Clayton was created on December 21, 1837 from Dubuque County. The County was named for for John M. Clayton, a Delaware senator and the eighteenth United States Secretary of State. The County Seat is Elkader.
Counties adjacent to Clayton County are Allamakee County (north), Crawford County, Wisconsin (northeast), Grant County, Wisconsin (east), Buchanan County (southwest), Delaware County (south), Dubuque County (southeast), Fayette County (west), Winneshiek County (northwest). Cities and Towns Include Clayton, Edgewood, Elkader, Farmersburg, Garber, Garnavillo, Guttenberg, Littleport, Luana, Marquette, McGregor, Millville, Monona, North Buena Vista, Osterdock, St. Olaf, Strawberry Point, Volga.
During its early years, Clayton County had a very mobile county seat. The first county business was conducted in Prairie La Porte, established in 1837. Since 1847 the town has been called Guttenburg, in honor of Johannes Guttenburg. Court was held in this first county seat in 1838, in rooms rented from Graybill's Tavern at a cost of $5 per day.
The first courthouse was built in Prairie La Porte in 1840. Robert Hatfield was paid $73.50 for the delivery of materials and David Hastings was given $23 for the construction, making the total cost of the building $96.50.
An act to relocate the county seat was approved by the Territorial Governor in January 1840. The new site was to be Allotat, but residents of the county voted it down and retained Prairie La Porte in an August 1840 election. Later, in 1843, the voters approved the relocation of the county seat, this time to Jacksonville.
The second courthouse, first at Jacksonville, was built in 1844. Total cost of the project was $675. In May 1846, the town's name was changed to Garnavillo, after a town in Ireland. Garnavillo remained the county seat for a decade. Then it was removed to the town of Elkader, for only one year. It was then returned to Guttenburg until 1860, when it again was moved back to Elkader. It has remained at Elkader since then, fighting off challenges by McGregor and Garnavillo.
The present courthouse was begun in the summer of 1867. Land for the building was provided by the town of Elkader, and county funds were appropriated for the $5,000 project. The cornerstone, laid in 1887, reads "July 4, A.L. 5877". The A.L. stands for Anno Lucis, or Year of Light, a date used by Freemasons to indicate the number of years that have elapsed since 4000 B.C., which is assumed to be the date the Ten Commandments were revealed to Moses.
When it became apparent that Elkader was to become the permanent county seat, the project was completed in 1878, at a cost of $10,000. The extra $5,000 was due to the "work having been done in a more substantial manner than the contract called for"; the extra cost was paid for by the citizens of Elkader. A 45-foot clock tower was added in 1896 at cost of $1,860. It was constructed by Wm. F. Feulling of Farmersburg. It required daily winding until 1980, when it was electrified. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.
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 Clayton County Courthouse at 111 High Street NE, Elkader 52043; Tel: 563-245-2204. 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.
Clayton County Recorder's Officehas Birth Records from 1880, Marriage Records from 1865, Death Records from 1880 and Land Records from 1839.
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.
Clayton County Clerk of Court Office has Probate Records from 1840 and Court Records from 1850. 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Clayton County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Clayton County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Iowa Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Iowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor, 321 East 12th Street,
Des Moines, IA 50319, (515) 281-4944 recording, Iowa prefers you get all Vital Records from the State Office in Des Moines and NOT at the County Clerk's office.
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Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates:In Iowa, official registration of births, deaths, and marriages began July 1, 1880. All original records that have been registered are on file with the Iowa Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
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Fees are payable by check or money order made out to the Iowa Department of Public Health. In-person requests may also be paid in cash. Checks must be drawn from the applicant's account; money orders must be in the name of the applicant. Fees must be paid at the time of the application.
Walk-In Service: Walk-in service is available for in-person requests at the state vital records office between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for state-observed holidays. The office is located at the address listed below, just inside the main north entrance and to the right of the main lobby. The Lucas building is the first state office building east of the state Capitol building, on the south side of Grand Avenue. Written applications must be satisfactorily completed and signed. Applicants must also provide valid, current government-issued photo identification. Copies may either be picked up after two days or mailed to an entitled person.
Local registrars are located in county recorders offices and maintain records of birth, death and marriages that have occurred in that county. County registrars do not have code authority to have Birth, death, and marriage records between the years 1921 to 1941.
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Iowa Census, 1838-70: This collection contains the following indexes: 1838 Territorial Census; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1841-1849 Tax Lists; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1851 State Census Index; 1852 State Census Index; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1870 Federal Census Index.
Iowa State Census 1885: This database is an index to the 1885 Iowa State Census (U.S.A.). It covers several counties and contains the following information: the names of every member of the household, their genders, ages, birthplaces, lcation (town, county, state), marital status, and much more.
Iowa State Census, 1895: This database contains information for 91 counties from the 1895 Iowa State Census in the united States. Information listed includes the name of every member of the household, their sex, age, birthplace, and location (town and county).
Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925: This database contains Iowa state censuses for the following years: 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, and 1925. It also includes some head of household censuses and other special censuses from 1836-1897. Information available for an individual will vary according to the census year and the information requested on the census form. Some of the information contained in this database though includes: name, age, gender, race, birthplace, marital status, and place of enumeration.
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You can view rotating animated maps for Iowa showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Iowa Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
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The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for Clayton County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Clayton County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Iowa (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
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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 Clayton County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Clayton County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
Clayton 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.
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 Clayton County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Clayton County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
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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 Clayton County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Clayton County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Iowa obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Iowa newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Indiana.
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.
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 Clayton County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Clayton County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
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Iowa Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Clayton County moved its county seat many times between 1840 and 1876. The original county seat was in Prairie La Porte, but in 1843 the people voted to have the seat changed to Jacksonville. Later, the county seat moved to Garnavillo and then to Elkader. As soon as Elkader was declared the county seat, the city of Guttenberg petitioned to consider an election between Elkader and Guttenberg. Guttenberg won the election by 1,007 votes. Just as the county records were arriving in Guttenberg, Garnavillo moved to have the county seat relocated. Several other contests between these cities followed, but eventually Elkader was victorious in securing the county seat.
A courthouse had been erected at Garnavillo. It was sold in 1866 to raise money for the building of a courthouse in Elkader. The County Board of Supervisors could only spend $2,000 a year on construction of the Elkader courthouse. However, by 1876, with another county seat contest pressing, the citizens of Elkader and the county came up with the $10,000 needed for the courthouse. This red brick building is the one in use today. Spacious additions and a clock tower have been added. A Civil War monument was erected in 1919.
Clayton County moved its county seat many times between 1840 and 1876. The original county seat was in Prairie La Porte, but in 1843 the people voted to have the seat changed to Jacksonville. Later, the county seat moved to Garnavillo and then to Elkader. As soon as Elkader was declared the county seat, the city of Guttenberg petitioned to consider an election between Elkader and Guttenberg. Guttenberg won the election by 1,007 votes. Just as the county records were arriving in Guttenberg, Garnavillo moved to have the county seat relocated. Several other contests between these cities followed, but eventually Elkader was victorious in securing the county seat. 