Black Hawk County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Black Hawk 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]
Black Hawk County was named for Black Hawk, a Sauk leader and is located in northeast-central Iowa.[4]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Black Hawk County Courthouse
316 East 5th Street
Waterloo, IA 50703-4774
Phone: 319-833-3000
Black Hawk County Website
Black Hawk 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 | 1854 | 1880 | 1853 | 1853 | 1880 | 1847 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[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:[8]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
- Black Hawk County was attached to Buchanan, Benton, and Delaware Counties.
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Black Hawk 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 | 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". | ||
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]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
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 Indexes and Records
- 1853-1908 Deed records, 1853-1908 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1855-1885 Town lot deeds, 1855-1901; index, 1855-1885 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
- 1865-1929 Tax sale deeds, 1865-1929 at FamilySearch Catalog - images
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Black Hawk County, which may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Iowa Local Histories.
- Hartman, John, C. History of Black Hawk County, Iowa, and its people. The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago, IL., 1915. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 1; FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 2.
- 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. Peter Melendy, Cedar Falls, IA., 1893. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Van Metre, Isaiah. History of Black Hawk County, Iowa and representative citizens. Chicago Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, IL., 1904. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Historical and biographical record of Black Hawk County, Iowa. The Inter-state Publishing Company, Chicago, IL., 1886. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- 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
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Iowa
- David Rumsey Map Collection is a large online collection of rare, old, antique historical atlases, globes, maps, charts plus other cartographic treasures.
- Township Map of 1875 Black Hawk County, Iowa at My Genealogy Hound.
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- 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 Black Hawk 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 Cavalry, Company G
- - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
- - 9th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G
- - 12th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
World War I
- 1917-1918 Iowa, Black Hawk County, Waterloo, World War I Pledge Cards, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1859-1990 United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1860-1908 Cedar Falls Gazette (Cedar Falls, Iowa) at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1871-1872, 1878-1880, 1885-1889, 1893 La Porte City Progress (La Porte City, Iowa) at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1882-1885 La Porte City Review (La Porte City, Iowa) at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1894-1896, 1919, 1921-1925, 1927-1938, 1941-1949, 1951-1977 Progress Review (La Porte City, Iowa) at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1928, 1944-1951, 1954 Waterloo Daily Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1938-1940 La Porte City Progress Review (La Port City, Iowa) at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- 1945, 1947 1949-1951 Waterloo Sunday Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) at Ancestry — index and images ($)
- NewspaperArchive.com ($) has a large collection of digitized Iowa newspapers online. This database is sometimes free at libraries.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
In most counties in Iowa, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1758-1997 Iowa, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1758-1997 at Ancestry — index and images, ($)
- 1853-1951 Probate records, 1853-1951 at FamilySearch Catalog - 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 ($)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1990 Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and some images
- 1880-1992 Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 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]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Black Hawk 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
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Black Hawk County. For state-wide library facilities, see Iowa Archives and Libraries.
Evansdale Public Library
123 N Evans Rd
Evansdale, IA 50707
319-232-5367
Email: eplib@mchsi.com
Website
Hudson Public Library
401 Fifth St
PO Box 480
Hudson, IA 50643
319-988-4217
Email: staff@hudson.lib.ia.us
Website
Waterloo Public Library
415 Commercial St
Waterloo, IA 50701
319-291-4480
Email: askus@waterloopubliclibrary.org
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Cedar Falls Historical Society Museums
308 West 3rd Street
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
319-266-5149
Email: cfhistory@cfu.net
Website
Grout Museum District
503 South St
Waterloo, IA 50701
319-234-6357
Email: info@gmdistrict.org
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Black Hawk County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Iowa Societies.
Cedar Falls Historical Society
308 West 3rd Street
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
319-266-5149
Email: cfhistory@cfu.net
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- State Historical Society of Iowa — Select from research collection topics
- The Iowa Heritage Digital Collection — digital images from a variety of Iowa cultural institutions
- State Library of Iowa — electronic depository of documents intended for the general public produced by Iowa agencies
- IAGenWeb Project — Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
- USGenWeb Archives — Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
- 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]
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_County,_Iowa
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed 4/16/2021.
- ↑ Iowa Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library; accessed (date here).
- ↑ 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), 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 (4/16/2021).
- ↑ 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, "Black Hawk County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hawk_County,_Iowa, accessed 22 August 2019.
