Johnson County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Johnson County, Iowa ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Johnson County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa | |
 Location of Iowa in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | December 21, 1837 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Iowa City |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
Contents
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Richard Mentor Johnson. The County has Iowa City as its seat and the County was created 1837. The County is located in the central area of the state.[1]
Johnson County, Iowa Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1882 | 1839 | 1880 | 1839 | 1839 | 1839 | 1847 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1837--Johnson County was created 21 December 1837 from Dubuque, Cook, and Muscatine Counties. It was attached to Cedar County prior to organization 4 July 1838. County seat: Iowa City [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 | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Benton • Cedar • Iowa • Linn • Louisa • Muscatine • Washington
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 | 4,472 | — |
| 1860 | 17,573 | 293.0% |
| 1870 | 24,898 | 41.7% |
| 1880 | 25,429 | 2.1% |
| 1890 | 23,082 | −9.2% |
| 1900 | 24,817 | 7.5% |
| 1910 | 25,914 | 4.4% |
| 1920 | 26,462 | 2.1% |
| 1930 | 30,276 | 14.4% |
| 1940 | 33,191 | 9.6% |
| 1950 | 45,756 | 37.9% |
| 1960 | 53,663 | 17.3% |
| 1970 | 72,127 | 34.4% |
| 1980 | 81,717 | 13.3% |
| 1990 | 96,119 | 17.6% |
| 2000 | 111,006 | 15.5% |
| 2010 | 130,882 | 17.9% |
| 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. 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]
- Records of the Zion Lutheran Church, Iowa City, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Court[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
- Iowa City, Iowa Semi-Centennial Directory, 1840-90 at Ancestry.com ($)
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 Johnson 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.
- Aurner, Clarence Ray. Leading events in Johnson County, Iowa history. Cedar Rapids, Iowa : Western Hist. Press, 1912-1913.
- Vol. 1 Online at FamilySearch (Free)
- Vol. 2 Online at Internetarchive (Free)
- Iowa City Board of Trade. Sketch of Johnson County, Iowa : with a review of its early history and subsequent development, its educational, manufacturing, agricultural, and other interests. Iowa City, Iowa : Board of Trade, 1880.
- Online at FamilySearch (Free)
- Johnson County history, Iowa at Ancestry.com ($)
- Iowa City at Ancestry.com ($)
- Some aspects of the financial administration of Johnson County, Iowa at Ancestry.com ($)
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 Johnson 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 Johnson County, Iowa Genealogy:
- - 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company F
- - 1st Regiment, Iowa Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company B
- - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company H
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company I
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company M
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G
- - 22nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
- - 22nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B
- - 22nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
- - 22nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company G
- - 22nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
- - 22nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
- - 22nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
- - 24th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
- - 28th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
- - 44th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D
- - 47th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company G
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 Johnson County, Iowa Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Johnson County, Iowa Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- Daily Iowan Newspaper Collection -- access to digitized versions of The Daily Iowan and its predecessors: the University Reporter (1868-81), the Vidette (1879-81), the Vidette-Reporter (1881-1901) and the University Mirror (1881). The newspaper editions are full text searchable.
- NewspaperArchive.com ($) has historical newspapers online including Cedar Rapids newspapers that may have included Johnson County residents. This database is free at some libraries.
- Iowa City Press Citizen.1920-27, 1938-41, 1946-48, 1950-53, 1955, 1960, and 1968-73. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- The Iowa City Citizen.1892, 1908-11, and 1916-19 Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Iowa City Daily Press. 1904-15 Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Daily Iowa State Press. 1899-1902, 1904, and 1971. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- The Iowa Citizen. 1891-94, 1903, and 1905-06. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- The Daily Citizen. 1892-93 and 1901. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Iowa State Press. 1903. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Iowa City Daily Citizen.1916. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Iowa City Volksfreund. 1874-76. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- State Press.1894. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Daily State Press.1894. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- The Iowa Quest.1948-55. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- The Daily Iowan.1939, 1947, and 1955. Iowa City, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Lone Tree Reporter. 1926. Johnson, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
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]
- 1934-1958 - Iowa, Old Age Tax Assistance Records, 1934-1958 at FamilySearch — index
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.
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 ($) — index and images
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Iowa City Genealogical Society (Johnson County)
P.O. Box 822
Iowa City IA 52244-0822
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
- Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Websites[edit | edit source]
|
 |
Check back often with these websites. Internet offerings are growing at record rates. Local societies and libraries may know of other websites. |
| State Historical Society of Iowa | Free | Select from research collection topics |
| The Iowa Heritage Digital Collection | Free | digital images from a variety of Iowa cultural institutions - results of "johnson county" in the search box |
| State Library of Iowa | Free | electronic depository of documents intended for the general public produced by Iowa agencies - results of "johnson county" in the search box |
| IAGenWeb | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions |
| USGenWeb Archives | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| genealogytrails.com | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions |
| [1] [2][3] FamilySearch | Free | Births, 1880-1935; Deaths 1880-1992; Marriages, 1838-1934; all indexes |
| RootsWeb Resources | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| Linkpendium | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| CyndisList | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| Johnson County IA at LDS Genealogy | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| 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 | Johnson County, IA Genealogy Forum | |
| ancestry.com | Johnson County Message Board | |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Johnson, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_County,_Iowa."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Johnson 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, "Johnson County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_County,_Iowa, accessed 29 September 2019.
