Bremer County, Iowa Genealogical Records Information

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Bremer County History and Information

Bremer County Facts

Click HERE to see full size D.O.T. County Map

Bremer was created on January 15, 1851 (Organized in 1853) from Unorganized Territory. The County was named for Fredricka Bremer, a Swedish novelist. The County Seat is Waverly. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

Counties adjacent to Bremer County are Chickasaw County (north), Fayette County (east), Floyd County (northwest), Black Hawk County (south), Buchanan County (southeast), Butler County (west).

Cities and Towns Include Denver, Frederika, Janesville, Plainfield, Readlyn, Sumner, Tripoli, Waverly, Bremer, Deanville, Siegel, Spring Lake. Townships Include City of Sumner, City of Waverly, Dayton, Douglas, Franklin, Frederika, Fremont, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Le Roy, Maxfield, Polk, Sumner No. 2, Warren, Washington.

The Bremer County Official Government Website
Search the Iowa USGenWeb Archives
Bremer County, Iowa History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

Records at the Bremer County Courthouse

PLEASE READ FIRST!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

All Departments below can be contacted by clicking the link below, calling or visiting the Bremer County Courthouse at 415 E Bremer Avenue,PO Box 328, Waverly 50677; Tel: 319-352-5661 . See Also Courthouse Street Addresses for current courthouse addresses for all Iowa Counties. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. Bremer County was attached to Buchanan County for a breif time. Some early records may be found there.

Bremer County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1880, Marriage Records from 1853, Death Records from 1880 and Land Records from 1852.
The Recorder's Office was created in 1839 by the First Legislative Assembly. The Recorder continues to maintain official records of documents affecting title to real estate. Every real estate transaction that takes place begins in the Recorder's Office. One of the major duties of the office is the management of public records. As a result, accuracy and preservation of records are a must in the Recorder's Office. Instruments that are recorded are not only important for today, but serve as a historical library for all of the tomorrows.

In addition to real estate transactions, the Recorder's Office issues titles and liens; records veterans discharge papers; processes passport applications; accepts marriage applications and issues the subsequent license; issues certified copies of birth, death and marriage records as well as other numerous duties.

Bremer County Clerk of Court Office has Probate Records from 1852 and Court Records from 1853. 319-352-5661
In each of Iowa's 99 counties, a clerk of district court office manages and maintains all trial court records, including pleadings, evidence and orders. The clerks of court have hundreds of administrative duties. They accept and process fines, fees and court costs owed to the state, child support checks, and civil judgments owed to litigants. They maintain a record of liens on all real estate in the county. Clerks help with involuntary hospitalization cases. They have the authority to dispose of scheduled violations which are not contested and do not require a court hearing. Clerks are also responsible for informing state and local government agencies of court orders.

The Iowa district court has general jurisdiction of all civil, criminal and juvenile cases and probate matters in the state. The district court, which is also known as the trial court, is the point of entry in the court system for most cases. The Iowa district court is composed of different kinds of judicial officers with varying amounts of jurisdiction-judicial magistrates, associate juvenile judges, associate probate judges, district associate judges, and district court judges.

Click Here to Search Iowa Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Bremer County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Bremer County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Bremer County Vital Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

The tax rolls for personal property and real estate were kept by the auditor or the treasurer of each county. A few of these records have been microfilmed and are available at the State Historical Society of Iowa. Original county tax rolls are usually not transferred.

Old age pension tax is a resource genealogists should consider in Iowa. A 1934 directive to collect an old age assistance tax was based on a list of all persons over twenty-one years of age. Although the tax was discontinued in 1936, the information included could be important: name, address, sex, date of birth, place of birth, and names of both parents. Many counties have had these lists microfilmed and they are available through the FHL.

Below is a list of online resources for Bremer County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Bremer County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Bremer County Tax Assesors Office, Ph: (319)352-0145
The Treasurer is responsible for collection of property taxes and other fees for state, county, city, school districts, community colleges, and other taxing entities such as townships, fire districts, and drainage districts.
Bremer County, Iowa Tax Books at Amazon.com

Bremer County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Iowa Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Bremer County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Bremer County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Bremer County Iowa Genealogical Society
Inquiries: 426 Washington Street, Denver, IA 5062
Membership: 2392 Hilton Avenue, Waverly, IA 50677-9033
Horton-Plainfield Historical Club
Local Iowa Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
State Historical Society of Iowa, Capitol Complex, Des Moines, IA 50319
Iowa Genealogical Society, 6000 Douglas, P.O. Box 7735, Des Moines, IA 50322
State Historical Society of Iowa Research Library, 402 Iowa Avenue, Iowa City, IA 52240
State Historical Society of Iowa Library, Capitol Complex, Des Moines, IA 50319
National Archives; Central Plains Region, Kansas City, 2312 East Bannister Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64131-3011; Email: kansascity.archives@nara.gov; Phone: 816-268-8000
Iowa Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Iowa Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Bremer County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search Iowa Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Bremer County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Bremer County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Predominant church groups in Iowa include Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, and Baptist. Less in size, but equally important in religious history in the state are the Quakers, Mormons, Mennonites, and Congregationalists. The first church building in Iowa, a Methodist church built of logs, was constructed in Dubuque in 1834. A year later the Catholics erected a parish building in the same city. In 1843 the “Iowa Band” of Congregational and Presbyterian clergy began ministering to the settlers in Iowa. In 1854 a small group of the Community of True Inspiration arrived from Germany, settling along the Iowa River in the mid-section of the state. A year later additional members of their group joined them, establishing the unique Amana colonies of present-day Iowa.

