Story County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Story County, Iowa ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Story County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of Iowa in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | January 13, 1846 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Nevada |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 County Courthouses
- 3 History
- 4 Places/Localities
- 5 Resources
- 6 Societies and Libraries
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Joseph Story. The County has Nevada as its seat and the County was created 1846. The County is located in the central area of the state.[1]
Story County, Iowa Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1880 | 1854 | 1880 | 1854 | 1853 | 1854 | 1847 |
County Courthouses[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1846--Story County was created 13 January 1846 from unorganized territory. It was attached to Boone, Polk, and Linn Counties prior to organization 1June 1853. County seat: Nevada [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]
1864 Fire burned the courthouse on January 1.
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 | ||
| Townships | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Boone • Hamilton • Hardin • Jasper • Marshall • Polk
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 |
| Iowa Gravestones | FamilySearch Places | |
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Iowa Cemeteries for more information. | ||
- Palestine Cemetery, Huxley BillionGraves
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 4,051 | — |
| 1870 | 11,651 | 187.6% |
| 1880 | 16,906 | 45.1% |
| 1890 | 18,127 | 7.2% |
| 1900 | 23,159 | 27.8% |
| 1910 | 24,083 | 4.0% |
| 1920 | 26,185 | 8.7% |
| 1930 | 31,141 | 18.9% |
| 1940 | 33,434 | 7.4% |
| 1950 | 44,294 | 32.5% |
| 1960 | 49,327 | 11.4% |
| 1970 | 62,783 | 27.3% |
| 1980 | 72,326 | 15.2% |
| 1990 | 74,252 | 2.7% |
| 2000 | 79,981 | 7.7% |
| 2010 | 89,542 | 12.0% |
| 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
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[edit | edit source]
Ward and Branch Records
- Ames
Lutheran[edit | edit source]
Ames
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Ames, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Bethania
- Records of the Bethania (Bethany) Lutheran Church, Kelley, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Gilbert
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Gilbert, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Roland
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Roland, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Slater
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Slater, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Story City
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Story City, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Story County
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Story County, 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. 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 Story 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.
- A history of Story County, Iowa: carefully compiled from the earliest settlement to the present. By William G. Allen. Reprint. Originally published: Des Moines: Iowa Print. Co., 1887. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Story Co. At various libraries (WorldCat).
- A history of the town of Ames, Story County, Iowa: together with a brief description of the surrounding country, and the Iowa State Agricultural College, located at Ames. By Cyrus E. Turner. Ames, Iowa: Ames Intelligencer, 1871. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, ISU Library.
- Resources and wealth of Story County, Iowa: a pamphlet containing a description of Story County. By W. C. B. Allen. Nevada, Iowa : Representative Power Press Print, 1880. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
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 Story 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 Story County, Iowa Genealogy:
- - 3rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
- - 13th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company E
- - 23rd Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company A
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1859-1990 - United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-1990 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Roland Historical Society Archives, Story County (1895-1975)
- Ames Newspapers, Story County (1877-2017)
- Nevada Newspapers, Story County (1863-2014)
- Story City Newspapers, Story County (1887-2013)
- Altoona Public Library Archives, Polk County (1876-2000)
- Johnston Historical Society Archive, Polk County (1970-2007)
- NewspaperArchive.com ($) has historical newspapers online including Des Moines newspapers. This database is free at some libraries.
- 1944-45, 1948-51, and 1953-56 — Ames Daily Tribune at Ancestry.com ($) — Ames, IA, USA
- 1928-29 — Ames Daily Tribune and Evening Times at Ancestry.com ($) — Ames, Iowa, United States Of America
- 1955 — Story City Herald at Ancestry.com ($) — Story City, IA, USA
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 - Story - 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 ($) — index and images
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1850-1990 - Iowa, Deaths and Burials 1850-1990 at FamilySearch
- 1880-1992 - Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992 at FamilySearch — index
- 1900-1939 Iowa Death Index, 1900-1939 at MyHeritage ($) — 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]
Story County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 692
Ames, Iowa 50010
E-mail: storygenes@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 Libraries
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Story County, IA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Iowa Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Story County, Iowa Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Story, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story_County,_Iowa."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Story 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, "Story County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story_County,_Iowa, accessed 31 October 2019.
