Cherokee County, Iowa Genealogical Records Information

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Cherokee County History and Information

Cherokee County Facts

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Cherokee was created on January 15, 1851 (Organized in 1858) from Unorganized Territory. The County was named for the Cherokee Native American tribe. The County Seat is Cherokee.

Counties adjacent to Cherokee County are O'Brien County (north), Buena Vista County (east), Ida County (south), Woodbury County (southwest), Plymouth County (west). Cities and Towns Include Aurelia, Cherokee, Cleghorn, Larrabee, Marcus, Meriden, Quimby, Washta. Townships Include Afton, Amherst, Cedar, Cherokee, Diamond, Grand Meadow, Liberty, Marcus, Pilot, Pitcher, Rock, Sheridan, Silver, Spring, Tilden, Willow.

The first settlement was Cherokee, later known as Old Cherokee. In February 1857 the settlement was attacked by a tribe of Sioux Indians. After three days the band of Indians left the area and headed for the lakes region. After the citizens heard of the Spirit Lake massacre, many deserted the town.

In 1861 three men were chosen to select a suitable county seat site. Cherokee was selected, and a tax levy was used to construct the first courthouse. The 30-square-foot building was constructed of native lumber at a cost of $1,900. When the building was completed in 1864, it was used as a courthouse, public gathering place and a school.

In March of 1870 the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroad came through the county. In the fall of 1871 the voters approved the relocation of the county seat to the railroad, or New Cherokee. The following winter a committee was selected to move and repair the county court house.

A new county building was needed as early as 1880, but it was not until 1890 that voters finally approved the construction of a new courthouse. The large Romanesque-style courthouse was completed in 1892 at a cost of approximately $40,000. The pressed brick, granite and slate building was situated high on a hill overlooking the business section of Cherokee.

Approval for the construction of the present courthouse came in a November 3, 1964 election. Voters approved a $575,000 bond issue to construct the split-level, modern-looking building. The new courthouse was dedicated on October 16, 1966. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

The Cherokee County Official Government Website
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Cherokee County, Iowa History Books at Amazon.com
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Records at the Cherokee 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 Cherokee County Courthouse at 520 West Main Street, Cherokee 51012; Tel: 712-225-6744. 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. Cherokee County was attached to Woodbury County for a breif time. Some early records may be found there.

Cherokee County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1880, Marriage Records from 1866, Death Records from 1880 and Land Records from 1856.
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.

Cherokee County Clerk of Court Office has Probate Records from 1859 and Court Records from 1872.
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 Cherokee County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Cherokee County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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

Cherokee 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.
Cherokee County, Iowa Tax Books at Amazon.com

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

Cherokee County Tree Stumpers, P.O. Box 247, Cleghorn 51014-0247
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

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

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

County History

Cherokee, the home of the first settlers in Cherokee County, is located in the Little Sioux River Valley. In 1856, the "Milford, Western Emigration Society" of Milford Massachusetts, sent advance agents, Carlton Corbett and Lemuel Parkhurst into northwest Iowa to select a suitable colony site. They met Robert Perry, first resident of Cherokee County. Corbett and John Martin, not a member of the society, proceeded to plot a site, now known as "Old Cherokee", northeast of the present city. The first party of the "Milford Colony" arrived on May 11, 1856 and build the first house, a log structure, known as "Cherokee House".

The railroad depot location was not settled until August, 1870. There were not over ten houses in "New Cherokee" prior to that time. Railroad to the east was completed July, 1870 near Storm Lake. Magnetic water was discovered July 3, 1879. It is no longer in existence.

In 1873 Cherokee became an incorporated town. Another railroad was secured in 1887 connecting Cherokee with Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to the north. A later line connected several towns to the south. In 1894, the Legislature selected Cherokee as the site for the new Mental health Hospital (Now the Mental Health Institute).

Cherokee is situated in the heart of Northwest Iowa's rich agricultural land on the Missouri side of the divide between the river and Mississippi.

Ancient glaciers brought tremendous loads of slit and soil down from the north spreading it over this region during several episodes. The winds carried fine dust up out of the valleys to drop it on the bordering hills and plains producing an even thicker rich blanket. This, along with a plentiful rainfall, explains why this is one of the most productive natural regions in the world.

The city of Cherokee is located on the slopes of the Little Sioux River, the major stream of the county which contains numerous creeks and springs.

