The long awaited third reprinting of the book
‘The Story of Sioux County’ by Charles Dyke in 1942
is a reality!
 **Also NEW--"Siouxland: A History of Sioux County Iowa"--See information on the bottom portion of this page for details. Order this book now--Expand your Sioux County history library while you have the chance!

Much of the research data found on the Sioux Co. IAGenWeb has been transcribed and/or submitted by the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society

Our thanks for their continued support.
In turn, please support them with a donation, contact them if you have in-depth research needs or would like to purchase one of their publications.

Greater Sioux
County Genealogical Society is implementing a program to staff the genealogy section of the Sioux Center Public Library on Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 to 3-4:00 p.m. We feel that patrons will then have a chance to have a member of our society help them find the resources that are available in and through our library.

Address:

Society Meetings:

Dues:

Meeting locations & dates:

Projects

Pioneer Certificate Project

The Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society proudly announces that it will issue a SIOUX COUNTY PIONEER CERTIFICATE to anyone who directly descends from an early settler of Sioux County. These fine certificates which measure 8 1/2 x 11 inches are suitable for framing and will make an excellent addition to your family collectibles while preserving the memory of an ancestor in a very noteworthy manner.

ELIGIBILITY: To obtain a SIOUX COUNTY PIONEER CERTIFICATE, the applicant must be a direct descendant of an ancestor who resided in Sioux County, Iowa, on or before 1895, and must be able to prove that descent with acceptable documentation. It is not necessary for the applicant to ever have lived in Sioux County.

STEP 1. Complete the application form by providing all of the desired information. The information pertains to the Sioux County pioneer, not the applicant. Please provide as much information about the pioneer and his/her family as possible.

STEP 2. Complete the ancestor chart. The ancestor chart begins with the applicant as #1 and works back to the pioneer ancestor. If additional space is needed to show lineage to the Sioux County pioneer please use an extra sheet of paper. Be sure to name each generation from the Sioux County pioneer to the applicant.

STEP 3. Choose from one or more of the following acceptable sources of proof to document that your Sioux County ancestor settled in the county prior to to 1896: census; land deeds; birth, marriage or death records; will or probate records; church records, cemetery records; school records. For all of the above sources, excepting census records, it will be necessary to provide certified or photocopies of the actual record. DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL RECORDS. For census records it is only necesssary to name the year of enumeration (1870 & 1880 Federal, 1885 & 1895 State), township or town location, microfilm roll number, volume number, page number, and line number. School records must be certified by a school official. In some instances, such as land deeds, additional proof of residence may be required. County histories also may offer needed proof: The Illustrated Historical Atlas of Sioux County, Iowa, 1908 -- state section number and page number & The Story of Sioux County 1942 -- state page number.

STEP 4. Mail completed ancestor chart and application form including source of proof together with the correct fee to :

ATTENTION: PIONEER CERTIFICATE

Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society

c/o Sioux Center Public Library

102 So. Main Avenue

Sioux Center , Iowa 51250

FEE: $15.00 for members of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society and/or spouse. $25.00 for non-members of the society.

We thank you for helping us to obtain information about the early settlers of Sioux County. The SIOUX COUNTY PIONEER files will become one of the society's most prized possessions in the years to come. The complete list tentatively will be published in a future history of Sioux County families. You may be proud to say you possess one or more of these unique certificates and have contributed to future genealogists who have a SIOUX COUNTY PIONEER in their family.

Photo Project

We are in the process of indexing the local area history books that do not contain an index.

Completed are:

· 'Story of Sioux County' by Charles Dyke indexed by GSCGS
· 'Maurice Centennial Book' indexed by Gayle Harper
· 'Rock Valley Centennial' indexed by Jeanette VanGrootheest
· 'Calliope' by Ken Hansen, indexed by Marian Goemaat
· 'Bonnie Doon' indexed by Jeanette Van Grootheest
· 'Hawarden Centennial Book' indexed by Wilma J. Vande Berg
· 'Ireton Centennial Book' indexed by Wilma J. Vande Berg
· 'Sioux Center First 75 yrs' indexed by Jeanette Van Grootheest
· Sioux Center 'Pocket of Civility' by Mike Vanden Bosch indexed by Jeanette Van Grootheest
· 'Siouxland: A History of Sioux County, Iowa' by Nelson Nieuwenhuis indexed by Wilma Vande Berg
· ' Orange City Centennial Book' indexed by Minerva Van Peursem 
· '1908 Atlas of Sioux County' indexed by Wilma J. Vande Berg

Obituaries from the Sioux County newspapers are clipped and pasted on cards and placed in boxes in the Genealogy Department of the library.  There is also a maiden name and mother's name index.  This is an on-going project started with the 1980 year and progressing to the current day.  This is a very helpful tool with research as the obituaries are literally family histories which in most cases give birth, marriage, death dates and places, parents names, children's names and locations. 

