Lucas County, Iowa Genealogical Records Information

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Lucas County History and Information

Lucas County Facts

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Lucas was created in January 1846 (Organized in 1849) from Unorganized Territory. The County was named for Robert Lucas, the first governor of the Iowa Territory and the twelfth governor of Ohio. The County Seat is Chariton.

Counties adjacent to Lucas County are Warren County (northwest), Marion County (northeast), Monroe County (east), Wayne County (south), Clarke County (west). Cities and Towns Include Chariton, Derby, Lucas, Russell, Williamson.

The county lies within the Sac and Fox Indian Purchase by the treaties of 1837 and 1842, which included all the land in the territory west of the Iowa River known as the Black Hawk Purchase. Not until 1845 did the Indians finally surrender the land.

The county was established in 1846. It is believed that the Mormons were the first non Native American settlers in the county, spending one winter at a place called Chariton Point, about one and on-half miles southeast of Chariton. The route they took has since been known as the “Morman Trail.”

Under the act of the Second Assembly of the State of Iowa “An Act to Organize Lucas County” was approved. Three Commissioners were then appointed to locate the county seat. Title to the land for the county seat wasn’t secured until February 1850. This 160 acres of land cost the county $200 or $1.25 per acre.

A group of settlers then met and decided to name their town Chariton. Chariton was the name of a Frechman who established a trading post on the Missouri River where the Chariton River enters it. A surveyor, Williams Webb, was employed to plat the city of Chariton. The total cost being $108.87. The newly-platted lots were sold from $5 to $15 per lot.

The first courthouse was erected in 1850 at a cost of $374. The building being 18 x 22 feet, one and one-half stories high. In June of 1858, the people voted to build a new courthouse for $13,500. The building was built of bricks, 60 feet square and two stories high. The Grand Jury condemned this building in 1891.

Our present third and present courthouse was completed in February 1894 for $59,670.86. The clock in the Courthouse Tower was presented to the county by S. H. Mallory on January 1, 1894 and was wound and put into service May 22, 1894.

Townships were formed April 7, 1851, by the county commissioners. In 1860 the Eighth General Assembly created the board of supervisors. In 1869 the county purchased a 200 acre site of ground just northwest of the city of Chariton for $10,500 to be used as the county home. The county home was in operation until November 27, 1986 when it was closed. The first two room jail served until 1871. Our present jail was built in 1916. Following are a few of the “Firsts in Lucas County.”

The first permanent settler was William McDermit, locating in the Cedar Township. The First State Bank was started bin 1869 with S. H. Mallory as its president. The first newspaper was printed in 1856 called “The Little Giant.” In 1857 the “Chariton Patriot,” a Republican paper, was founded by John Edwards and in 1867 the Democrat paper named the “Chariton Leader” was founded. William McKay of Fort Des Moines was the first District Judge. The first public library was lad out in September 1849. By 1875 the population in Lucas County reached 11,725, today the population is 9,070. Contract to remove the tower from the courthouse, by Rex Perry was signed July 2, 1954. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

The Lucas County Official Government Website
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Lucas County, Iowa History Books at Amazon.com
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Records at the Lucas 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 Lucas County Courthouse at 916 Braden Avenue, Chariton 50049; Tel: 641-774-4421. 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.

Lucas County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1880, Marriage Records from 1849, Death Records from 1880 and Land Records from 1849.
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.

Lucas County Clerk of Court Office has Probate Records from 1850 and Court Records from 1854.
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 Lucas County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Lucas County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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

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

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

Lucas County Genealogical Society, 803 Braden Avenue, Chariton 50049-1742
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

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

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

County History

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

Lucas is the center county in the second tier from the south line of the state. It embraces twelve congressional townships, or an area of about 276,480 acres.

Lucas County was upon the route of the Mormon exodus of 1846-7, and a party of these emigrants located a few miles southeast of the site of the present city of Chariton at a place formerly called Chariton Point, where they erected some rude log huts and sojourned for about a year when they again proceeded westward. They were the first white settlers in the county.

