Delaware County, Iowa Genealogy
Guide to Delaware County, Iowa ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Delaware County, Iowa | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Iowa | |
 Location of Iowa in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | December 21, 1837 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Manchester |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
Contents
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for the State of Delaware. The County has Manchester as its seat and the County was created 1837. The County is located in the south east area of the state.[1]
Delaware County, Iowa Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1880 | 1851 | 1880 | 1851 | 1847 | 1849 | 1847 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Delaware County Courthouse
301 E. Main
P. O. Box 527
Manchester, IA 52057-0527
(319) 927-4942
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1837--Delaware County was created 21 December 1837 from Dubuque County. It was organized 19 November 1841. County seat: Manchester [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
- Colesburg
- Delaware Township
- Delhi
- Edgewood
- Elk Township
- Honey Creek Township
- Manchester
- Oneida Township
- Southfork Township
- Union Township
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 | ||
| Native American communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
| Historic communities | ||
| Historic African American communities | ||
| Unorganized territories | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Buchanan • Clayton • Dubuque • Fayette • Jones • Linn
Resources[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
- The History of Delaware County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of at Ancestry.com ($)
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 | 1,759 | — |
| 1860 | 11,024 | 526.7% |
| 1870 | 17,432 | 58.1% |
| 1880 | 17,950 | 3.0% |
| 1890 | 17,349 | −3.3% |
| 1900 | 19,185 | 10.6% |
| 1910 | 17,888 | −6.8% |
| 1920 | 18,183 | 1.6% |
| 1930 | 18,122 | −0.3% |
| 1940 | 18,487 | 2.0% |
| 1950 | 17,734 | −4.1% |
| 1960 | 18,483 | 4.2% |
| 1970 | 18,770 | 1.6% |
| 1980 | 18,933 | 0.9% |
| 1990 | 18,035 | −4.7% |
| 2000 | 18,404 | 2.0% |
| 2010 | 17,764 | −3.5% |
| 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
Lutheran
First Lutheran Church, Manchester
- Records of the First Lutheran Church, Manchester, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Delaware County
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Delaware County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Court[edit | edit source]
Land[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Iowa Land and Property for additional information about early Iowa land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Local Histories [edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Delaware County, Iowa Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Iowa Local Histories.
- The History of Delaware County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers, history of the northwest, history of Iowa, map of Delaware County, Constitution of the United States. Chicago, Illinois : Western Historical, 1878.
- Online at FamilySearch (Free);and at Internetarchive (Free)
- Merry, John F. History of Delaware County, Iowa, and its people. Chicago, Illinois : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1914.
- Vol 1 Online at Internetarchive (Free); and at Googlebooks (Free);and at Hathitrust (Free)
- Vol 2 Online at FamilySearch (Free); and at Hathitrust (Free)
- The History of Delaware County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of at Ancestry.com ($)
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 Delaware 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 Delaware County, Iowa Genealogy:
- - 2nd Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company I
- - 4th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company B
- - 6th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company G
- - 12th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Companies F and K
- - 20th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Companies H and K
- - 27th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
- - 44th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C
- - 46th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F
- - 12th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
:- 12th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
:- 1st Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company G
:- 20th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company H
:- 20th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company K
:- 27th Regiment, Iowa Infantry, Company F
:- 44th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C
:- 46th Regiment, Iowa Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F
:- 4th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, Company B
:- 6th Regiment, Iowa Cavalry, 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 Delaware County, Iowa Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Delaware County, Iowa Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
*NewspaperArchive.com ($) has historical newspapers online including Cedar Rapids newspapers that may have included Delaware County residents. This database is free at some libraries.
- The Manchester Public Library has digitized local newspapers, including the Manchester Press, Delaware County News, the Manchester Democrat Radio, and the Manchester Democrat. These can be accessed at http://manchesteria.advantage-preservation.com/
- Dyersville Commerrial. 1953, 1959 Dyersville, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Manchester Democrat Radio. 1952 Manchester, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
- Hopkinton Leader. 1937 Hopkinton, IA, USA. Online at: Ancestry.com ($)
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 - Delaware - 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 ($) — index and images
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Delaware County Genealogical Society
Manchester Public Library
304 N Franklin
Manchester IA 52057-1520
Look up Requests E-mail: estellam@windstream.net
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Websites[edit | edit source]
 |
Check back often with these websites. Internet offerings are growing at record rates. Local societies and libraries may know of other websites. |
| State Historical Society of Iowa | Free | Select from research collection topics |
| The Iowa Heritage Digital Collection | Free | digital images from a variety of Iowa cultural institutions - results of "delaware county" in the search box |
| State Library of Iowa | Free | electronic depository of documents intended for the general public produced by Iowa agencies - results of "delaware county" in the search box |
| IAGenWeb Project | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions |
| USGenWeb Archives | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| [1] [2][3] FamilySearch | Free | Births, 1880-1935; Deaths 1880-1992; Marriages, 1838-1934; all indexes |
| RootsWeb Resources | Free | Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions |
| Linkpendium | Free | Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($) |
| 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 | Delaware County Message Board | |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Delaware, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_County,_Iowa.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Delaware 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, "Delaware County, Iowa," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_County,_Iowa#Communities, accessed 3 September 2019.
