Marion County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Marion 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]
Marion county was named for Francis Marion and is located in southeastern Iowa.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Marion County Courthouse
214 E Main St
Knoxville, IA 50138
Phone: 641-828-2207
Marion County Website
Marion 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 | 1846 | 1880 | 1854 | 1846 | 1845 | 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:[7]
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
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History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Listed below are resources for Bible records specific to Marion County. To find more resources, go to the Iowa Bible Records page.
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- The History of Marion County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, etc; Biographical Sketches of its Citizens, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men. 1881. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Company; Birdsall, Williams & Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive
- History of Marion County, Iowa and its people. 1915. by John W. Wright. Chicago, IL: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co. Vol I Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; HathiTrust — index & images; Vol II Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust — index & images; Vol I & II Online at: Ancestry.com — index & images ($)
- Pioneers of Marion County, Consisting of a General History of the County from its Early Settlement to the Present Date. 1872. by William M. Donnel. Des Moines, IA: Republican Steam Printing House. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books
- Marion 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 | 5,482 | — |
| 1860 | 16,813 | 206.7% |
| 1870 | 24,436 | 45.3% |
| 1880 | 25,111 | 2.8% |
| 1890 | 23,058 | −8.2% |
| 1900 | 24,159 | 4.8% |
| 1910 | 22,995 | −4.8% |
| 1920 | 24,957 | 8.5% |
| 1930 | 25,727 | 3.1% |
| 1940 | 27,019 | 5.0% |
| 1950 | 25,930 | −4.0% |
| 1960 | 25,886 | −0.2% |
| 1970 | 26,352 | 1.8% |
| 1980 | 29,669 | 12.6% |
| 1990 | 30,001 | 1.1% |
| 2000 | 32,052 | 6.8% |
| 2010 | 33,309 | 3.9% |
| 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 — index and images, ($)
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1851-1858 Minutes, 1851-1858(*); County Judge at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1857-1886 Court Records, 1857-1886(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1866-1882 Miscellaneous Court Records, 1866-1882(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1877-1937 Affidavit Index, 1877-1937(*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
- 1881-1908 Miscellaneous Records, 1881-1901; Index, 1895-1908(*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
- 1907-1989 Name Change Records, 1907-1989(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1937 Atlas and Rural Directory of Marion County, Iowa(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
- Bertrand Funeral Homes and Monuments in Knoxville and Pleasantville
- Garden Chapel Funeral Home in Pella
- Gilbert-Boman Funeral Home in Bussey
- Pierschbacher Funeral Homes in Melcher-Dallas
- Van Dyk-Duven Funeral Home in Pella
- Williams Funeral Home in Knoxville
- Winfield Funeral Home in Knoxville
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
- 1846-1858 Original entries, 1846-1858 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1846-1920 Deed records, 1846-1920; indexes, 1848-1912 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1855-1901 Town lot deeds, 1855-1901; index, 1847-1908 at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1859-1932 Tax deeds and sales, 1859-1932 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1864-1902 Land transfer records, 1864-1902 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1866-1923 Town lot transfer records, 1866-1923 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1881-1959 Sheriff's deed records, v. 1-2, 1881-1959 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Marion County, which may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Iowa Local Histories.
- Down on the Ridge: Reminiscences of the Old Days in Coalport and Down on the Ridge, Marion County, Iowa. 1909. by Alfred B. McCown. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust — index & images.
- The History of Marion County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, etc; Biographical Sketches of its Citizens, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men. 1881. Des Moines, IA: Union Historical Company; Birdsall, Williams & Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
- History of Marion County, Iowa and its people. 1915. By John W. Wright. Chicago, IL: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co. Vol I Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; HathiTrust — index & images; Vol II Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust — index & images; Vol I & II Online at: Ancestry.com — index & images ($)
- Pioneers of Marion County, Consisting of a General History of the County from its Early Settlement to the Present Date. 1872. by William M. Donnel. Des Moines, IA: Republican Steam Printing House. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books
- Iowa Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
County and state maps, historical and more current, are valuable research tools. For online maps and collections in libraries and societies, see Iowa Maps. Historical maps may be especially useful.
for more resources
- 1860-1918 U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Marion County at Ancestry ($) - index.
- 1875-2007 Marion County 1875-2007 at Historic Map Works - may include names of land-owners.
- 1883-1913 Fire Insurance Maps for Marion County, Iowa at Library of Congress - various years between 1883 and 1913.
- Atlas and Rural Directory of Marion County, Iowa(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
- IAGenWeb - Marion County.
- Iowa Digital Library, Marion County at Iowa University Libraries.
- Marion County Maps at FamilySearch Catalog.
- The Iowa Heritage Digital Collections, Marion 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
- 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 Marion 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:
- - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B
- - 8th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
- - 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G and K
- - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G and H
- - 18th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G
- - 47th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company A
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Please see the Iowa Naturalization and Citizenship page for state-wide information.
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1847-1930 Naturalization Records, 1847-1930; indexes, 1847-1856(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog —indexes, images
- 1859-1990 United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1866-1882 Miscellaneous Court Records, 1866-1882(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1896-1920 Naturalization Index, 1896-1920(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1855, 1930, and 1955 Knoxville Journal. 1855, 1930, and 1955. Knoxville, IA, USA. Online at Ancestry ($)
- 1876-2000 The Newspaper Archives of Altoona Public Library
- 1970-2007 The Newspaper Archives of Johnston Historical Society Archive
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
In most counties in Iowa, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)
- 1836-1965 Guardianship, Divorce, Probate & Miscellaneous Cases, 1836-1965; Index, 1873-1925(*); Clerk of the District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1845-1977 Probate Records, 1845-1910; Index, 1845-1977(*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
- 1846-1920 Deed Records, 1846-1920; Indexes, 1848-1912(*); County Recorder 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]
- 1836-1965 Guardianship, Divorce, Probate & Miscellaneous Cases, 1836-1965; Index, 1873-1925(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1883-1928 Divorce Records, 1883-1928(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Marion 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
- Iowa Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Marion County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
The Knoxville Public Library
213 East Montgomery
Knoxville, IA 50138
641-828-0585
E-mail: knoxlib@knoxville.lib.ia.us
Website
Facebook
Pella Public Library
603 Main Street
Pella, IA 50219
641-628-4268
E-mail: pplcirc@cityofpella.com
Website
Facebook
Museums[edit | edit source]
Marion County Historical Village
Marion County Park
306 Willets Drive
Knoxville, IA 50138
641-891-4124
E-mail: dcarlson@mchsi.com
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Marion County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Iowa Societies.
Marion County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 385
Knoxville, IA 50138-0385
Website
Marion County Historical Society
PO Box 21
Knoxville, IA 50138
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Marion County at Cyndi's List - a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
- Marion County at Genealogy Trails - volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
- Marion County at Iowa USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
- Marion 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, "Marion, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_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.
- ↑ 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, "Marion County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_County%2C_Iowa#Communities, accessed 16 October 2019.