Iowa Research Guide Digital Download

You'll love this if..

• You're getting started tracing your ancestors in Iowa
• You want new ideas and resources to get past a Iowa brick wall
• Your genealogy search is focused mainly on Iowa —you don't need the full State Research Guides collection

Trace your Iowa ancestors with the advice and resources in our State Research Guide! This four-page download includes:

• a how-to article detailing Iowa's history and records, with helpful advice on tracking your family there
• the best websites, books and other resources for Iowa research, handpicked by our editors and experts
• listings of key libraries, archives and organizations that hold the records you need
• timeline of key events in the state's history

Here's a sampling of the helpful tips you'll get in the Iowa guide:

• Most settlers didn't start arriving until after the Black Hawk War ended in 1833. The Sac and Fox had to move west of the Mississippi River, opening up the area for westward expansion.
• Birth and death records were first mandated in 1880, but only roughly 50% of events were recorded through 1921. The State Historical Society of Iowa has county-level vital records, some of which pre-date statewide registration.
• Iowa sent some 76,000 troops to aid the Union effort during the Civil War, a huge number relative to the state's population at the time.

Plus, each guide contains active web links for one-click access to every recommended online resource. You can view this PDF on your computer and print pages for reference.