Harrison County, Iowa Genealogical Records Information

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Harrison County History and Information

Harrison County Facts

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Harrison was created on January 15, 1951 (Organized in 1853) from Pottawattomie County. The County was named for William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States. The County Seat is Logan.

Counties adjacent to Harrison County are Monona County (north), Crawford County (northeast), Shelby County (east), Pottawattamie County (south), Washington County, Nebraska (southwest), Burt County, Nebraska (northwest). Cities and Towns Include Dunlap, Little Sioux, Logan, Magnolia, Missouri Valley, Modale, Mondamin, Persia, Pisgah, Woodbine.

Locating commissioners selected a site for the county seat and named it Magnolia in 1853. The 160 acres was donated by the United States Government. A log cabin courthouse was built at this site, and in September 1854, it and all of the county records were destroyed in a fire.

A second courthouse was built later in 1854 with proceeds from the sale of town lots. This building was used until 1873, when it was condemned. At this time a brick building was constructed at a cost of $5,000. In 1876 the county seat was moved to Logan and this building was sold to the Methodist Episcopal Church of Magnolia.

A full block of land was donated by the city of Logan for the third courthouse. In 1877 a two-story 55-foot x 70-foot brick building was constructed at a cost of $14,000. The residents of Logan paid $9,000, and the county paid $5,000.

In 1890 it had become apparent that the county had outgrown the courthouse. There was still some debate on the location of the county seat, so even after a grand jury had condemned the old courthouse, a proposal to construct a new one was defeated in an election. It was not until 1910 that a $100,000 bond issue was approved.

Construction of the present courthouse commenced on July 5, 1910. The architect was J. E. Mills of Detroit and the contractor was W. J. McAlpine of Dixon, Ill. The 68-foot x 96-foot building was constructed of steel and concrete. It is faced with Bedford limestone. Total cost of construction and equipment of the courthouse was $103,205.15. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

The Harrison County Official Government Website
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Harrison County, Iowa History Books at Amazon.com
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Records at the Harrison 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. The first courthouse was destroyed in a fire in September 1854, all of the county records were destroyed.

All Departments below can be contacted by clicking the link below, calling or visiting the Harrison County Courthouse at 111 N. 2nd Avenue. Logan 51546; Tel: 712 644-2665. 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.

Harrison County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1880, Marriage Records from 1853, Death Records from 1880 and Land Records from 1853.
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.

Harrison County Clerk of Court Office has Probate Records from 1853 and Court Records from 1853.
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 Harrison County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Harrison County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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

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

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

Harrison County Genealogical Society, RR 2, Box 135, Woodbine 51579-9658
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

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

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Harrison County USGenweb Archives
Harrison County, Iowa Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

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

Lying on the Missouri River, in the fourth tier from the southern boundary, Harrison is one of the western border counties of the state, is twenty-four miles north and south by an average of about twenty-seven east and west, and contains a superficial area of nearly six hundred and sixty square miles.

Daniel Brown was the first white man who settled in the county, locating where the village of Calhoun now is, April 3, 1848. His nearest neighbor was twelve miles distant, his nearest mill twenty-two miles, and nearest post office Council Bluffs, twenty-five miles. He had to go to St. Joseph, Missouri, one hundred and fifty miles for provisions that season, and while he was gone the Indians came and robbed his family of provisions and all the necessary articles of comfort. When he returned he found his family destitute of food and clothing. Soon after his return the Indians stole all his horses, and all those of the other settlers in the county. He and his son followed them for several miles, trying to recapture them, but were unsuccessful. They fired a number of shots at the Indians. The Indians frequently killed his cattle and annoyed him a great deal during the first few years of his residence in the county. The following were also among the first settlers, Silas Condit, two brothers by the name of Chase, Charles Lepenta, James Hardy, Dr. Robert McGovern, Andrew Allen and Jacob Patee.

The county was organized in 1853, when Stephen King was elected County Judge; P. G. Cooper, District Court Clerk; Chester Hamilton, Sheriff; William Cooper, Treasurer and Recorder; George White, Surveyor; and Jacob Huffman, Coroner. The first county court was held August 5, 1853, by Stephen King, Judge. First road petition presented was for the establishment of a road, commencing at the south line of the county, running thence to the residence of Daniel Brown, and thence to Magnolia. The first mortgage on record was made by Samuel Jack to James Jack, acknowledged by Frank Street, County Judge of Pottawattamie County. First deed on record was made by Ezra and Catharine Vincent, to Walter Barrenger, conveying the northeast of the southeast of section 8, township 79, range 48. The first wedding was celebrated June 9, 1853, Stephen King, County Judge, uniting in the holy bonds of wedlock, John Jones and Miss Elizabeth Outhouse. The second occurred on the 16th of the following August, when the same judge united Samuel McGaven and Miss Mary M. Harden. The total number of marriages since the organization up to January 1, 1868, was four hundred and ninety.

The first district court was held by Honorable S. H. Riddle in May, 1855, at which time the first cause on the docket was William Kennedy vs. D. Pate, while the total number were four civil and one criminal. The first grand jury were; Creed Saunders, James Garnett, John Conger, Chester Staley, H. Locklin, T. Meadus, P. R. Sharp, Thomas Sellers, S. A. Seaman, Solomon Barnett, John Deal, I. H. Holton, D.E. Brainard, Silas Rue and Solomon Garnett. D. E. Brainard was appointed foreman. John Jeffary was the first person naturalized, and Thomas Thompson the second. The number of cases since the organization of the county up to November 25, 1867, were; civil, 749, and 91 criminal.

