Winneshiek County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Winneshiek County, Iowa ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Winneshiek County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa | |
 Location of Iowa in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | February 20, 1847 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Decorah |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
Contents
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for the a chief of the Winnebago tribe. The County has Decorah as its seat and the County was created 1847. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.[1]
Winneshiek County, Iowa Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1880 | 1851 | 1880 | 1855 | 1851 | 1853 | 1847 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Quick Facts[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1847 Winneshiek County was created 20 February 1847 from unorganized territory. It was attached to Clayton County prior to organization 1 March 1851. County seat: Decorah [3]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Iowa County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Iowa County Boundary Maps" (1816-1872) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places/Localities[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:[4]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
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| Ghost towns | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Allamakee • Chickasaw • Clayton • Fayette • Howard • Fillmore County, Minnesota • Houston County, Minnesota
Resources[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| IAGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| IAGenWeb Archives | FamilySearch Places | |
| Tombstone Project | ||
| Iowa Gravestones | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Iowa Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 546 | — |
| 1860 | 13,942 | 2453.5% |
| 1870 | 23,570 | 69.1% |
| 1880 | 23,938 | 1.6% |
| 1890 | 22,528 | −5.9% |
| 1900 | 23,731 | 5.3% |
| 1910 | 21,729 | −8.4% |
| 1920 | 22,091 | 1.7% |
| 1930 | 21,630 | −2.1% |
| 1940 | 22,263 | 2.9% |
| 1950 | 21,639 | −2.8% |
| 1960 | 21,651 | 0.1% |
| 1970 | 21,758 | 0.5% |
| 1980 | 21,876 | 0.5% |
| 1990 | 20,847 | −4.7% |
| 2000 | 21,310 | 2.2% |
| 2010 | 21,056 | −1.2% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
State Census
- 1895 - Iowa State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1905 - Iowa State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1915 - Iowa State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1925 - Iowa State Census. 1925 at FamilySearch — index and images
Church[edit | edit source]
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Iowa Church Records.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Lutheran[edit | edit source]
First Lutheran Church
- Records of the First Lutheran Church, Winneshiek County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com.
St. Petri Lutheran Church, Decorah
- Records of the St. Petri Lutheran Church, Decorah, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com.
Stavanger Lutheran Church, Ossian
- Records of the Stavanger Lutheran Church, Ossian, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com.
Winneshiek County
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Winneshiek County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com.
Court[edit | edit source]
Land[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Iowa Land and Property for additional information about early Iowa land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Winneshiek County, Iowa Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Iowa Local Histories.
History of Winneshiek and Allamakee Counties, Iowa
- And so they came -- to Bloomfield Township. By Judith M. Friedrich. Winneshiek County, Iowa : Bloomfield Township Historical Society, [1977?]. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries(WorldCat).
- History of Winneshiek and Allamakee Counties, Iowa. By W. E. Alexander. Sioux City, Iowa : Western Pub. Co., 1882. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust; At various libraries(WorldCat).
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Iowa
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1835-1998 - Iowa, Armed Forces Grave Registrations, ca. 1835-1998 at FamilySearch — index
- 1861-1949 - Iowa, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1861-1949 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1862-1910 - Iowa, Records of Persons Subject to Military Duty, 1862-1910 at FamilySearch — index
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Service men in Winneshiek County, Iowa Genealogy 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 in Winneshiek County, Iowa Genealogy:
- - 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company K
- - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company D
- - 9th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
- - 15th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company K
- - 46th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1859-1990 - United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Winneshiek County, Iowa Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Winneshiek County, Iowa Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Probate[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Records
- 1758 - 1997 Iowa Wills and Probate Records 1758-1997 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
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.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for Iowa - Winneshiek - Probate records.
Taxation[edit | edit source]
- 1934-1958 - Iowa, Old Age Tax Assistance Records, 1934-1958 at FamilySearch — index
Iowa tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Tax lists were usually made every year, however, there may be gaps of several years. For more information, see the wiki page Iowa Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Iowa Department of Public Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also How to order Iowa Vital Records or order electronically online.
Births[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1939 - Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1921-1942 - Iowa, Birth Records, 1921-1942 at FamilySearch — index and images
Marriages[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 — index and images
- 1880-1951 Iowa, Marriage Records, 1880-1951 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
Deaths[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1990 - Iowa, Deaths and Burials 1850-1990 at FamilySearch
- 1880-1992 - Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — index
- 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1904-1951 - Iowa, Death Records, 1904-1951 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1920-1967 Iowa, Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Howard-Winneshiek Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 362
Cresco, Iowa 52136
Telephone:563-547-2540
E-mail: webmaster@cresco.lib.ia.us
Website
Winneshiek County Historical Society
201 W Main Street
PO Box 63
Decorah, IA 52101
Telephone:563-382-4166
E-mail: winneshiek.historical.society@gmail.com
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.
- For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Winneshiek County IAGenWeb
- Winneshiek County, IA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Iowa Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Winneshiek County, Iowa Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Norwegian Ridge
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Winneshiek, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winneshiek_County,_Iowa."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Winneshiek County, Iowa. Page 230-238 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 222-225.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Winneshiek County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winneshiek_County%2C_Iowa, accessed 4 November 2019.
