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Jefferson County History and Information
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Jefferson County Facts


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

Jefferson was created on January 21, 1839 (Organized in 1839) from Henry County. The County was named for Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. The County Seat is Fairfield.

Counties adjacent to Jefferson County are Keokuk County (northwest), Washington County (northeast), Henry County (east), Van Buren County (south), Wapello County (west). Cities and Towns Include Batavia, Coppock, Fairfield, Libertyville, Lockridge, Maharishi Vedic City, Packwood, Pleasant Plain.

The locating commissioners located the county seat of Jefferson County at Fairfield on March 4, 1838. There was some minor disappointment that it was not located at Lockridge, but after time passed, Fairfield was seen as a wise choice. The county was established and originated in 1839.

The first lots of Fairfield were sold to provide funds for public buildings. The first of these buildings was the courthouse. Built in 1839, it was the first courthouse built in Iowa that was not a log cabin or a temporary structure. This building cost $725, plus extras and painting. By 1845 this building was considered inadequate for county use. It was sold by the county and subsequently used as a blacksmith shop.

Approval for the second courthouse came in an election held August 1846. This stone and brick structure was completed in January 1851 and was being used by the county in May of that same year. Although this building was only 22 years old, a grand jury deemed it unfit for county use. Several attempts to construct a new courthouse failed in elections. It was not until 1890 that the construction of a new courthouse was approved.

This third, and present, courthouse was officially dedicated on January 20, 1893. The total cost of the 68-foot x 88-foot stone and brick structure was $73,630. When this building was first completed, it was heated by steam and contained gas lighting.

Jefferson County claims the first Carnegie Library, the first malleable iron foundary, and the first golf club located west of the Mississippi. In addition, Fairfield enjoys the distinction of hosting the first Iowa State Fair in 1854. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

 

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

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Records at the Jefferson County Courthouse

See Also Iowa Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

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 Jefferson County Courthouse at 51 West Briggs,PO Box 984, Fairfield 52556; Tel: 641-472-3454. 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. ? County was attached to ? County for a breif time. Some early records may be found there.

   Jefferson County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1880, Marriage Records from 1839, Death Records from 1880 and Land Records from 1838.
   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.

   Jefferson County Clerk of Court Office has Probate Records from 1838 and Court Records from 1840.
   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.

Search Online 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 Jefferson County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Jefferson County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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Jefferson County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Iowa

Search Online 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.

Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!

   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.
They have the following records:

  • 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.
    • Cost: $15.00 per birth certificate & $10.00 per death certificate.
    • Processing Time: Filled requests take 30-45 days, depending on seasonal
      demands and mail service. Genealogy requests take least 60 days. When ordered by mail (Application) or 2-5 Days when you order online
  • Divorces: Divorces on file are Brief statistical records only since 1906.

Order On-Line:  To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek

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.

Below is a list of online resources for Jefferson County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Jefferson County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

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Jefferson County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records

Search Online Click Here to Search Iowa Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.

  Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Jefferson County, Iowa are 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Jefferson County, Iowa are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

See Also Statewide Records that exist for Iowa

Below is a list of online resources for Jefferson County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Jefferson County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Census Online - Iowa Census Records
  • 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.
  • The USGenWeb Archives Iowa CENSUS IMAGES PROJECT
  • Jefferson County, Iowa Census Books at Amazon.com

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Jefferson County Maps & Atlases

   Genealogy Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for other states.
   You can view rotating animated maps for Iowa showing all the county boundaries for each census 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 at Census Maps
   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

Below is a list of online resources for Jefferson County Maps. Email us with websites containing Jefferson County Maps by clicking the link below:

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Jefferson County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Iowa

Search Online Click Here to Search Iowa Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

   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 Jefferson County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Jefferson County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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

  • Jefferson 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.
  • Jefferson County, Iowa Tax Books at Amazon.com

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

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Jefferson County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Iowa

