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Resources

There are many many places you can look for genealogical information and people at every level willing to help you.

Look-up Volunteers - these people have volunteered to look-up information in the resources they have available to them.

Local Resources

Historical/Genealogical Societies

Libraries

County Resources

Visiting Clinton County:

We are often asked, "What records are available to research in Clinton County and where are they located?" or "If I come to Clinton, will I be able to do research at the courthouse?"

First, let me mention, that almost all the courthouse records have been microfilmed and are available through the LDS Family History Centers and are also at the Clinton Library.  It will save you lots of time, effort and money if you check these films first, if at all possible.  There is nothing more disappointing that traveling all day to look at the will of your ancestors only to find out they didn't leave one or it was Your ancestor whose name was on the index you found online, but someone else's.

Ok, with that said, I spoke to someone at the courthouse and the recorder's office.  Both told me you are more than welcome to look at the old record books and do research at their offices.  Many of the courthouse record books, including Wills, prior to 1900 have been donated to the Clinton County Historical Society and you can look through them there.   

Getting documents through the mail:

Both offices also told me that they will try to honor requests sent through the mail.  They will always send you the certified record you request when you know exactly what you want.  If you want to know if they have a certain document they will do their best to find it, time permitting.  The more specific you can be, the more likely they will look.  Try to narrow your request down to a 5 or 10 year period.  For questions that are too general or that might require a bit of searching, they have been referring people to the local gene and historical groups or to other researchers.  You may also get referred to these groups or the library if you ask for a copy of a document for genealogical research that is not certified--i.e. one that you can get off the microfilms.

County Recorder's Office
Clinton County Administration Building
1900 North 3rd Street
P.O. Box 2957
Clinton  IA  52733-2957

From the above address you can get:

Clinton County Land Records

Please enclose $15 for every certificate ordered and be certain to check the marriage indexes first to give them the correct book and page number if it's available.

All Records for 1921-1941 were sent to the State and must be ordered through them.  Clinton does not have these records.

County Clerk's Office
Clinton County Courthouse
North 2nd Street 
Clinton, IA 52732

From the above address you can get: 

More info is available at the Clinton County Iowa Homepage :  The official website for Clinton County Government.

There are photos, history and much other info here, including email address for many departments.  There is also a form you can fill out when requesting documents.

State Resources

Division of Administration & Regulatory Affairs

Iowa is one of the few states, aside from New England, to successfully implement vital records registration prior to the 20th century. This bureau records all vital events occurring in the state such as birth, death, and marriage, and has an interstate exchange agreement with all of the other states. The bureau registers approximately 100,000 events and issues about 85,000 certified copies annually. To obtain a copy of a certified record in person, you may come to the Lucas Building (321 East 12th. Street, Des Moines, IA  50319).  To apply by phone or mail, click on the appropriate link from their site:

Bureau of Vital Records

Land Records

Iowa is a federal-land state. Lands were generally acquired from the government or other individuals. Patents, tract books, and township plats for government transactions are available at the Bureau of Land Management Eastern States Office in Springfield, Virginia. Holdings for Iowa land records at the National Archives/Central Plains Region include abstracts of military warrants. More federal military bounty land warrants were used in Iowa than any other state. Records of homesteads, including certificates, receipts, and entries, are held for Des Moines, Fort Dodge, and Sioux City. Many are also found at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.. The "Auditor of State Abstracts of Original Land Entries," 1847—59, has been microfilmed and is available to researchers.

Following the federal disbursement of land in Iowa, land purchases and sales were handled by the individual county recorder, beginning with the establishment of that particular county. The cooperative microfilming project of the Genealogical Society of Utah and the State Historical Society of Iowa have provided the preservation of land conveyances for almost every county. For further information, consult: 

Lokken, Roscoe L. Iowa Public Land Disposal. Iowa City: State Historical Society of Iowa, 1942.

Hone, E. Wade. Land and Property Research in the United States. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, Inc., 1997.

BLM REVAMPS FEDERAL LAND PATENT RECORDS SITE

The Bureau of Land Management has made some major improvements on the General Land Office, Land Patent Records site at: http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/