Ida County, Iowa Genealogical Records Information

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Ida County History and Information

Ida County Facts

Click HERE to see full size D.O.T. County Map

Ida was created on January 15, 1951 (Organized in 1859) from Unorganized Territory. The County was named for possibly Ida Smith, the first European-American child born in the county. The County Seat is Ida Grove.

Counties adjacent to Ida County are Cherokee County (north), Sac County (east), Crawford County (south), Woodbury County (west). Cities and Towns Include Arthur, Battle Creek, Galva, Holstein, Ida Grove.

Ida County was established in 1851. The county’s name is usually credited to Eliphalet Price, about 1852. Price was on a State Commission to name Iowa’s newly formed counties. The story claims he was camped east of the grove watching Indian campfires on the far ridge, and the image brought to mind Mount Ida in ancient Greece. Price called the county Ida, and even before settlement seriously began, the new county’s most significant landmark was know as Ida’s Grove. The Grove that someday would give Ida Grove its name and was one of only a few scattered timber groves in the county.

The first authentic account of the early settlement of Ida County states that in 1854, Robert Townsley and Edward Smith build a cabin and raised a small crop of corn. The first white child born in the county was a girl to Ed and Margaret Smith and was named Ida. (Some say she was named for the county; others say the county was named after her.)

At this point in history Ida Grove takes on the first hint of permanence with the arrival of Ebenezer Cornstock and John Moorehead. The Cornstocks and Mooreheads were farmers. They depended on the land to provide for their families and livestock.

It was the Moorehead’s cabin that was destined to become the center of slowly growing commerce in the area. The arrangement of early homesteads made his cabin on the south end of the grove the first human habitation after a 25 mile trek, and it was only natural that is would become a regular stage coach stop.

The official organization date of the county is just as unclear. The first settlements were made in 1856 near the Maple River, and some say the county was organized shortly afterwards in 1858, with a county population of 40. Others say that the correct date is January 1, 1859.

The county was originally divided into four townships: Douglass, Silver Creek, Corwin and Maple. From June 6, 1876 to January 4, 1881, the other townships were detached from the originals.

The county seat was officially located in Ida Grove on December 17, 1860 and the first regular meeting of the board of supervisors was January 1, 1866. Members present included: J.H. Moorehead, A.J. Teal and M.G. Aldrich.

The first courthouse of Ida County was built in the original town of Ida in 1871 and was nearly completed before any other building was begun near the site. On January 12, 1877, the courthouse burned, along with most of the county records. County offices were then located in various locations around the town.

Late in 1879 a building was constructed with private funds. The county had the option to either rent or buy the building. In 1880 the county moved its offices into the building.

On July 2, 1883, the letting of a contract to build a new courthouse and jail as per plans and specifications of J.P. Bryant was held with W. Townsend and J.M. Starbuck having the low bid of $28,145 with the erection and completion of the building to be on or before January 1, 1884.

The 66-foot x 82-foot brick structure is in ornate Victorian style. Due to state of repairs, in the 1960s the building did undergo some remodeling. The basement and large courtroom were remodeled into offices and storage space.

In 1974, the 1883 courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This makes it eligible for federal restoration funds and prohibits the use of federal funds for its destruction.

In 1970, the first of seven bond issues asking to build a new courthouse was defeated. On November 4, 1980 plans to erect “a new courthouse and renovate portions of the courthouse not previously remodeled at a total cost not to exceed $900,000 and use federal revenue sharing funds on hand to pay the cost thereof” was passed and the blending of the old and the new on courthouse hill seemed to be a suitable compromise to the courthouse issue. This building was dedicated to the present and future citizens of Ida County on September 25, 1983.

Ida County contains the following municipalities: Arthur, Battle Creek, Galva, Holstein and Ida Grove. There are 12 townships and the 2000 census shows a population of 7,837. The county is basically agricultural although there are three manufacturing companies that employ several hundred people. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

The Ida County Official Government Website
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Ida County, Iowa History Books at Amazon.com
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Records at the Ida 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. On January 12, 1877, the courthouse burned, along with most of the county records.

All Departments below can be contacted by clicking the link below, calling or visiting the Ida County Courthouse at 401 Moorehead Street, Ida Grove 51445; Tel: 712-364-2628. 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. Ida County was attached to Woodbury County for a breif time. Some early records may be found there.