Search Online 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 Jefferson County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Jefferson 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 Jefferson County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Jefferson 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.
  • Jefferson County, Iowa Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
  • Jefferson County, Iowa Church Books at Amazon.com

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Search Online 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 Jefferson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Jefferson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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County History

Prior to the coming of white settlers, Sac and Fox Indian tribes lived on the 432 square miles of today's Jefferson County. White and Indian mingled well. Until the Black Hawk Purchase opened the doors wide to white settlement in 1833. The Indians were soon crowded out by the newcomers. The area's first school is established in 1837 with 18 students; two years before Jefferson is carved out of Henry County in 1839. Times change and by 1962 the independent school districts close and give way to Fairfield Community School System, formed that year. The county, named for Thomas Jefferson, had a population of 59 in 1836, 2,187 in 1840 and 13,119 in 1856. Population increased to 16,310 by 1990.

An interesting point in the populating of Jefferson County is the fact that whole neighborhoods were packing‑up and migrating to these midwestern lands. They came from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Swedish immigrants added their influence beginning in 1845 to form their first settlement west of the Mississippi in Lockridge Township. Other ethnic settlers were the French coming to Cedar Township with Germans and Polish to Walnut Township. The railroad came to Jefferson County in 1858. The first golf course west of the Mississippi started in 1892, as did the first Carnegie library similarly located in Fairfield. Agricultural in nature, Jefferson's rolling prairie and woodlands boasts 740 farms with an average acreage of 350 in 1995.

Jefferson County Research Guide

Probate and related records

  • Probate records: from 1838, originals ; 1841-1887, microfilm
  • Wills, 1851-1910, microfilm
  • Will index 1851-1927 , [ISHL]
  • Probate index 1839-1890, 1891-1961, transcript
  • Names gleaned from wills 1838-1851, transcript

Land and related records

  • Land records: from 1838, originals
  • Land records, 1839-1887, microfilm
  • Baird: Jefferson County Tax List – 1843 (1998) , [ISHL]
  • Jefferson Co. Gen Soc.: The early land owners, (1989)
  • General election poll book 1891, transcript , [ISHL]
  • Original land entries, township 71N, Range 10 W, 1839-1849
  • Fleig: Jefferson County early land owners (1989) , [IGSL]

Maps, atlases and gazetteers

  • Ogle: Standard Atlas of Jefferson Co., Iowa 1909, reprint (1989) , [ISHL]
  • Roberts: Illustrated Historical Atlas of Jefferson Co. 1875 (Andreas) , [ISHL]
  • Fairfield city directories, 1886-1910, microfilm
  • Jefferson Co Gen Soc: Jefferson County rural township directory – 1886, (1989)
  • Jefferson Co Gen Soc: Fairfield City directory – 1886, (1989)

Court records

  • Court records: 1840, originals
  • Divorces, 1900-1991, microfilm
  • Administrations and guardians, 1851-1887, microfilm
  • Jefferson Co. Gen. Soc.: Divorce Index 1839-1939, (1998) , [ISHL]
  • Jefferson Co. Gen. Soc.: Legal Notices 1847-1968, (1988) , [ISHL]
  • Baird: Guardianship Index 1839-1892 (1983), transcript , [ISHL]
  • Naturalizations 1846-1905, microfilm , [ISHL]
  • Swygaard: Naturalization records, transcript (1983)
  • Miscellaneous court records, microfilm
  • Baird: Jefferson County Coroner’s Docket 1899-1934, transcript, (1988)
  • Jefferson Co Gen Soc: Jefferson County 1848 Voters, (1989)

Cemetery

  • Baird: Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, (1991) , [ISHL]
  • Baird: Memorial Lawn Cemetery, Fairfield, (1987)
  • Baird: Jefferson Co., 77 Cemeteries, (1995) , [ISHL]
  • Jefferson Co. Gen Soc.: Area cemetery records, n.d. , [ISHL]
  • Roth and Gilmer cemeteries
  • Jefferson Co. cemeteries, 14 small
  • Round Prairie township cemetery index
  • Cedar township cemetery index
  • Buchanan township cemetery index
  • Works Progress Administration graves registration project, 2 vol. (c1938) , [ISHL]
  • Baird: Jefferson County, Iowa Index to all tombstones (1986)
  • Jefferson Co Gen Soc: Jefferson County cemteries, locations of 78 cemeteries (1995)
  • Prill: Miscellaneous cemetery listings