Many of the local chapters of the Iowa Genealogical Society have publications of cemetery records in their respective counties which can be ordered through the chapter. A state-wide publication listing is available through the state society. A large number of cemetery transcription collections as well as records of funeral homes, casket lists, and obituary indexes are held by the FHL

Below is a list of online resources for Bremer County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Bremer County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

IOWA WPA GRAVES REGISTRATION SURVEY - These records contain burials throughout much of Iowa that were compiled by WPA workers in the 1930 s, including grave markers which no longer exist today. Records may be searched within a county or state-wide.
Iowa Cemetery Records: These cemetery records represent seventy-six counties and Graceland Cemetery of Sioux City, Iowa, in the united States, that were transcribed by the Works Project Administration. Records in this database generally include the page number where the record can be found in the WPA index, the name of the deceased, birth date, death date, age, cemetery name, town name, and additional comments if any.
Iowa Civil War Soldier Burial Records: Listing of 30,000 Civil War veterans who served or lived in Iowa following the war.
Bremer County, Iowa Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Bremer County, Iowa Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Iowa Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Bremer County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Bremer County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Sites on USGenweb: [ Bremer County ] [ Iowa ] [ Main Page ]
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Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
Bremer County USGenweb Archives
Bremer County, Iowa Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

The first white man came to Bremer County in 1845 and settled about two miles southwest of Denver. At that time this area was a Native American Reservation belonging to the Winnebago Tribe, numbering about 300. Later the Reservation was purchased by the government, and the Native Americans were moved to the Crow River area of Minnesota, about 150 miles north of St. Paul.

Frederika Bremer

Bremer County had been named in 1850 by Governor Hempstead, who was an admirer of the Swedish authoress, Frederika Bremer. Bremer County is thought to be the only Iowa county named after a person eminent in literature.

Townships were named for famous people also: Washington, Jefferson, Jackson and Polk, for four of our Presidents. Fremont and Douglas for candidates for President. Dayton for a Presidential running mate in 1856. Lafayette and Warren for two famous soldiers of the Revolution. Frederika for Frederika Bremer. Maxfield for Judge Maxfield, and Sumner for Charles Sumner who was a Senator of the Civil War period.

Waverly was first settled in 1850, and it soon grew to importance due to its waterpower that was used by the flour and saw mills. On January 24, 1853, Waverly was chosen as the county seat, and unlike numerous counties, the county seat has remained unchanged. Waverly was selected because of its growth, commercial position, and railroad facilities.

Old Courthouse

Bremer County was permanently organized in August 1853 with the election of county officers. The first courthouse was erected one year later by Richard Miles at a cost of $147.50. The small frame building was used for only three years, and then it was replaces by a brick and stone two-story structure that cost $23,000 to complete. None of the materials used in its construction-brick, stone, and lumber were from outside of the county. This 43' x 63' building was dedicated on January 1, 1858 at a grand ball and reception that was held in the new building.

This second courthouse did not contain a vault for the safekeeping of county records, so in the summer of 1870 a small brick building was constructed adjacent to the courthouse. The $5,000 building was used to house all of the county records.

These two building were torn down in 1937 in order to make room for the third and present courthouse. The county used a W.P.A. grant of more then $60,000 to construct a $139,000 courthouse. Several bands were on hand to celebrate the dedication and open house of the new courthouse on June 10, 1037.

On July 2, 1975 a joint law enforcement building was erected to be shared by the Waverly Police Department and The Bremer County Sheriff Department. At this time the Sheriff's housing quarters, office, and jail were removed from the courthouse building.

In 2003 Bremer County celebrated its 150th year from the election of county officers.

Bremer County Courthouse

From 1854 to 1857, the Bremer County courthouse was a little frame building. To replace it, a second courthouse was built of brick for $23,000. The splendid structure was 43 feet by 63 feet and was the pride of Waverly and the entire county. The courthouse was the scene of social, religious, and political gatherings until 1869, when the board of supervisors ordered the sheriff to exclude all parties from the building except political and county societies. In 1870 an additional fireproof building was constructed next to the existing one in order to protect the county records.

The present Bremer County courthouse is three stories tall at the center and two stories on either side, with another level beneath the ground floor. It was built with pressed brick and accented with stone trim. The total cost in 1937 was $139,000.

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