Census Indexes

Federal Census of Sioux County 1880 has been put on Excel sheets and is on-line, a great resource thanks to John E. DeZeeuw. The 1900 census index with names listed  done by Gayle Harper. The 1885 Iowa State Census is currently being transcribed.

Sioux County
 Newspapers

We are in the process of indexing the local news section and correspondence sections of the older area newspapers. This is a very tedious task, but has already proven to be very useful in research. Papers will be indexed from the beginning for the newspaper to about 1930. Those completed are:

· Sioux Center Nieuwsblad 1891 - 1929
· Orange City Volksvriend 1874 - 1900
· Alton Review 1883 - 1891
· Hull Iowa Index 1892-1897
· Rock Valley Bee (sporadic issues) 1892-1900 (in progress)
The above first four newspaper indices have been sent to the Iowa Genealogical Society to participate in their revenue sharing program. They can be purchased from the IGS for a minimal fee.
IGS publications for Sioux Co.

Frank and Ruth Postma have spear headed the project of microfilming the Rock Valley Bee newspapers.  Grants have been received and the paper is being readied for microfilming.  After this lengthy process is completed the Rock Valley Library and the Sioux Center Library will have copies of the Microfilm. 

 Publications and Photo Prints

• The Big Sioux Center Centennial book has been sold out!

• A  NEW  BOOK  REPRINT
      This is your opportunity to own another great Sioux County History Book!
      This is an entirely different book from the Story of Sioux County by Charles Dyke. (They are not duplicates but compliment each other.)

• The book ‘Siouxland: A History of Sioux County Iowa’ was first published in 1983 by author, G. Nelson Nieuwenhuis.  He was a local life long resident of Sioux County and a History Professor at Northwestern College in Orange City.
  The prospective in this book is quite different from the Story of Sioux County done by Charles Dyke in 1942. (still available from our Society)   This book has a lot of accurate historical details related in top quality text.  It contains many pictures, maps and has an every name index. 
  The books starts with Sioux County far back into history.  Page 4 states…Large tusks of mastadons have been uncovered in Sioux County gravel pits….their remains carried here by glaciers and flood waters.  From the contents heading you will see the tremendous research that went into this book, among the contents headings are:
  Chapter 1 – Geological Foundations – The prairie setting
  Chapter  2 – The Indians of Sioux land
  Chapters 4-6  Related larger local area history
  Chapter 7 -  The Organization of Sioux County
  Chapter 8 -  Calliope  (The first town and county seat in Sioux County)
  Chapters 9 and 10  - Organization of Townships Part I and II
  Chapter 11 – The English Come to West Sioux
  Chapter 12 -  Orange City
  Chapter  13 – Hospers – Newkirk
  Chapter  14 – Towns Along the Milwaukee  (railroad)
  Chapter  15 – Sioux Center
  Chapter  16 -  Towns Along the Northwestern (railroad)
  Chapter  17 – The Twentieth Century
  Chapter  18 -  The Troubled Twenties
  Chapter  19 – The Turmoil of the Thirties
  Chapter  20 – World War II
  Chapter  21 – Progress and Prosperity – The 1950s
  Chapter  22 – Churches and Christian Education
  Chapter  23 – Public Schools
  Chapter  24 – Professional Progress
  Chapter 25 – Civil Servants 
  Rest of  titles are- Sum and Substance, Notes, Index, and Bibliography, and every name index. . 
  Book is a large 8 1/2 “ by 11”, 360 page hard bound book, with pictures, maps and indexes.
  Prepublish price is $45.00 plus $3.50 for postage/hldg  Totaling………$48.50 USA
  After about a May 2008 completion price will be $50. plus 3.50 ……..$53.50  USA

•  We don't accept credit cards. Other countries add $30. for postage and handling, contact us for type of payment.

• Send your check, cash or money order to: 
  GSCGS   102 So. Main Ave.  Sioux Center IA  51250 
  Please state the title of the book being purchased, your name and e-mail & address clearly on your order.

• Other books available from GSCGS:
  Story of Sioux County by Charles Dyke 1942, recently reprinted   $53.50 includes postage USA.
  Sioux Center First 75 years 1891-1966  a real bargain at …$ 10.00 includes postage USA
  A Pocket of Civility, A History of Sioux Center 1976, 370 pages. $10.00 includes postage USA
  Maurice Centennial book 1891-1991 603 page with index…$27.50 includes postage USA

  Expand your Sioux County history library while you have the chance!
  Wilma J. Vande Berg, GSCGS