In September, 1847, Wm. McDermott and wife with four small children settled in Cedar Township, nearly ten miles east of Chariton, and named the place Ireland. In March, 1848, Elijah Baldwin and family settled a little west of McDermott, and in June James Roland and family settled about a mile south. During the same year John Ballard, Thomas Wilson, James Barker and some others settled in the county. James Barker officiated as preacher for the new settlement, and it is said could preach a very good sermon when he happened to be sober. Buck Townsend made a claim at nor near the site of the abandoned Mormon settlement. He wanted the county seat located on his claim, and was charged with sending a spurious petition to the Legislature in order to influence the location. He afterwards mysteriously disappeared from the county. McDermott was an Irishman and claimed to have done much toward shaping the destiny of the county. He was once elected prosecuting attorney, but did not qualify; although if he had, it is said that his knowledge of Blackstone and Kent would not have saved him from the necessity of signing his pleadings with an "x." At the close of 1848 there were eight families clustered around Ireland.

In 1849 Union Township was permanently settled by Jacob Fudge, S. B. Chapman, and Hiram and Joseph Holmes. Otter Creek the same year, by Nelson Case. Jackson Township was settled by Joseph Mandill. English Township by John Ballard, Joseph Stuart and Isham Hodgen. (1849.) Among the new comers this year were William and John McKinley in Washington Township. James B. Custer in Liberty Township, Beverly Searcy, Nelson and Jonas Wescoat in Chariton Township. First settler in Chariton Township was Wm. S. Townsend, better known as "Buck" Townsend, in 1848, at what was then known as Chariton Point. The same year Washington Township was settled by Xury E. West and Samuel McKinley, and Liberty Township by James M. Brown, Peter M. Barker, Wm. R. Meyers, John Meyers and T. Robbins. Union Township was also settled by a man from Missouri, named McAllister, about the same time. But he remained only a short time. Whitebreast (1848) by Daniel Phillips and family who settled one and a half miles west of Chariton, and Ellis Meyers and family about six miles west of Chariton. Others probably settled same year, but names not to be obtained. None of the townships had yet been named. In Spring of 1849 Dr. W. W. Waynick and Iverson Waynick settled three miles east of Chariton. They were accompanied by Samuel Francis who located near them.

Lucas was attached to Monroe County prior to its organization, and during its early days the nearest post office was at Albia.

In 1849 the number of settlers increased rapidly, and the county was organized under an act of the Second General Assembly, approved January 15, 1849. It was previously formed by an act of the Legislature, approved January 13, 1846, and named in honor of Robert Lucas, the first territorial governor. In August following an election was held for the purpose of choosing county officers. The county commissioners chosen were William T. May, Jacob Phillips and James G. Robinson. Their first meeting was held at the house of William S. Townsend, August 10, 1849. Their first business was to appoint William H. Moore, Clerk pro tem, and their next act was to direct an order to be drawn for $18 in favor of H. B. Notson in payment for services rendered in organizing the county, to be paid out of the first money accruing from the prospective sale of lots at the county seat. The commissioners appointed to locate the name of "Polk." The citizens of the county at a meeting held November 5, of the present name of Chariton. It should not be confounded, however, with the place once designated Chariton Point, already referred to, where the first settlement was made.

At a meeting of the county commissioners, September 12, 1849, they provided for the survey of town lots at the county seat, and directed that a public sale of lots should be held on the first Monday in December of the same year. Wm. S. Townsend was appointed agent for their sale. On the 5th of November, the order appointing Townsend to act as lot agent was revoked, and W. W. Waynick was appointed in his place. Waynick was also at the same time appointed clerk of the board of commissioners, and James G. Robinson was appointed by the board to go to Fairfield to enter for the county the quarter section embraced in the town plat.

At the meeting of the board held in April, 1850, steps were taken for the erection of the first court house on lot six in block nine, to be paid for out of the proceeds of the sale of lots. The contract for building was let to Beverly Searcy at $374. Searcy completed the job, and the commissioners received it, but for some reason obtained a reduction of $14 on the contract price. This first temple of justice erected in Lucas county, according to the specifications on record, was of hewed logs, eighteen by twenty-two feet, and a story and a half high. It was "pointed" with lime and sand, had a door in the front end and a window in each side, and one in the back end. In July, 1851, a contract was let for furnishing the court house with "sixteen benches six and a half feet long, made from hewed linn, with good oak legs." The contract also provided for the "construction of a good and substantial pulpit in the court house, of a cheap dimension." Lucas County may well remember the injunction, "Despise not the day of small things."