Funeral homes (current)

  • Batavia
  • Kremer Funeral Home

1010 3rd Street, Batavia, Iowa 52533

  • Fairfield
  • Behner Funeral Home

203 South Main Street, Fairfield, Iowa 52556

  • Raymond Funeral Home

112 West Burlington, Fairfield, Iowa 52556

  • Baird: Funeral Homes of Fairfield, 1890-1909, (1992)

Obituaries

  • Baird: Fairfield “Ledger” obituary Index 1973-1999, (1999) , [ISHL]
  • Baird: Newspaper death notices 1847-1872 (1985) , [ISHL]

Church, Bible

  • First Methodist Church, Fairfield 1840-1940
  • Area church and bible records, microfilm
  • New Sweden Methodist Church, Lockridge 90th Anniversary 1850-1940, (1940)
  • Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church centennial 1875-1975, (1975)

Military

  • Grand Army of the Republic rosters for posts in Abington, Fairfield and Glasgow (1977)

Newspapers: (Newspapers enumerated under the below listed towns are on microfilm. Years given indicate the range that has been microfilmed; there may be skips in the years covered.)

  • Batavia
  • Batavia News (1916-1936)
  • The Batavia Beacon (1916-1936)
  • Fairfield
  • Fairfield Weekly Ledger (1851-1908)
  • The Fairfield Tribune (1879-1892)
  • The Fairfield Journal (1881-1919)
  • The Fairfield Weekly Journal (1884-1904)
  • The Fairfield Daily Journal (1911-1921)
  • The Fairfield Ledger (1923-2002)
  • Lockridge
  • The Lockridge Herald (1916)
  • Baird: Jefferson County, Iowa Newspaper Historical Reference Guide, (1998) , [ISHL]
  • Baird: Marriages announcements for Fairfield newspapers 1847-1868, (1987)
  • Jefferson Co. Gen. Soc.: Names in the news – Jefferson Co. Newspapers 1847-1961, (1998) , [ISHL]
  • Gleanings from Iowa Sentinel

Lineage and Service Organizations:

  • Prill: Miscellaneous Jefferson Co. Records for the DAR Log Cabin Chapter (1960-1979)

Educational, business and other:

  • Hilleary: Rural Schools of Jefferson County (1986)

County & Local Histories: (Most of the below listed histores are held by the Fairfield Public Library.)

  • Western Hist Co.: The History of Jefferson Co., Iowa (1879)
  • Portrait and Biographical Album of Jefferson and Van Buren Counties, Iowa (1890)
  • Workman: Index to Portrait and Bio Album 1890, (1987)
  • Fulton: History of Jefferson Co., Iowa (1914)
  • Centennial Committee: Jefferson Co., Iowa Centennial History, 1776-1876 (1876):
  • Baird: Our Jefferson County Ancestors (1980)
  • Baird: Jefferson County Ancestors Index (1996)
  • Keyes: A Reminiscent History of … Lake Mills 1847
  • A Stroll Back … Libertyville 1842-1980 (1980)
  • Worley: Pleasant Plain, Iowa – from “old” to “new”, (1976) , [ISHL]
  • Welty: A Fairfield 1860-1937, (1975)
  • Index of family and genealogical holdings at the Fairfield Public Library, microfilm
  • Fletcher: Jefferson County, Iowa Centennial History 1876
  • Baird: Index to all family records in the Fairfield Public Library (1988)
  • Proescholdt: New Sweden, Iowa 1845-1870 (1977)