Ida County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1880, Marriage Records from 1868, 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.

Ida County Clerk of Court Office has Probate Records from 1870 and Court Records from 1875.
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 Ida County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Ida County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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

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

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

Ida County Genealogical Society, 506 Moorehead Street, Ida Grove 51445-1631
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

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

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Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
Ida County USGenweb Archives
Ida County, Iowa Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

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

Ida County is in the fourth tier from the northern boundary of the state, and is the second east of the Missouri River. It contains 432 square miles, or 276, 480 acres. The Maple River runs through the county from northeast to southwest. Its principal branches are Odebolt and Elk, flowing in from the east, and Battle Creek from the west. Soldier River flows westward through the southern tier of townships. There are many smaller streams draining the county in all parts. The valleys of the streams are unsurpassed in fertility, and Maple Valley is especially noted for the beauty and fertility of its farming lands. Maple River, in this county, furnishes several mill-sites.

The general character of the surface is undulating, or rolling prairie, no portion being too broken for cultivation. The soil in the valley is a dark mold, in many places from three to six feet in depth. The uplands contain more clay, and are well adapted to the raising of wheat and all the cereal crops. This, like other counties in this part of the state, has but a limited supply of timber. "Ida Grove," on Maple River, near the center of the county, is the largest body. It is mostly oak, walnut, linn, elm and hickory. The white, or soft maple, skirts the borders of the stream in many places. Among the wild fruits the plum, grape, gooseberry and strawberry are found. The aggregate area of native timber does not exceed 1,800 acres.

Stock raising and the dairy might succeed well in this county, as it is unsurpassed for pasturage or hay. The wild grass, known as blue joint, predominates in the valleys, and in many places the yield of hay is as high as four tons per acre.

Fine well water is found in almost any locality by digging to a moderate depth, rarely exceeding twenty-five feet. No regularly stratified rock formations appear at the surface. The only rocks obtained in the county are the boulders. An abundance of material suitable for the manufacture of brick is found in all parts of the county. The bluff deposit, which overspreads the entire county, has been successfully used for making brick of a good quality.

The principal productions are wheat, oats, corn, rye and potatoes. All kinds of vegetables and root crops common to the latitude succeed well. The various kinds of small fruits are easily raised, as well as some varieties of cherries and apples.

The first settlement of whites in Ida County was made at Ida Grove, on Maple River, in 1856. The pioneers were William Lownsley, from Kentucky; Edward Smith, from Illinois, and E. Comstock, from Michigan. Judge John H. Moorehead was also one of the early settlers at Ida Grove.

The county was organized in 1858. The first election was held at Ida Grove in August of that year, when the following county officers were elected; John H. Moorehead, County Judge; J. S. Loveland, Treasurer and Recorder, and Bushrod Warren, Clerk of the District Court. At this time the population of the county was only about forty persons.

The first district court was held by Judge Hubbard, at Ida Grove, in 1859. The first school in the county was taught by Miss Atwood, at the same place. W. P. Evans published the first newspaper, the Ida County Pioneer, at Ida.

IDA - This is the name of the county seat, and is located at Ida Grove, on the northeast quarter of section 15, township 87, range 40. The village commands a fine view of the beautiful valley of Maple River. It is about 28 miles from Denison, Crawford County.

Upon one of the high ridges near the village there was formerly an extensive Indian encampment, where the remains of buffalo, elk, deer and other game are still scattered over the surface, or half-embedded in the soil. The course of a deeply worn Indian trail is still visible, which is said to have been a great highway for the natives, who only a few years ago occupied this portion of the state.

The first post office in the county was established at Ida, and for several years this was the only one. There is a Methodist church, school house and several business houses. The Ida County Pioneer is published by Messrs. Chaffee & Williams, and has reached its fourth volume.

There are two other post offices in the county, called Silver Creek and Willow Dale.

Ida County Courthouse

In 1872, before there were any other buildings in the town of Ida Grove, the first courthouse was built. Fire destroyed the building along with county records in 1877.

The present courthouse was begun in 1880 and finished in 1883. It was built in Victorian style and has a 110-foot tower. In 1930 and again in 1936, the interior of the building was remodeled to include more office space. An administration annex was added in 1982. The two and one-half story building is still serving the county.

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