The above described court house subsequently gave place to the present commodious edifice constructed of brick, sixty feet square, and two stories high. The lower story is occupied by the several county officers, and the upper story embraces the court room, and two other rooms. The court house stands at the center of the public park in Chariton. The ground on which it is situated in 524 feet above the Mississippi river at Burlington, and so near the Summit that, it is said, the water falling from the roof on the east side flows into the Mississippi, and on the west side, into the Missouri.

The first district court convened in this county May 22, 1851. William McKay presided as judge. There were but two cases, and one of them was for divorce.

The first saw and grist mill in the county was built by Isaac C. Cain and Pleasant Williams on Whitebreast Creek in Liberty Township. It was rude in construction, small, and run by water. In the Winter of 1852-3 Mr. Crawford Sellers taught the first school in the county in the log court house in Chariton. First school house in the county, built in Union Township, built of round logs, put up by the citizens of the neighborhood. The first birth of a white child in the county was that of a daughter of James Roland, in 1848.

The first marriage that was solemnized in the county was that of Samuel A. Francis and Luisa J. Waynick, November 15, 1849.

In the Spring of 1853 the land office was located at Chariton, Mr. Gillam being the Register, and Colonel Isaac Leffler, Receiver. They were soon displaced by the appointees of President Pierce, Rev. R. Coles and Dr. N. G. Sales, who continued in their positions until the office was discontinued. Colonel Leffler died here in the Winter of 1866, at the age of 78 years.The county had her first representative district in the Third General Assembly. Monroe and Lucas was the representative district, and N. B. Preston was representative.

The era of speculation in western lands was at its height during the early settlement of Lucas County. A class of men whom the settlers gave the disrespectful appellation of "land sharks" concentrated about the land office at Chariton and beset every man who came to purchase lands. If the purchaser desired to view the premises before buying they stood ready to show him a desirable tract, sometimes several miles away from the one which his description called for. A beautiful tract some three miles west of Chariton, called Hickory Point, is said to have been thus disposed of to at least fifty persons. The "land sharks," however, did not have matters all their own way, for nearly all the early settlers engaged in speculation by practices peculiar to themselves. Each man had an indefinite number of "claims," which he was ready to dispose of to new comers, and as early as 1850 it is said to have been difficult to find a desirable location not already claimed, and if an immigrant purposed remaining in the country he soon found he must conform to the rules and regulations of the "settlers' club" or "Home Protection Society," which seems to have become in this county to a great extent a vehicle for speculation. This society and the land sharks were constantly at enmity until both classes disappeared before the incoming tide of honest and industrious settlers who came to locate and improve permanent homes, and compelled honester practices. To this latter class the county is mainly indebted for the steady progress and development which had been maintained for many years.

CHARITON - This enterprising young city is delightfully situated upon the high plain of the great watershed and it is the only city or town of importance in the state so situated. The gentle undulations of the town site are only sufficient to afford its streets adequate drainage. The location affords a good view of the surrounding country, especially toward the southwest, where the valley of Chariton River approaches the city. The place is regularly laid out with wide, handsome streets, which are kept in good condition and extensively lined with ornamental and shade trees. Many handsome residences are also embowered among trees and shrubbery which lend their scenery the charm of Sylvan beauty. The place has many fine business blocks as well as elegant residences. The business blocks are chiefly built upon the streets surrounding the beautiful square upon which the court house stands. They are chiefly constructed of brick, and many of them are three stories high. Chariton's extensive and varied mercantile trade is represented by numerous substantial firms, who carry large and well settled territory tributary to it. It is necessarily an important shipping point, and its shipping facilities include a large elevator furnished with steam power, and several warehouse and banking institutions. A half dozen good hotels, lumber depots, establishments for the sale of agricultural implements and flouring mills are among the business facilities of the place. The railroad depot is an extensive building of two stories constructed for the doable purpose of a depot and hotel or eating house.

Lucas County Courthouse

The first courthouse of Lucas County was built in Chariton of solid oak logs in 1850. The one and one-half story building was financed out of the Chariton town lot fund and cost $374.

The second courthouse was 50 feet square and cost between $15,000 and $20,000. The courthouse's foundation was made of logs and made the judge nervous. Luckily, the building did not collapse.

A new courthouse was built in 1885. The stone courthouse appears the same today as it did over a century ago. The only major alteration has been the removal of a pointed spire and minor caps which topped the tower.

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