Emmet County, Iowa Genealogical Records Information

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Emmet County History and Information

Emmet County Facts

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Emmet was created on January 15, 1851 (Organized in 1859) from Unorganized Territory. The County was named for Robert Emmet, an Irish patriot. The County Seat is Estherville.

Counties adjacent to Emmet County are Jackson County, Minnesota (northwest), Martin County, Minnesota (northeast), Kossuth County (east), Palo Alto County (south), Dickinson County (west). Cities and Towns Include Armstrong, Dolliver, Estherville, Forsyth, Gridley, Gruver, Halfa, Hoprig, Huntington, Maple Hill, Raleigh, Ringsted, Wallingford.

Emmet County was one of 50 new counties set up by Governor Stephen Hempstead on January 15, 1851. It is named after the Irish orator, nationalist and patriot Robert Emmet. He was executed in 1803 for his activity in the Irish rebellion.

The boundaries of the county have stayed the same ever since its establishment in 1851. Since whites were scattered so thinly, it was not until 1856 that the first settlers came to Emmet County. At this time Emmet was attached to Webster County for governmental purposes.

In the winter of 1858-59 the residents of Emmet County decided it was "below their dignity to remain any longer under the jurisdiction of Webster County." A petition was circulated and they were granted separate organization on February 7, 1859.

Two commissioners were entrusted with the selection of the county seat. They surveyed the county and decided on the site of Estherville. Plans were started and a contract was negotiated for the erection of a school house and courthouse. They were to be financed through the sale of the swamp lands that lay within the county. The survey, which was done by the county, was not accepted by the surveyor-general, and the county failed to obtain title to the land. The school house was already completed, but the construction of the courthouse was immediately stopped when it was discovered that the county had no land to transfer to the contractors for payment. The schoolhouse was moved and used as a courthouse until 1876, when it was destroyed by a fire.

Since its conception the county seat at Estherville has not faired well with the residents of the eastern part of the county, who felt it should be more centrally located. They were hesitant due to the cost of building a new courthouse at a new site. However, with the burning of the courthouse in 1876, the opposition to Estherville grew. Petitions were circulated calling for an election on the removal of the county seat. At the same time a remonstrance was filed and submitted to the board.

An election was held on October 14, 1879, with Swan Lake being the alternate site. Swan Lake won the election, and the Board was instructed to move to the new county seat. They refused, and even after a district court action, the county seat was not formally established at Swan Lake until January 9, 1880.

Proceedings were instituted in the courts to test the legality of the first election, and, in 1882, a petition was filed calling for another election. The Board granted it, and on November 7, 1882, a second election was held. This time Estherville won the right to the county seat. In spite of the claim that the workers building the B.C.R.& N. had voted illegally, the election was declared legal, and Estherville again became the county seat on January 15, 1883.

Following this a courthouse was built at Estherville at a cost of $12,000. It was located on the city square, which was given to the county by the city.

It was around 1916 when the need for a new courthouse was discovered, but it was not until 1954 that a grand jury voted to recommend that the county build a new courthouse. Plans were drawn up, and bids were let. The Lundquist Construction Company of LeMars was awarded the contract and the cornerstone was laid on June 1, 1957. It was ready for occupation on July 28, 1958, and the wrecking of the old courthouse began. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

The Emmet County Official Government Website
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Emmet County, Iowa History Books at Amazon.com
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Records at the Emmet 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 Emmet County Courthouse at 609 First Avenue North, Estherville 51031-2194; Tel: 712-362-3325. 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. Emmet County was attached to Boone & Webster County for a breif time. Some early records may be found there.

Emmet County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1880, Marriage Records from 1876, Death Records from 1880 and Land Records from 1876.
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.

Emmet County Clerk of Court Office has Probate Records from 1877 and Court Records from 1859.
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 Emmet County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Emmet County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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

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

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

Emmett County Genealogical Society, 613 Central Avenue, Estherville 51334-2294
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

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

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

County History

From the A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875

This county, which was named after the immortal Irish patriot, Emmet,is in the northern tier, the fourth from the western boundary of the state, and istwenty-four miles east and west by seventeen north and south, and contains fourhundred and eight square miles.

The Des Moines River enters the county near the northwestern corner,and flows across it in a southeasterly course, while the east fork of the sameriver, having its source in Lake Okamanpadu on the northern border, flows alsoin a southeasterly course across the northeast corner of the county. Both streamshave several tributaries that drain a considerable portion of the county.

