Des Moines County, Iowa Genealogy

United States' &gt; 'Iowa &gt; Des Moines County

County Courthouse
Des Moines County Courthouse 513 N. Main St. PO Box 277 Burlington, Iowa 52601

(319) 753-8221

Des Moines County

Parent County
1834--Des Moines County was created 1 October 1834, when Des Moines County Congress passed an act attaching the Black Hawk Purchase to the Territory of Michigan in June of 1834 prior to that it was part of Wisconsin. The following September the Legislature of Michigan divided this land purchase into two counties, Dubuque and Des Moines. The dividing boundary was a line running west from the lower end of Rock Island. At this time County courts were established with Des Moines County Court placed in the city of Burlington. Des Moines was named after the Des Moines River. County seat: Burlington

Record Loss
1873 -- 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
Cities: Burlington | Danville | Dodgeville | Mediapolis | Middletown | West Burlington

Historical Postoffices: Linton

Unincorporated Towns: Augusta | Latty | Sperry


 * Townships and Villages: 

Ghost Towns of Des Moines County
Ghost towns are settlements, towns, and villages whose thriving little communities dried up for various reasons. Some are now part of other townships, some have just faded away. Here are their names, the years they were functioning, and the Townships they were a part of.

Neighboring Counties
Henry County (west)| Lee County (south) | Louisa County (north) | Henderson County, Illinois (east) | Mercer County, Illinois (northeast)

Cemeteries
There are many cemeteries in townships, cities, and farms located throughout Des Moines County that have been transcribed. Additional information on their locations is at Des Moines County Cemeteries Map. More information can be found on microfilm at the Family History Library based in Salt Lake City, Utah and can be requested and viewed at Family History Centers throughout the world.

Transcriptions for some of these cemeteries can be found at:
 * FindAGrave.com
 * Interment.net cemetery records.
 * Iowa Gravestone Photo Project
 * Saving Graves
 * Tombstone Transcription Project

Census

 * Census Finder
 * Census index for Des Moines County, transcribed for the years of 1836, 1836 Territorial Census, 1838, 1840, 1850, 1852, 1860.

Court
The Des Moines Courthouse is located in the town of Burlington.

Local Histories

 * History of Des Moines County, Iowa...Chicago: Western Hist. Co., 1879. - index, 105 bios online
 * Portrait and Biographical Album of Des Moines County, Iowa... Chicago: Acme Publishing, 1888. - index, 519 bios online
 * Biographical Review of Des Moines County, Iowa... Hobart Pub. Co., 1905. - index, 8 bios online
 * History of Des Moines County, Iowa, ed. by Augustine M. Antrobus. 2 vols. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1915. - index, 8 bios online

Maps

 * David Rumsey Map Collection is a large online collection of rare, old, antique historical atlases, globes, maps, charts plus other cartographic treasures.
 * 1904 Des Moines County Iowa Atlas

Newspapers

 * The Hawkeye
 * The Mediapolis News

Births
Birth records kept by the District Court, 1880-1904; 1906-1934, have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa and 1880-1931 at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Marriage Records
Some early Marriages Of Des Moines County 1837 to 1850 have been transcribed and published.

Des Moines County Marriage Records, from 1880-1904; 1906-1935 have been microfilmed and can be found at the State Historical Society in Des Moines, Polk County Iowa. Index to marriage records, 1921-1977; marriage records, 1835-1930 at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Death Records
Deaths records are held by the District Court, 1835-1930, have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society in Des Moines, Polk County Iowa and 1880-1921 at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

Societies and Libraries

 * Des Moines County Genealogical Society Address: PO Box 493 Burlington IA 52601
 * State Historical Society of Iowa Address: 600 East Locust Des Moines IA 50319

Web Sites

 * Des Moines County, Iowa Biographies Project
 * Family History Library Catalog
 * Genealogy Trails Genealogy Group

