Lee County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Lee County, Iowa ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Lee County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of Iowa in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | December 7, 1836 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Fort Madison |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
Contents
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County has Fort Madison as its seat and the County was created December 7, 1836. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.[1]
Lee County, Iowa Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1880 | 1873 | 1867 | 1898 | 1830 | 1838 | 1847 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1836--Lee County was created 7 December 1836 from Des Moines County. County records for the northern portion of the county are housed in Fort Madison, southern records are housed in Keokuk. County seat: Fort Madison [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.
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Portrait and biographical album of Lee County, Iowa : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and at Ancestry.com ($)
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
1911 Courthouse was damaged by fire.
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
- Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle.
- When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog.
- Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
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 | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Des Moines • Henry • Van Buren • Clark County, Missouri • Hancock County, Illinois • Henderson County, Illinois
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. | ||
The county poor farm was north of Keokuk. An old map showed a cemetery at this site. The cemetery was abandoned at sometime, and lost to the elements. An 1880 Census Jackson Township, has been transcribed[5]for the Lee County Poor Farm
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 18,861 | — |
| 1860 | 29,565 | 56.8% |
| 1870 | 37,210 | 25.9% |
| 1880 | 34,859 | −6.3% |
| 1890 | 37,715 | 8.2% |
| 1900 | 39,719 | 5.3% |
| 1910 | 36,702 | −7.6% |
| 1920 | 39,676 | 8.1% |
| 1930 | 41,268 | 4.0% |
| 1940 | 41,074 | −0.5% |
| 1950 | 43,102 | 4.9% |
| 1960 | 44,207 | 2.6% |
| 1970 | 42,996 | −2.7% |
| 1980 | 43,106 | 0.3% |
| 1990 | 38,687 | −10.3% |
| 2000 | 38,052 | −1.6% |
| 2010 | 35,862 | −5.8% |
| 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
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Ambrosia
- Zarahemla
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.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Lee 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.
- English colony: the British Emigrant Mutual Aid Society's colony in Lee County, Iowa. By J. Barry Ware. [S.l. : s.n.], 1918. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Story of Lee County, Iowa. By Nelson C. Roberts. Chicago, Illinois : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1914. Vol. 1 Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Vol. 2 Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Yesterdays: reminiscenses of long ago. By Virginia Wilcox Ivins. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1974. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Portrait and biographical album of Lee County, Iowa : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and at Ancestry.com ($)
- Saint Peter's Parish, Keokuk, Iowa, 1832-1929 : a history 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
Migration[edit | edit source]
Early migration routes to and from Lee County, Iowa Genealogy for European settlers included:
- Mormon Trail 1846 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah[6]
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 Lee 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 Lee County, Iowa Genealogy:
- - 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company A
- - 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company C
- - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
- - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company B
- - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company C
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
- - 7th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
- - 7th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
- - 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
- - 16th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
- - 14th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
- - 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
- - 15th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
- - 16th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
- - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company B
- - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company C
- - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company D
- - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
- - 17th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
- - 19th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
- - 19th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
- - 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
- - 30th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company I
- - 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C
- - 45th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company E
- - 48th 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]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Lee County, Iowa Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Lee County, Iowa Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
- NewspaperArchive.com ($) has historical newspapers online including Burlington newspapers dating back to the mid 1800's that may have included Lee County residents. This database is free at some libraries.
- Fort Madison Evening Democrat.1952. Fort Madison, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
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 - Lee - 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 ($) — index and images
Deaths[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1990 - Iowa, Deaths and Burials 1850-1990 at FamilySearch - index
- 1880-1992 - Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — index
- 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1904-1951 - Iowa, Death Records, 1904-1951 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1920-1967 Iowa, Death Records, 1920-1967 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Lee County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 303
Keokuk, Iowa, 52632
E-mail: mystique747@iowatelecom.net
Website
Lee County, Iowa Historical Society
318 North 5th Street
PO Box 125
Keokuk, Iowa 52632-5611
E-mail: lcihs@yahoo.com
Website
Old Fort Genealogical Society
P. O. Box 1
Fort Madison, Iowa 52627
E-mail: mystique747@iowatelecom.net
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Websites[edit | edit source]
 |
Check back often with these websites. Internet offerings are growing at record rates. Local societies and libraries may know of other websites. |
| State Historical Society of Iowa | Free | Select from research collection topics |
| The Iowa Heritage Digital Collection | Free | digital images from a variety of Iowa cultural institutions - results of "lee county" in the search box |
| State Library of Iowa | Free | electronic depository of documents intended for the general public produced by Iowa agencies - results of "lee county" in the search box |
| IAGenWeb | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions |
| USGenWeb Archives | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| genealogytrails.com | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions |
| [1] [2][3] FamilySearch | Free | Births, 1880-1935; Deaths 1880-1992; Marriages, 1838-1934; all indexes |
| RootsWeb Resources | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| Linkpendium | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| CyndisList | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| Lee County IA at LDS Genealogy | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| 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 | IA Genealogy Forum | |
| ancestry.com | Lee County Message Board | |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Lee, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_County,_Iowa."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Lee 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, "Lee County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_County,_Iowa, accessed 1 October 2019.
- ↑ This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Mary Marsh April, 17 2002
- ↑ 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).
