Black Hawk County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Black Hawk County, Iowa ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Black Hawk County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa | |
 Location of Iowa in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | February 17, 1843 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Waterloo |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Black Hawk County Courthouse 316 E. 5th St. Waterloo, IA 50703-4774 Phone:(319) 833-3012 Black Hawk County Website |
Contents
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Black Hawk. The County has Waterloo as its seat and the County was created 1843. The County is located in the northeast central area of the state.[1]
Black Hawk County, Iowa Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1880 | 1854 | 1880 | 1853 | 1853 | 1880 | 1847 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Black Hawk County Courthouse
316 E. 5th St.
Waterloo, IA 50703-4774
(319) 833-3012
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1843--Black Hawk County was created 17 February 1843 from Buchanan County. Black Hawk County was attached to Buchanan, Benton, and Delaware Counties prior to organization 17 August 1853. County seat: Black Hawk [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]
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog
- Black Hawk Township
- Cedar Falls
- Dunkerton
- Finchford
- Gilbertville
- Hudson
- La Porte City
- Raymond
- Spring Creek Township
- Waterloo
- Waterloo Township
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 | ||
|
||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Benton • Bremer • Buchanan • Butler • Fayette • Grundy • Tama
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 | 135 | — |
| 1860 | 8,244 | 6006.7% |
| 1870 | 21,706 | 163.3% |
| 1880 | 23,913 | 10.2% |
| 1890 | 24,219 | 1.3% |
| 1900 | 32,399 | 33.8% |
| 1910 | 44,865 | 38.5% |
| 1920 | 56,570 | 26.1% |
| 1930 | 69,146 | 22.2% |
| 1940 | 79,946 | 15.6% |
| 1950 | 100,448 | 25.6% |
| 1960 | 122,482 | 21.9% |
| 1970 | 132,916 | 8.5% |
| 1980 | 137,961 | 3.8% |
| 1990 | 123,798 | −10.3% |
| 2000 | 128,012 | 3.4% |
| 2010 | 131,090 | 2.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Iowa recorded not only the federal census but state census through out the years as well. The state census contains very valuable genealogical information. Where the census information can be found, what years it was taken, mortality schedules, census substitutions and much more is discussed in the very informative Iowa Census article.
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. 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]
Trinity Lutheran Church, Waterloo
- Records of the Trinity Lutheran Church, Waterloo, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Washburn
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Washburn, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
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. 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.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Black Hawk 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.
Local Histories and memories of Cedar Falls, Black Hawk, Iowa. Go to Facebook.com search for: igrewupin Cedar Falls There are memories of places, events form the early years to date. Wonderful to learn about the residents of a Great town. Have you ever heard of DeTasseling Corn? It is in there. How about a Breaded Pork Tenderloin sandwich? Who made the best ever? The town's concentration and love for the arts and music... Check out the site.
- Melendy, Peter. Historical record of Cedar Falls, the garden city of Iowa : containing a brief history of Iowa, of Black Hawk County, and a full and complete description of industrial and picturesque Cedar Falls. Cedar Falls, Iowa : Peter Melendy, 1893.
- Online at FamilySearch (Free)
- Van Metre, Isaiah. History of Black Hawk County, Iowa and representative citizens. Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co., 1904.
- Online at ROD Library (Free)
- History of Black Hawk County, Iowa, and its people. Chicago, Illinois : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1915.
- Vol 1 Online at FamilySearch (Free)
- Vol 2 Online at FamilySearch (Free)
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Iowa
- Township Map of 1875 Black Hawk County, Iowa with enlarged views of each township (My Genealogy Hound)
- Iowa USGS Topographic
Choose Airport, Bridge, Building, Cemetery, Church, Civil, Hospital, Lake, Locale, Park, Populated Place, Post Office, School, Stream, Summit, Trail
[[1]] - 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 Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County, Iowa Genealogy:
- - 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company G
- - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
- - 9th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G
- - 12th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1917-1918 - Iowa, Black Hawk County, Waterloo, World War I Pledge Cards, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — index and images
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1859-1990 - United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- NewspaperArchive.com ($) has historical newspapers online including Waterloo newspapers that covered local news on Black Hawk County residents. This database is free at some libraries.
- Cedar Falls Gazette (Cedar Falls, Iowa) at Ancestry.com ($)
- Waterloo Daily Courier. Waterloo, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Progress Review. La Porte City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Waterloo Sunday Courier. Waterloo, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- 'La Porte City Progress. La Porte City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- La Porte City Review. La Porte City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com($)
- La Porte City Progress Review. La Porte City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
Probate[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and 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.
Taxation[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.
- 1934-1958 - Iowa, Old Age Tax Assistance Records, 1934-1958 at FamilySearch — index
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.
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 ($) — index and images
Deaths[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1990 - Iowa, Deaths and Burials 1850-1990 at FamilySearch - index
- 1880-1992 - Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — index
- 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1904-1951 - Iowa, Death Records, 1904-1951 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1920-1967 Iowa, Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Northwest Iowa Genealogical Society
P O Box 2274
Waterloo, IA 50704-2274
E-mail: neigsinfo@gmail.com
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Websites[edit | edit source]
 |
Check back often with these websites. Internet offerings are growing at record rates. Local societies and libraries may know of other websites. |
| State Historical Society of Iowa | Free | Select from research collection topics |
| The Iowa Heritage Digital Collection | Free | digital images from a variety of Iowa cultural institutions - results of "blackhawk county" in the search box |
| State Library of Iowa | Free | electronic depository of documents intended for the general public produced by Iowa agencies - results of "blackhawk county" in the search box |
| IAGenWeb Project | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions |
| USGenWeb Archives | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| [2] [3][4] FamilySearch | Free | Births, 1880-1935; Deaths 1880-1992; Marriages, 1838-1934; all indexes |
| RootsWeb Resources | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| Linkpendium | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| CyndisList | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| StateofUS.com | Free | family history resources and government records |
Books, microfilm, or manuscripts of genealogical records | |
| FamilySearch Catalog | Select topics. To select towns, add a comma to the search box. |
| WorldCat | To find nearby libraries that have specific items, see WorldCat Online Catalog. |
| Allen County Public Library | located in Indiana They are heavily involved in digitizing. |
| GeneaBloggers | enter "Iowa" in search box to see list and links to Iowa blogs | |
| list of groups from "Iowa Genealogy" search | ||
| genealogy.com | Iowa Genealogy Forum | |
| ancestry.com | Black Hawk County Message Board | |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Black Hawk, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_County,_Iowa.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Black Hawk 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, "Black Hawk County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_County,_Iowa, accessed 22 August 2019.
