Mills County, Iowa Genealogical Records Information

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Mills County History and Information

Mills County Facts

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Mills was created on January 15, 1851 from Pottawattomie County. The County was named for Frederick Mills, a major from Iowa killed in the Mexican-American War. The County Seat is Glenwood.

Counties adjacent to Mills County are Pottawattamie County (north), Montgomery County (east), Fremont County (south), Cass County, Nebraska (southwest), Sarpy County, Nebraska (west). Cities and Towns Include Emerson, Glenwood, Hastings, Henderson, Malvern, Pacific Junction, Silver City.

Mills County, organized and established in 1851 and was named for a young officer from Burlington, Iowa. Frederick Mills, a Yale graduate and lawyer, was enlisted and commissioned as an officer during the Mexican War from 1846-1848. He was killed August 20, 1847, leading a charge after General Santa Ana in the Battle of Cherubusco. In 1851, Mills County was named in memory of this hero.

The first settlement was called Rushville by the Mormons who arrived in 1846. Coonsville, named after Dr. Liberius Coons, a Mormon, first doctor and founder of the community, was changed to present-day Glenwood in 1853.

The first courthouse was a small 12' x 20' frame building which was replaced in 1857 by a two-story Georgian Colonial style building. An addition was made sometime after 1900 followed by the addition of a clock tower in 1910. This first courthouse served as home to the first newspaper in Mills County as well as a temporary barracks for Civil War troops in 1861. In 1898, an Iowa company was organized in the courthouse to serve in the war with Spain. This courthouse continued to serve its community well for the next 100 years. In 1959, it was replaced with the current, more modern building. The building was dedicated on August 29, 1959, amidst much fanfare.

Geographically, Mills County is located very near to the extreme southwest corner of Iowa. It is bordered on the North by Pottawattamie County, on the East by Montgomery County, on the South by Fremont County, and on the West by the Missouri River. It is primarily an agricultural area. Many residents, however, work in industries in nearby Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska. Mills County boasts a variety of historical sites including a museum located in Glenwood which showcases many tools, implements, and household items of early life in the county as well as many Indian artifacts. The community of Tabor, which lies partly in Mills County, is the location of a once important station on the Underground Railroad, as well as the home of Rev. John Todd who harbored the abolitionist, John Brown. The Todd house is preserved and now serves as a museum. Pacific Junction in the Western part of the county is the Junction for the Burlington Railroad lines from Denver to Chicago and Kansas City to Council Bluffs.

In addition, Glenwood is the site of the Glenwood State Hospital- School, the state operated home and school for the mentally handicapped. Started as a Soldier’s Orphan’s Home in 1866, it was closed in 1876 and the General Assembly converted the orphanage into the Asylum for Feeble Minded Children. Later renamed the Glenwood State Hospital-School, this became an important part of the lives of the inhabitants. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

The Mills County Official Government Website
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Mills County, Iowa History Books at Amazon.com
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Records at the Mills 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 Mills County Courthouse at 418 Sharp Street, Glenwood 51534; Tel: 712-527-4880. 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.

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

Mills County Clerk of Court Office has Probate Records from 1852 and Court Records from 1888.
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 Mills County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Mills County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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

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

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

Mills County Genealogical Society, 109 N. Vine Street, Glenwood 51534-1516
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

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

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

County History

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

Mills is the western border county of the second tier from the south line of the state, and is one of the smaller counties, embracing an area of about four hundred and fifty square miles, or 296,000 acres. The west side townships are fractional, following the irregular course of the Missouri River. The surface of the county is considerably diversified. The western portion is the level flood plain of the Missouri River, commonly called bottom land, from three to seven miles wide, comprising nearly one-fourth of the territory. This broad belt of bottom land ends abruptly on the east in a range of bold bluffs, conforming irregularly to the general course of the river, and the contrast presents a grand appearance to the eye of the beholder. Deep narrow valleys and ravines, often studded with trees, break the bluff line into numerous spurs and segments, but without destroying its general outline, for the elevation of the bluffs is very nearly uniform, and the face presented toward the river is very steep and different in appearance from any other. After passing the narrow strip of broken land adjoining the bluff line, the uplands are high and rolling, but present very little surface so rough as to be undesirable for cultivation. They are lined by numerous water courses, fringed with gently undulating valleys of singular beauty, within a setting of gracefully ascending slopes which are frequently studded or crowned with groves of timber, and the darker hues of the forest lend additional charms to the picturesque scenery.

As early as 1836, Col. Peter A. Sarpy, who was long a citizen of Mills County, traded with the Indians both on the Iowa and Nebraska sides of the river. At an early day he laid out the town of St. Mary, on the Missouri bottom below the mouth of Mosquito Creek. He was a Frenchman, and the name of this town is due to the fact that he and his followers were devoted Catholics. At one time it was a promising village, but most of it long since passed down the current of the turbulent Missouri. Col. Sarpy died at Plattsmouth, Nebraska, in January, 1865. He was the first who remained any great length of time in the county prior to 1846, although other Indian traders in the employ of the American Fur Company, and itinerant missionaries to the Indians, traversed this region.

