Handy Tools and Supplies
Online Forms and Charts You'll find many forms and charts on this list, but the basics are pedigree charts and family group sheets. Iowa Communities Past and Present Is there a "Unique" Iowa? What county is it in? How about Fairview? What towns are in Cass or Crawford County? A map of Iowa counties Click on any county to go to its IAGenWeb site. Town/County Search When you're searching outside of Iowa and for the township a community is in. Formation of Iowa Counties Was Audubon part of another county before it was formed? One of my ancestors was supposedly born in Yell County, Iowa, but there's no Yell County...is there? County Vital Records What years an Iowa county is likely to have birth, marriage, and death records for. Writing for vital records Addresses and phone numbers for Iowa counties Birthdate Calculator If the tombstone says Grandpa was 80 years, 10 months, and 3 days when he died, this is what you need to figure out his birthdate.
The Mega Sites
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet "A categorized & cross-referenced index to genealogical resources on the Internet." ~~ Cyndi's List of Iowa Resources A treasure trove of genealogical websites for Iowa researchers. ~~ Beginners' Guides All kinds of help for finding your ancestors, whether you're a beginner or in need of a few new tips and tricks. RootsWeb The oldest and largest free genealogy site online. ~~ Social Security Death Index Over 79 million names. "About 98 percent of the deaths in this database occurred between 1962 and the present." ~~ World Connect Family trees. Search those that are there and add your own. ~~ Mail Lists Browse the possibilities and dip into the archives before you subscribe, but consider starting with a locality or two. ~~ Message Boards Organized by topic, surname, and locality. USGenWeb Volunteers committed to providing free online data; organized by state and county. Links to all 50 states in the left-hand column of the home page. Don't miss the Special Projects. Family Search (LDS Church) "The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world." ~~ Research Guide for Iowa An in-depth guide to genealogical research in Iowa. Available for printing as a .pdf file. ~~ Library Catalog See what's available on your surname, locality, or topic of interest. ~~ Find a Family History Center Order microfilms of interest to read at a center close to home.