Numerous small lakes of beautifully clear water are scattered over the county,among which are the Iowa in the northeast corner, the Tuttle five or six mileswest of it, while near the center of the county is Swan Lake, a very irregularbody of water several miles in length. In the western part of the county areCrane, Grass, Elmer, Eagle, Cheever's, Ryan, High, Clear, and Twelve MileLakes. Many of these have groves of timber on their borders, making this one ofthe best timbered counties in Northwestern Iowa, and all are supplied with fish.The valley of the Des Moines which passes through this county, is one of themost fertile and beautiful farming regions in Iowa, while it lies directly east ofthe Great Watershed, and, therefore, occupies nearly the highest land in thestate. There is no difficulty in obtaining in any locality a good supply of thepurest water. Fine groves of timber skirt the Des Moines River, consistingchiefly of oak, walnut, maple, hickory, elm and cottonwood. There are somebeds of peat in the county, but as yet they have been very little used as fuel.There are no exposures of rock in the county, the only stone obtained for use inbuilding being the boulders of the drift, which are found scattered over theprairies, and about the borders of the lakes. The county is well adapted to thegrowth of cereals, vegetables, and grasses.

In 1856, settlement began in that part of the county where Estherville isnow located. Among the settlers of this year were R. E. Ridley, A. H. Ridley,George Granger, William Granger, Jesse Coverdale, D. W. Hoyt, AdolphusJenkins, and Henry Jenkins, who mostly located near the present town ofEstherville.

The first child born was a son of John Rourike and wife at the MudLakes Settlement in the south part of the county. In the Spring of 1857, whilethe first marriage was that of George Jenkins and Adelia Ridley in the Spring of1859.

Emmet County was organized in February, 1859, and by the census of1860 contained a population of 105. The commissioners who officiated inlocating the county seat were Lewis H. Smith, of Kossuth County, and OrlandoC. Howe, of Dickinson. They received their appointment from Judge Hubbard,of Sioux City. The first county officers were: Adolphus Jenkins, County Judge;Jesse Coverdale, Clerk of the District Court; R. E. Ridley, Treasurer andRecorder; A. H. Ridley, Sheriff; Robert P. Ridley, Superintendent of Schools;and Henry Jenkins, Surveyor. Along the Des Moines River valley, south ofEstherville, there is a large and prosperous settlement of Norwegians, who havelocated in the county since 1860.

ESTHERVILLE. - This place selected by the commissioners as the county seat, is situatedon the east side of the Des Moines River, has some fine groves of timber in thevicinity, and is surrounded on all sides by an excellent farming country. Theriver at this point affords an excellent water power. A part of the town was laidout in 1858, and before the location of the county seat; the original proprietorsbeing Adolphus Jenkins, R. E. Ridley, and Jesse Coverdale. The name wasgiven in honor of Mrs. Esther A. Ridley, wife of R. E. Ridley, who lived hereone Winter without seeing another white woman. R. E. Ridley built the firsthouse in the town, and the first child born in the place was his daughter Anna,born in the Spring of 1858. Soon after the Spirit Lake massacre in the Spring of1857, a small military force was stationed here for the protection of the borderagainst the Indians; a fort, or stockade, was erected, and a number of framebuildings put up by the Government. The first newspaper in the county wasstarted here by O. C. Bates and Eaton Northrop, 1868, and was called theNorthern Vindicator. With the natural advantages of being in the midst of a richfarming region, with fine water power and a good supply of timber in theimmediate vicinity, the place has all the elements necessary for becoming one ofconsiderable importance. The location is one of the most beautiful in the valleyof the Des Moines.

Emmet County Courthouse

A Fort Dodge construction firm received a contract for a schoolhouse and courthouse in 1859. They were to build the first courthouse in Estherville. The school house was completed and the construction on the courthouse was in progress before the contractors learned that they could not be paid. The courthouse was never finished and the schoolhouse was moved to a new location where it was used as a courthouse. It was destroyed by fire in 1876.

The county seat was moved to Swan Lake in 1879, but no courthouse was ever built there. The county seat was then relocated to Estherville, where in 1884, the building of a courthouse was contracted for $11,718. This building was completed in 1884.

The present modern brick courthouse was built for $374,109.90. It was dedicated in September of 1958.

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