To a genealogist, vital records are the mainstay of his or her research, the triumvirate of documentation.\u00a0 Birth, marriage, and death records pin down a life from start to finish and connect an unbroken (one hopes) line from one generation to another.<\/p>\n
We here in Special Collections understand how, well, vital<\/em> these records are to our patrons.\u00a0 It has therefore become our goal to add to our collections the available vital records from as many Iowa counties as we can, from the earliest possible to each county\u2019s cut-off after the 1920 changes in Iowa law that changed the duties of county clerks.*<\/p>\n Iowa has ninety-nine counties, so this is what we would call an extended<\/em> project—but we\u2019re off to a pretty good start with the births, marriage, and deaths of the easternmost fourteen:<\/p>\n Cedar Jackson Lee Mahaska Scott (of course)<\/p>\n Union<\/p>\n Wayne<\/p>\n If you look at a county map of Iowa, you can see that we are resolutely marching west in our quest for these records.\u00a0 And we vow not to stop until we reach Lyon County at the northwest corner of our fair state.<\/p>\n So, if you\u2019re in the market for an early vital record or two from the eastern 14% of Iowa, c\u2019mon in for a visit—\u00a0we have\u00a0 six microfilm reader\/printers , a change machine, and\u00a0extremely\u00a0comfortable chairs!**<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n *Iowa law did not require clerks to record birth, marriage, and deaths at the county level between 1920 and 1941\u2014these records were sent to the state.\u00a0 Many clerks continued documenting some vital records as their duties permitted, but most eventually stopped until the law required them to begin again.<\/p>\n ** Or if you really can’t manage a visit,\u00a0drop us a line<\/a>.\u00a0 But then, you won\u2019t know if we\u2019re telling the truth about\u00a0our chairs . . .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" To a genealogist, vital records are the mainstay of his or her research, the triumvirate of documentation.\u00a0 Birth, marriage, and death records pin down a life from start to finish and connect an unbroken (one hopes) line from one generation … Continue reading
\nClayton
\nClinton<\/p>\n
\nJefferson
\nJohnson
\nJones<\/p>\n
\nLouisa<\/p>\n
\nMuscatine<\/p>\n