Cerro Gordo County, Iowa Genealogical Records Information

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Cerro Gordo County History and Information

Cerro Gordo County Facts

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Cerro Gordo was created on January 15, 1851 (Organized in 1855) from Unorganized Territory. The County was named for the Battle of Cerro Gordo in the Mexican-American War. The County Seat is Mason City.

Counties adjacent to Cerro Gordo County are Worth County (north), Mitchell County (northeast), Floyd County (east), Franklin County (south), Hancock County (west). Cities and Towns Include Clear Lake, Dougherty, Mason City, Meservey, Nora Springs, Plymouth, Rock Falls, Rockwell, Swaledale, Thornton, Ventura. Townships Include Bath, City of Clear Lake, Clear Lake, Dougherty, Falls, Geneseo, Grant, Grimes, Lake, Lime Creek, Lincoln, Mason, Mason City, Mount Vernon, Owen, Pleasant Valley, Portland, Union.

In 1851 the first white settlers came to the county, settling at Clear Lake. Four years later, August 7, 1855, the first county elections were held. Closely following these elections was the appointment of three locating commissioners. These commissioners located the county seat at Mason City, which was first called Shibboleth and later Masonic Grove.

The first court was held in Mason City in 1857. It was short-lived because in the summer of 1857 the county seat was moved to Livonia. A new courthouse was built there, and the county records and offices were soon located at this small town. This too was short-lived, because in April, 1858, Mason City won back the county seat in an election. Following this the county erected a $600 stone courthouse in Mason City. Built in 1866, this building was used until 1900, when it was abandoned. In 1902 a second courthouse of native stone was completed. Like its predecessor, it lasted a long time -- from 1902 until 1960 when it was torn down.

The present Cerro Gordo courthouse was first used on November 17, 1960. The building, purchased from the Standard Oil Company, was remodeled, and an addition was completed at that time to make a 49,000 square-foot building. That $750,000 project was financed through a bond. There was another addition in 1978 to create the current building as it stands now. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

The Cerro Gordo County Official Government Website
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Cerro Gordo County, Iowa History Books at Amazon.com
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Records at the Cerro Gordo 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 Cerro Gordo County Courthouse at 220 North Washington, Mason City 50401; Tel: 641-424-6431. 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. Cerro Gordo County was attached to Floyd County for a breif time. Some early records may be found there.

Cerro Gordo County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1880, Marriage Records from 1855, Death Records from 1880 and Land Records from 1855.
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.

Cerro Gordo County Clerk of Court Office has Probate Records from 1857 and Court Records from 1880?.
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 Cerro Gordo County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Cerro Gordo County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Cerro Gordo 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 Cerro Gordo County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Cerro Gordo County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Cerro Gordo County Tax Assesors Office
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.
Cerro Gordo County, Iowa Tax Books at Amazon.com

Cerro Gordo 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 Cerro Gordo County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Cerro Gordo County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

North Central Iowa Genealogy Society, PO Box 237, Mason City IA 50402-0237
[Researching in nine area counties Cerro Gordo, Mitchell, Floyd, Butler, Franklin, Worth, Winnebago, Hancock, and Wright]
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

Cerro Gordo 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 Cerro Gordo County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Cerro Gordo 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 Cerro Gordo County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Cerro Gordo 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.
Cerro Gordo County, Iowa Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Cerro Gordo 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 Cerro Gordo County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Cerro Gordo County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Sites on USGenweb: [ Cerro Gordo County ] [ Iowa ] [ Main Page ]
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Cerro Gordo County USGenweb Archives
Cerro Gordo County, Iowa Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

Cerro Gordo County, located in the second tier of counties from the north and midway east and west, was, in the early days of the state, a part of Fayette County. Drainage is effected by Lime and Willow Creeks and Shell Rock River in the north and east part of the county, while a number of small streams drain the south and west into the Cedar.

The county is named after the location of a battle in the Mexican War. At this site General Winfield Scott defeated General Santa Ana of the Mexican army on April 18, 1847. The American troop, 8,500 strong, was outnumbered by the 12,000 men who fought on the opposing side. The battle was significant because it opened the way for the United States to take Mexico City. During the battle, 63 American soldiers were killed and 431 were wounded; between 1,130 and 1,700 Mexican soldiers were killed. The Spanish translation of Cerro Gordo is "fat hill".

The first white settlers came to the county in 1851, settling at Clear Lake. The total population at the close of that year was 8. In 1853, federal surveyors laid out the county into townships and later in the same year the townships were sub-divided into sections and quarter sections.

In the early days, cattle were allowed to graze at will. Soon, however, this custom endangered the fields of grain and so cattle were assembled in large herds and left to the care of a herder. It was his duty to keep the stock from wandering over the cultivated plots. A favorite oasis for these herders was the flowing well in Mt. Vernon township. Cattle were branded to facilitate the determination of ownership.