Publications

  • Iowa Genealogical Society: Hawkeye Heritage articles through 1993 [IGSL] (Entries indicate year, issue number and page number.)
  • 1840 Census, (1967) 3:101
  • Abstract of material on John and Betheny Davis Family of Wapello and Jefferson Co., (1967) 1:48
  • Death Notices from Fairfield Newspapers 1847-1872, (1987) 4:214
  • Delinquent Tax Lists of Lands – 1857, (1982) 2:70
  • Evergreen Cemetery, paupers section 1886-1990, (1991) 4:213
  • Jefferson County first marriages, (1967) 3:109
  • Index to Jefferson County Records on LDS films, (1982) 2:73
  • Individuals whose estates entered probate 1839-1849, (1982) 2:66
  • Jefferson County, Iowa Records: Index to Table of Content (1975) 4:151
  • Jefferson County towns of today and yesteryears, (1967) 3:96
  • Letters remaining in the Post Office at Fairfield – 1847, (1982) 2:64
  • List of resources available for research at the Fairfield Public Library (1982) 2:73
  • Marriage announcements from Fairfield newspapers 1847-1868, (1987) 4:211; (1988) 1:46
  • Names listed in Jefferson County annual statement for 1847, (1982) 2:67
  • Pleasant Plain Academy (1991) 4:220
  • Research guide (1980) 3:116
  • Swedish settlement, from Jefferson County Republican 1905, (1991) 1:24
  • Trails end for some of the 1840 pioneers (1967) 3:106
  • The following publications are for sale through the Jefferson County Genealogical Society. See the Jefferson County Genealogical Society Website for details and availability.
  • Jefferson County Atlases, 1875, 1909
  • Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield
  • Listings for seventy-seven Jefferson County cemeteries
  • 1876 Centennial Booklet of Jefferson County
  • Historical Highlights from 1919 – 1979 “Out of the Past” newspaper columns
  • The following publication is for sale through the Van Buren County Genealogical Society. See the Van Buren County Genealogical Society Website for details and availability.
  • Everyname index to the 1890 Jefferson and Van Buren Counties Portrait and Biographical Album
  • The following publications are for sale through the Iowa Genealogical Society. See the Iowa Genealogical Society Webpage for availability and details.
  • Jefferson County Birth Records 1880-1920
  • Cemetery Records, available by townships
  • Census: 1840, 1856, 1925
  • Death records: 1880 – 1919
  • Selected Fairfield Funeral Home Records
  • Census Mortality Schedules: 1850 – 1880
  • Directories: 1886 rural and 1886 Fairfield city
  • Divorce Index: 1839 – 1939
  • Guardianship Index: 1839 – 1892
  • Early landowners from 1838; index
  • Marriage Records: 1839 – 1959
  • Naturalization Records: 1846 – 1905
  • Legal notices from newspapers: 1847 – 1868
  • Newspaper death abstracts: 1847 – 1872
  • Newspaper historical reference guide: 1855-1975
  • County wills: 1838-1851
  • Probate indices: 1839 – 1961
  • Will index: 1851 – 1927
  • Tax list: 1843
  • Voter lists: 1848, 1891
Jefferson County Courthouse

The first courthouse of Jefferson County was completed in 1840 at Fairfield. This building was a two-story wood rectangular box, with a gabled roof. A new courthouse was constructed of brick in 1851. The 40 by 70 foot structure was built at a cost of $7,500. The former courthouse burned down in 1916.

By 1875, the county judge refused to hold court in the brick courthouse because of its dilapidated condition. However, it was not until 1880 that the courthouse was abandoned. For more than ten years, court was then held in the Harmony Church. Because hard times had fallen on most of the county, citizens would not agree to spend the money for a new courthouse. Finally in 1890, the present courthouse began construction. It was finished in 1893 at a cost of $73,630.87. The exterior is made of Cleveland gray sandstone and red brick and the interior is adorned with native oak woodwork. The building appears today as it did in 1893, except for the modifications to the clock tower which took place in 1948.

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