About thirty disciples of Joseph Smith, in August, 1846, pitched their tents in the Missouri River bottom, on the east side of Keg Creek, about four miles north of the present south line of the county. Like others of their faith, after the death of their prophet they had set out for their journey to the "promised land." As the season advanced, preparation for Winter became necessary, and they erected at that place quite a number of cabins, making the settlement have something of a village-like appearance. They gave it the name of Rushville. One of the original settlers of Rushville, who remained in the county, was William Brittain, who, with his family, afterwards located near Glenwood. Libeus T. Coon, Silas Hillman, Ira Hillman, G. N. Clark, J. Everett and others of this company settled at the place where Glenwood now stands, and in the vicinity, in 1847 and 1848. Another party of Mormon sojourners halted at Silver Creek Grove, in the Fall of 1847, and made their temporary abode at a place known as Cutler's Camp, named after their leader. His cabin was on the farm afterwards owned by Daniel Lewis, one of the earliest Gentile settlers of this county.

Henry Alice, who came as an assistant missionary to the Pawnee Indians, in 1834, under the auspices of the American Board of Foreign Missions, became a resident of the county, near St. Mary's, in 1853, having passed the interval of nineteen years on the Nebraska side. The Mormons, however, chiefly occupied the country for four or five years after their first appearance. Gradually others came and took their places, but their numbers were few until the exodus of 1852 began, when they increased rapidly.

The county was named in honor of Frederick Mills, a gallant young officer from Burlington, Iowa, who was killed in one of the battles of the Mexican war. It was originally attached to Pottawattamie County, but a separate organization was perfected by the election of county officers at the general election of 1851. At that election William Smith was elected County Judge; W. W. Noyes, Clerk of the District Court; and James Hardy, Sheriff.

The seat of justice was located at a place then called Coonville, but the name has since been changed to Glenwood. The first term of the District Court was held at Coonville, October, 1851. The somewhat noted James Sloan, of Pottawattamie County, was the judge who presided. He was a native of Ireland, and was of the Mormon persuasion.

GLENWOOD - This little city is romantically embowered in one of the finest groves in the valley of Keg Creek. The business portion of the place is amply rolling for drainage, but is not broken, while the surrounding wooded slopes and eminences afford beautiful sites for residences. Many of them are already crowned with neat cottages and elegant mansions. The business portion of the town fronts on the Public Square, a fine enclosure planted with shade trees of various kinds, but chiefly maple. This portion of the town plat was originally what the name suggests—a glen, but is dry, gently rolling, and surrounded on all sides with groves. He who loves a quiet retreat where a beehive's hum may soothe his ear, will find it amid the sylvan surroundings of Glenwood.

The town was first known by the name of Coonville, as before stated, the first proprietor being Libeus T. Coon, who settled here in 1848, but afterwards removed to Harrison County.

The first house was built at the northeast corner of the present town site; the next, built nearly at the same time, was a slab-roofed log cabin, 10x12 feet, and stood in the rear of the Betts House. In this cabin the first school was taught, in Glenwood, it is said, by D. H. Solomon, Esq., subsequently a leading attorney of the "slope." William Coolidge is said to have been the first child born in Glenwood, in December, 1849. The first death was the wife of Silas Hillman, in the Summer of 1849.

The first flouring mill was built in the county by J. W. Coolidge, in the Summer of 1849, on the present site of Gordon's mill, adjoining Glenwood.

PACIFIC CITY. – This is a station on the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad, about three west of Glenwood, and is nearly opposite the mouth of Platte River in Nebraska. It is situated at the foot of the bluffs, and about three miles from the Missouri River. It was laid out about 1857 in anticipation of being at the terminus of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad. Several good buildings were at that time erected, but owing to the delay in building the railroad, and other circumstances, the place did not prosper. Since the completion of the K. C., St. J. & C. B. Railroad however, it has become a point of considerable importance. The railroad company have good buildings, and it is a place of considerable trade. Large quantities of lumber are shipped to this point for the adjacent country. It is one of the best shipping points on the line of the road. A large steam flouring mill is located here.

MALVERN. – This is a prosperous town near the center of the county on the line of the C. B. & Q. R. R., in the beautiful valley of Silver Creek. It is surrounded by a fertile, well settled country, and enjoys considerable local trade. The other railroad stations and villages are Emmerson, Hastings, Hillsdale, Pacific Junction and White Cloud.

Mills County Courthouse

Mills county was organized in 1851. The county seat was located at Glenwood, which was called Coonville at the time. The first courthouse was built in 1857 and was two stories high with the courtroom on the second floor. The building was made of brick with a tin roof. There is evidence that it cost between $25,000 and $40,000 to build.

After serving the county for over 100 years, the old courthouse was replaced. The second courthouse was started in 1958 and completed in 1959 for a total cost of $319,038.09. This courthouse currently serves Mills County.

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