In the Fall of 1853 a party of Indians camped on Willow Creek. The settlers were afraid that they would commit some depredations, organized a company and went to drive them off. Among the number was a gentleman from Virginia, who had been a captain in the Virginia militia, and had brought his broad sword and regimentals with him, and was "decked out" in full dress and took command. He boasted of his bravery and would "show the bloody red skins a trick or two." The company set out on horseback, marching in gallant style, led by their brave and daring officer---in his own imagination. The bloody savages were to be exterminated, a brilliant victory to be obtained, and the troopers were to return home covered all over with glory. While marching along to the scene of conflict, they discovered the Indian encampment about a mile ahead across Willow Creek. They halted, commenced firing, and continued it for some time. The Indians hearing it, some half a dozen warriors got on their ponies and rode towards the troopers to see what was the matter. The latter seeing the warriors approaching, suddenly imagined that they would be surrounded, overpowered, slaughtered, and scalped, broke for their homes as fast as their horses could carry them. Many of the troopers were so badly scared that they did not know their own houses but went on past them. The warriors seeing the fleeing troopers raised a big laugh and rode back to their encampment in safety.

For several years the Indians annoyed the settlers a great deal, by stealing or begging. Companies were frequently organized to drive them off, and some times there would be some shooting, but no one was ever hurt. Mr. Brown states that in 1853 there was a large party of Indians encamped on the Boyer; he with twenty-six others went out to drive them off. They came near the encampment and formed in battle line. The chief and a half-breed got on their ponies and rode out to them. The chief proposed to make a treaty with the whites, and it was made with the condition that the Indians should leave the county. There were 120 warriors with their women and children. The Indians left the county.

In the Fall of 1853 quite a large party of Ottoe Indians were encamped within eight miles of Magnolia. One evening the settlers informed them that they had better leave or the Sioux would attack them before morning. In the night a firing was heard by the settlers. They went upon a high bluff to see what was the matter, and sure enough the Sioux's were pouring a heavy fire into the encampment of the Ottoes. The latter were screaming and yelling with all vengeance, and fled into the Missouri River. They swam the river on their ponies. Harrison County seemed to have been a hunting ground for the Indians, as no tribe resided in the county.

On Willow Creek, about six miles from Magnolia, there are old ruins of some kind of a house that has the appearance of having been built out of burnt brick.

MAGNOLIA. This place is the county seat, and is situated a little west of the center of the county, about ten miles from the Missouri River, on a high rolling prairie, with timber convenient. It was located by A. D. Jones and A. Fletcher, locating commissioners, March 14, 1853, and before the completion of the railroads was the most important town in the county. The first court-house erected was a log one, and was consumed by fire in 1853 or '4. The town has a number of churches, good schools, and a newspaper called the Harrison County Courier, established January 14, 1875, by Alpheus Davison, which is an enterprising local paper, strenuously opposing the removal of the county seat from Magnolia, which is being agitated by some of the neighboring towns.

MISSOURI VALLEY, Which is probably the most important town in the county, is situated at the junction of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, at the foot of the bluffs, some six miles from the Missouri River, and three and a half north of the southern boundary line of the county. It was laid out January 1, 1867, and the first building was erected soon afterwards by Smith Cogswell, and used for a store. It is surrounded by a farming country of unequaled fertility, and is a flourishing place containing a number of good residences and business houses, a large brick school house, a number of good churches and a printing office, where is published the Missouri Valley Times, a neatly printed Democratic sheet, which was established by D. M. Harris, August 1, 1868, who continued its publication until the Spring of 1872, when he sold to M. H. Goltry. In January, 1875, the present publishers, Gore & Cutler, succeeded to the proprietorship of the Times, and have since conducted it.

DUNLAP Is situated near the northeast corner of the county, on a high terrace overlooking the beautiful valley lands of the Boyer River, and is surrounded on all sides by a tract of land rich in agricultural resources, and quite well improved. There is a large tract of native timber, containing nearly forty sections, within five miles of the town, and a good unimproved water power on the Boyer River. It was laid out in the Fall of 1867, Rufus Harrington erecting the first dwelling house, Hillas Cassady & Co. establishing the first store, and J. W. Lawson erecting the first hotel. It is a division station on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, the company having erected a large passenger depot and eating house, have also a round house, machine and repair shops, freight house, etc., etc. Several religious societies have organizations here, and have erected good houses of worship. The town also contains good school houses, some fine residences and large business blocks.The Dunlap Reporter, a neat, wideawake local newspaper, is published by F. F. Cook, who deserves and is receiving a good support from Dunlap and the surrounding country.

LOGAN is a pleasant and growing town, situated on the second bottom of the Boyer River, a little southeast of the center of the county, and some six miles south of Magnolia, was laid out in June, 1867, and is an enterprising town containing a number of good business houses, residences, etc. It has a good retail trade, and does a large shipping business.

LITTLE SIOUX, CALHOUN, and WOODBINE are enterprising villages, which are all struggling to increase their business, and will make towns of more or less importance.

Harrison County Courthouse

In Magnolia, the first county seat, a log cabin was used to hold court and store county records. After a fire destroyed the building and the records, another courthouse was built around the year 1854. This building was declared unsafe in 1873 and a third courthouse was built in Logan in 1876. Total cost of this courthouse was $14,000.

In 1905 plans for a new courthouse were begun but it was not until October 5, 1910 that the cornerstone for the present courthouse was laid. This building is 100 feet by 72 feet and the top of its dome sits 77 feet above the street. The stone courthouse is made of 672,000 bricks and had a total cost of about $103,000.

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