The surrounding terrain is predominately level to rolling except bordering the streams where wooded hills and ravines scattered with glacial rocks of many hues produce some of Iowa's most beautiful scenery.

Cherokee's geographical position has important industrial and commercial advantages because of the direct access to the sources of raw material and proximity to major markets for the finished products.

The population of Cherokee is made of northern European stock, approximately a third of Scandinavian ancestry; another third is composed of German stock. The remaining third includes: English, Irish, Canadian and those of European origins. Many of the latter group are descendants of the earliest settlers who came as the "Milford Colony" and includes many of Scottish origin with enough other nationalities to make Cherokee a typical city of the United States, the great "Melting Pot" of the world.

Friendliness is the predominate characteristic of the people who compose the population of our areas. The heart and hand work together to truly make Cherokee a good place in which to live.

Both Cherokee County (572 square miles) and it's county seat were named for the important southern Indian Tribe of that name, which comes from Chickasaw word, "Chuluk-ki" for "Cave People".

The first town called Cherokee, later known as "Old Cherokee", was founded in December 1857 just north of the present county seat on the west side of the Little Sioux River. In February 1857, a small band of Sioux Indians, led by Inkpaduta, terrorized the little settlement for three days before going on to the Spirit Lake region. When reports pf the Spirit Lake Massacre were later received in Cherokee, many settlers deserted the village. Later a stockade enclosing a log blockhouse was erected as a protection against the hostile Sioux Indians and settlers became less fearful.

An election was held in the log house on George W. Lebourvea in August 1857 to elect officers for Cherokee County. In 1861, three men were appointed by the court to locate the county seat. Cherokee was selected and taxes were voted (a six-mill levy) to build a courthouse. This original courthouse was a frame building, 30 feet square, with outside stairways to the second floor. The framework of the building, located at 7th and Main Streets, was hewn from native black walnut logs. Completed in 1864 at a cost of $1900.00 (Other sources say $2050.00), the building also served as a public hall, schoolroom, and general headquarters for all public gatherings. Before its completion, county business was transacted in the private buildings of the county officials, which was "Anything but Pleasant to both officers and constituents".

When the Dubuque and Sioux Railroad came through the county in March 1870, removal of the county seat to New Cherokee (About a mile southwest of the original site) was approved by the voters in the fall of 1871 and in January 1872, a committee was selected to move and repair the courthouse. Cherokee County is thus one of the comparatively few counties in Iowa to have avoided a long and continued county seat contest, although feeble attempts were made by Aurelia in 1879 and Meriden in 1885.

Although a new courthouse was thought necessary as early as 1889, proposals to build a new courthouse at Cherokee were rejected at elections held in 1881. It was not until 10 years later that the vote was favorable and the building was erected. This large and impressive courthouse was constructed of pressed brick, limestone, granite and slate. An imposing position on a hill overlooking the business section of the city was selected as the site for the 63 x 93' Building. Of the Romanesque style of architecture, with clock tower, it cost the county at $40.000.00. The original courthouse building was eventually torn down the winter of 1936-37.

In time, the courthouse completed in 1892, also reached a state of deterioration and after turning down bond issues for a new courthouse at two previous elections (June 6, 1960 and October 1963) 61.5% of the voters (4,574 yes and 2,892 no) finally gave approval for a $575,000.00 bond issue to replace the nearly three-quarters-of-a-century old building on November 3, 1964.

The 1892 Courthouse was torn down early in 1965 (at a cost of $7,690.00) and construction began on the new building, located on the same site. The general contract was awarded to Paul Park Company, Storm Lake, for $356,442.00. The total construction cost was $560,670.00. The new courthouse dedicated October 16, 1966, is a modern, split-level design.

Cherokee County Courthouse

In 1863 a building that served at the public hall, schoolroom, general utility headquarters, and courthouse of Cherokee County was built with public funds. The $1,900 structure was then moved to a site near the developing railroad in 1870. Although it did not provide enough space for county business, it wasn't until 1888 that county residents agreed to pay $50,000 for a new combination courthouse and jail. The castle-like structure with a limestone ground floor, clock tower, third-story gables, and ornamentation, was completed in 1891.

The contemporary courthouse, built in the city of Cherokee, is a low sprawling brick structure. It was completed in 1966 at a cost of approximately $475,000.

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