Davis County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Davis County, Iowa ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Davis County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of Iowa in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | February 17, 1843 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Bloomfield |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
Contents
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Garrett Davis. The County has Bloomfield as its seat and the County was created 1843. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.[1]
Davis County, Iowa Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1880 | 1844 | 1880 | 1844 | 1847 | 1844 | 1847 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Davis County Courthouse
100 Courthouse Square
Bloomfield, IA 52537
641-664-2321
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1843-- Davis County was created17 February 1843 from unorganized territory. It was attached to Van Buren County prior to organization 1 March 1844. County seat: Bloomfield [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
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 | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Appanoose • Jefferson • Monroe • Van Buren • Wapello • Schuyler County, Missouri • Scotland County, Missouri
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. | ||
Davis County Cemeteries--A list of more than 100 cemeteries was compiled by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s and updated in 1993 by the Davis County Genealogical Society. A link to tombstone photographs is available online.
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 7,264 | — |
| 1860 | 13,764 | 89.5% |
| 1870 | 15,565 | 13.1% |
| 1880 | 16,468 | 5.8% |
| 1890 | 15,258 | −7.3% |
| 1900 | 15,620 | 2.4% |
| 1910 | 13,315 | −14.8% |
| 1920 | 12,574 | −5.6% |
| 1930 | 11,150 | −11.3% |
| 1940 | 11,136 | −0.1% |
| 1950 | 9,959 | −10.6% |
| 1960 | 9,199 | −7.6% |
| 1970 | 8,207 | −10.8% |
| 1980 | 9,104 | 10.9% |
| 1990 | 8,312 | −8.7% |
| 2000 | 8,541 | 2.8% |
| 2010 | 8,753 | 2.5% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Iowa recorded not only the federal census but state census through out the years too. 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. 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
A list of churches is available on the "Visit Davis County Iowa website"
Court[edit | edit source]
Naturalizations, Books 1 and 2, for Davis County are online. These records cover about 1879 to 1901.
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.
The County Recorder's Office is the custodian of the land records of Davis County. In addition to the deed books, this office has several historical records pertaining to land ownership in Davis County. Homestead entries, original land entries, plat books, etc. are among the many volumes included in their collection. The deed books and index, 1846-1911, and many other land records of the county have been microfilmed and are also available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
A major county history of Davis County was published in 1882, which included brief biographical sketches of many of its residents. Many of those sketches are available online as a part of the Davis County page of Iowa GenWeb.
- Davis County Bicentennial Committee. Davis County pictorial history, 1976. Marceline, Missouri : Walsworth Pub. Co., 1976.
FamilySearch] (Free)
- History of Davis County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of many of its leading citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, history of Iowa and the Northwest, map of Davis County, constitution of the United States, reminiscences, miscellaneous matters, etc. Des Moines : State Historical Company, 1882.
- Vol 2 Online at FamilySearch (Free); and at Internetarchive (Free)
- Federated Women's Clubs (Davis County, Iowa). Pioneer history of Davis County, Iowa. [Bloomfield,Iowa] : Bloomfield Democrat, 1924-1927.
- Online at FamilySearch (Free)
- Evans, Harry C. The pioneers and politics of Davis County, Iowa. Bloomfield, Iowa : Bloomfield Democrat, 1929.
- Online at FamilySearch (Free)
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Iowa
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Early migration routes to and from Davis County, Iowa Genealogy for European settlers included:
- Mormon Trail 1846 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah[5]
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 Davis 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 Davis County, Iowa Genealogy:
- - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry , Companies A, D and E
- - 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Companies B and F
- - 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D
- - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G
:- 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B
:- 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
:- 3rd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company A
:- 3rd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company D
:- 3rd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company E
:- 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1859-1990 - United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Several newspapers have been published in Davis County. A list of titles and dates of publication is available online.
NewspaperArchive.com ($) has a large collection of digitized Iowa newspapers online. This database is sometimes free at libraries.
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 - Davis - 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.
Birth Records[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
Birth records kept by the District Court, 1880-1941, and delayed birth certificates, 1885-1944, have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society in Des Moines and at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
Marriage Records[edit | edit source]
Davis County marriage records, 1844-1951, have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society in Des Moines and at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
- 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 ($) — index and images
Death Records[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1990 - Iowa, Deaths and Burials 1850-1990 at FamilySearch - index
- 1880-1992 - Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — index
- 1880-1939 - The record of deaths kept by the District Court, 1880-1939, have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society in Des Moines and at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
- 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1904-1951 - Iowa, Death Records, 1904-1951 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1920-1967 Iowa, Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
Abstracts of the death records of Davis County, 1880-1900, are on-line, in four segments.
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Davis County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 94
200 W Locust
Bloomfield, IA 52537
Telephone:641-664-1501
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Websites[edit | edit source]
 |
Check back often with these websites. Internet offerings are growing at record rates. Local societies and libraries may know of other websites. |
| State Historical Society of Iowa | Free | Select from research collection topics |
| The Iowa Heritage Digital Collection | Free | digital images from a variety of Iowa cultural institutions - results of "davis county" in the search box |
| State Library of Iowa | Free | electronic depository of documents intended for the general public produced by Iowa agencies - results of "davis county" in the search box |
| IAGenWeb Project | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions |
| USGenWeb Archives | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| [1] [2][3] FamilySearch | Free | Births, 1880-1935; Deaths 1880-1992; Marriages, 1838-1934; all indexes |
| RootsWeb Resources | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| Linkpendium | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| 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 | IA Genealogy Forum | |
| ancestry.com | Davis County Message Board | |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Davis, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis_County,_Iowa.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Davis 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, "Davis County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis_County%2C_Iowa#Communities, accessed 2 September 2019.
- ↑ National Park Service, "Auto Tour Route Maps" in Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/mopi/planyourvisit/maps.htm (accessed 18 July 2011).