The government sold land for a dollar and a quarter an acre. Berries and fruits grew wild and in abundance. Prairie chickens and ducks were everywhere. Hay was worth just what it cost to cut it, and each farmer was permitted to forage all he wanted. The first schools in the county were conducted in stables. There was no jail. Persons under arrest were guarded in rooms or taken to the sheriff's home.

The profusion of wild game developed a race of hunters and trappers. Buffalo, deer, beaver, bear, elk, mink, muskrat, gophers, and squirrels were plentiful.

Settlement and civilization came to North Iowa in the life span of one generation. Mrs. Margaret McMillin Shipley, born in Rockford, Illinois in 1853, was brought by her parents to Mason City in March of 1854 where she was the first white babe in Cerro Gordo County.

The first physician set up an office in Mason City in 1854 and a county medical society was organized in 1871.

On August 7, 1855, when the population of the county was 632, an election was held at John B. Long's cabin near the junction of Lime and Willow Creeks. Closely following these elections was the appointment of three locating commissioners. These commissioners located the county seat at Mason City, which was first called Shibboleth and later Masonic Grove.

Newspapers were established at an early date, the Cerro Gordo Press having put out its first issue on July 17, 1858. The Independent was established two years later.

The first county fair was held in 1860 and was considered a huge success.

When the call to arms came in 1860, the total population of the county was 940. Only 180 of these were voters - and poverty-striken ones at that.

In July, 1861, six volunteers lined up on Main street - and left for war, amid tears. In the first two years, the quota for the county was 69 men. Eighty-six were furnished and as time went on, additional enlistments brought the total to 125 men. Of these, 24 never returned.

In 1862, Cerro Gordo county was placed in the forty-second senatorial district and became the fifty-fourth representative district.

The county erected a $600 stone courthouse in Mason City. Built in 1866, this building was used until 1900, when it was abandoned.

It was not until 1869 that the first railroad laid its tracks into Mason City.

From the beginning almost, prohibition had a strong following in this county. In 1882, a vote was taken on the question. Eight hundred and forty-five ballots were cast and the vote for the prohibition proposal was 811, not far from unanimous.

Cerro Gordo county has a number of claims to world-wide fame. The inception and development of the farmers' co-operative has distinguished the county from others. The movement has probably been more thoroughly worked out locally here than elsewhere in the United States, starting with the farmers' co-operative society at Rockwell which claimed nationwide attention in a day when the word co-operation was scarcely understood.

Road-building is another realm of activity in which Cerro Gordo pioneered. The first mile of rural paving in Iowa was laid on the Clear Lake road - the mile east of the county farm - and this one mile built in 1913 has grown to nearly 50 miles. This is supplemented by an excellent system of graveled county and township roads. The leadership displayed in this matter is based upon a progressive citizenry in Cerro Gordo county, its foremost hope for a continued growth and expansion along all lines in the future.

In 1918, Mason City established the first Junior College in the state. One of the early teachers in, and afterwards principal of, the Mason City Schools was Carrie Lane Chapman Catt, who has been an international figure in the cause of Equal Suffrage for Women.

Meredith Willson, a Mason City boy, achieved national fame as a musician and orchestra leader, while his sister, Dixie Willson, was a well-known writer. General Hanford MacNider, whose father and grandfather lived in Mason City, served with distinction in the World War and later was National Commander of the American Legion, Assistant Secretary of War and Minister to Canada.

Clear Lake, which is the fishing and recreation mecca for North Iowans, is located on the shores of a beautiful little lake of the same name, created by ancient ice sheets. Among the early settlers in Clear Lake were the Hewitts, the Dickirsons, Robert O. and James S. Sirrine, Elon A. and Marcus Tuttle and Michael Callahan. The city was platted in 1856 by James Dickirson and Marcus Tuttle.
1902 Cerro Gordo County Courthouse

In 1902 a second courthouse of native stone was completed. Like its predecessor, it lasted a long time -- from 1902 until 1960 when it was torn down.

In 1999 the county purchased a building located on the block across the street from the current courthouse. This became known as the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff's Department Annex. The Department began housing prisoners in the annex in June 2000.

Cerro Gordo County Courthouse

Cerro Gordo County was organized in 1855 and Mason City was picked as the first county seat. In 1856, the Iowa legislature appointed three commissioners to chose a new location for the county seat. They picked a site called Livonia, near the village of Clear Lake. In 1857, over half the citizens of the county signed a petition to move the county seat back to Mason City. The county seat returned to Mason City in 1858. Although a courthouse was built in Livonia, nothing is left standing to recall the once-promising city.

Mason City's first courthouse stood on the site where a theater is now located. It was soon outgrown and board of supervisors tried to get a new one in 1880. But the plan was not approved until 1899. A $64,000 courthouse was then constructed.

In the late 50's concern over the security of county records led the county to expand. The Standard Oil Building in Mason City was purchased for $159,400 and remodeled. The courthouse was ready for service by 1960 and is 30,000 square feet larger than the previous courthouse. It continues to serve Cerro Gordo today.

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