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust — index & images, Ancestry — index & images ($)
- Linn County (Iowa) Soldiers and Sailors Serving Our Flag. 1918. R.E. Patterson. Marion, IA: Soldiers' and Sailors' Club. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Portrait and Biographical Album of Linn County, Iowa 1887. Chicago, IL: Chapman Brothers. Vol I Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, https://archive.org/details/portraitbiograph00chap_10/page/n6/mode/2up?q=linn+county+iowa Internet Archive]; Vol II Online at: HathiTrust — index & images,Google Books.
- Linn 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. | %± |
| 1850 | 5,444 | — |
| 1860 | 18,947 | 248.0% |
| 1870 | 31,080 | 64.0% |
| 1880 | 37,237 | 19.8% |
| 1890 | 45,303 | 21.7% |
| 1900 | 55,392 | 22.3% |
| 1910 | 60,720 | 9.6% |
| 1920 | 74,004 | 21.9% |
| 1930 | 82,336 | 11.3% |
| 1940 | 89,142 | 8.3% |
| 1950 | 104,274 | 17.0% |
| 1960 | 136,899 | 31.3% |
| 1970 | 163,213 | 19.2% |
| 1980 | 169,775 | 4.0% |
| 1990 | 168,767 | −0.6% |
| 2000 | 191,701 | 13.6% |
| 2010 | 211,226 | 10.2% |
| 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.
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1840-1845 Court Records, 1840-1845(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1843-1902 Justice Docket, 1843-1902(*); Justice of the Peace Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1855-1860 Complete Record, vol. 1, 1855-1860(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1904-1973 Change of Name Records, v. 1, 1904-1973(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Directories[edit | edit source]
- County Farm Directory and Automobile Guide of Linn County, Iowa. 1916. Springfield, IL: F.A. Moore Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- 1878 The History of Linn County, Iowa : Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, a Biographical Directory of Its Citizens, War Record of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men, History of the Northwest, History of Iowa, Map of Linn County(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Brosh Chapel in Cedar Rapids
- Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids
- Cedar Memorial Westside Chapel in Cedar Rapids
- Legacy Center at Murdoch-Linwood in Cedar Rapids
- Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service-Center Point in Center Point
- Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service-Central City in Central City
- Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids
- Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service-Marion in Marion
- Teahen Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Cedar Rapids
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
- 1841-1886 Deeds - Lands, 1841-1886; indexes, 1841-1907 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1848-1857 Bill of sale book, 1848-1857 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1855-1933 Town lot deeds, 1855-1933; indexes, 1855-2003 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1858-1990 Transfer books, 1858-1990 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Linn County, which may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Iowa Local Histories.
- 1838-1923 Linn County: a Brief Review of Its History From 1838 to 1923. 1923. Fred J. Lazell. Cedar Rapids, IA: Linn County Board of Supervisors. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- The History of Linn County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, a Biographical Directory of its Citizens. 1878. Chicago, IL: Western Historical Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust — index & images, Ancestry — index & images ($)
- History of Linn County, Iowa: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. 1911. Luther A. Brewer & Barthinius L. Wick. Chicago, IL: Pioneer. Vol I Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust — index & images, Vol II Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($)
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
County and state maps, historical and more current, are valuable research tools. For online maps and collections in libraries and societies, see Iowa Maps. Historical maps may be especially useful.
for more resources
- 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Linn County at Ancestry ($) - index.
- 1875-2007 Linn County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
- 1883-1949 Fire Insurance Maps for Linn County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1949.
- Atlas of Linn County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- IAGenWeb - Linn County.
- Iowa Digital Library, Linn County at Iowa University Libraries.
- Linn County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
- The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Linn County at State Library of Iowa.
- Township Map of 1875 Linn County, Iowa at My Genealogy Hound; with enlarged views of each township.
- 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 Linn 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:
- - 1st Regiment, Iowa Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company K
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company H and K
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
- - 9th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
- - 11th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
- - 12th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D and H
- - 13th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A and F
- - 16th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
- - 18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
- - 24th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F, G, and H
- - 46th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company E
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Please see the Iowa Naturalization and Citizenship page for state-wide information.
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1856-1924 Naturalization Records, 1856-1924(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1859-1990 United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1861-1869 County Court Records, 1861-1869(*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Cedar Rapids Library Archives, Linn County has a large number of Cedar Rapids and Marion newspapers available free online.
- 1896-1973 The Coe College Cosmos. 1896, 1899-1910, 1912-44, 1948-51, 1969-71, and 1973. Cedar Rapids, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1898-1912 Cosmos. 1898-1903 and 1909-12. Cedar Rapids, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1899 Coe College Cosmos. 1899. Coe College, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1913-1916 The Evening Gazette. 1913 and 1915-16. Cedar Rapids, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1922 The Republican And Times. 1922. Cedar Rapids, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1925-1926 Cedar Rapids Republican. 1925-26. Cedar Rapids, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1939-1977 Coe Cosmos. 1939-44, 1946, 1948-67, 1969-73, and 1975-77. Cedar Rapids, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1976-1977 The New Cosmos. 1976-77. Cedar Rapids, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
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, ($)
- 1840-1924 Probate Case Files, 1840-1924(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1840-1944 Probate Records, 1840-1941; Index, 1840-1944(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1861-1883 Probate Record, vol. 3, 7, 1861-1883(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1871-1887 Probate Fee Book, vol. 2, 1871-1887(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
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]
- 1906-1950 Record of Divorces, 1906-1950(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Linn 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
- African American Museum Of Iowa - an affiliate library
- Genealogical Society of Linn County Iowa dba Cedar Rapids Area Genealogy Library - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Linn County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
The Genealogical Society of Linn County Library
813 1st Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406
319-369-0022
Website
Cedar Rapids Public Library
Downtown Library
450 5th Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
319-261-7323
E-mail: info@crlibrary.org
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
African American Museum of Iowa
55 12th Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
319-862-2101
Website
The National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library
1400 Inspiration Place SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
319-362-8500
Website
The History Center
Linn County Historical Society
800 Second Avenue SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
319-362-1501
E-mail: office@historycenter.org
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Linn County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Iowa Societies.
Genealogical Society of Linn County
813 1st Ave SE
Cedar Rapids, IA, 52406-0175
319-369-0022
Website
Springville Area Historical Society
304 Broadway Ave
PO Box 382
Springville, IA 52336
E-mail: SAHSinfo@gmail.com
Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Linn County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
- Linn County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
- Linn County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
- Linn 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]
- ↑ 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, "Linn, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linn_County,_Iowa."
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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, "Linn County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linn_County,_Iowa#Communities, accessed 2 October 2019.
