History
When the county was originally platted in 1851, it was named Fox County. As the legislature assembled in 1853, the county’s name was changed to Calhoun in honor of U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun. The county was officially organized in 1855 and Lake City was named the county seat. In 1870, the Illinois Central Railroad was extended through the northern part of the county and Manson and Pomeroy competed with Lake City for the county seat. A compromise was reached in 1876 when voters approved Rockwell City, in the center of the county as the new county seat.
The county is largely level, making it ideal agricultural land. At the turn of the 20th century, the digging of ditches and the laying of farm drainage tile eliminated wet land unsuitable for growing crops. Calhoun county has some of the best agricultural land in the state.
Rockwell City’s initial spurt of growth came when the railroad was extended from Jefferson in 1882. To entice the railroad to come to Rockwell City, the town’s founders promised F.M. Hubbell, the railroad’s owner half of the town lots. In 1918 the state woman’s reformatory was built at Rockwell City.
The first settlers were from states to the east as far as New England, and from the south. Foreign-born groups included Germans, Swedes, Norwegians, Danes, Irish, Hollanders, English and Czechs.
Boundaries
Calhoun County is
located in north central Iowa. It is bounded by the following counties: West
– Sac Co., NW – Buena Vista Co., North – Pocahontas Co., NE – Humboldt Co.,
and East – Webster Co., and South – Greene and Carroll Counties.
Current towns and communities (Zip codes given for towns having Post Offices)
1890 2000
Farnhamville 50538 Reading 137 430
Jolly 50551 Butler 100 54
Knierim 50552 Greenfield 70
Lake City 51449 Jackson, Calhoun 1,160 1,787
Lohrville 51453 Union 435 431
Lytton 50561 Garfield, Sac Co. 305
Manson 50563 Lincoln 822 1,893
Pomeroy 50575 Butler, Sherman 481 710
Rinard Cedar 72
Rockwell City 50579 Twin Lakes, Center 516 2,264
Somers 50586 Cedar 165
Yetter Elm Grove 36
Abandoned towns
Town Township
Town Township
Brooklyn Muddy
Burns Piper Logan
Calhoun Rands Logan
Calhoun Center Center Richard Center
Crandall Schonberg
Eads Sherwood Lake Creek
Elm Grove Twin Lakes Twin Lakes
Kissemmee Tow Head Center
Knoke Butler Wightman Union
Lavinia Twin Lakes Yatesville
Mosley
Section II: Resource Centers
Courthouse:
[CCCH] Calhoun County Court House
4th and Court Street, Rockwell City, Iowa 50579
Genealogical Society
[CCGS] Calhoun County Genealogical Society
426 5th Street,
Rockwell City, Iowa 50579
Libraries with Genealogical or Historical Collections
· [CCHL] Calhoun County Historical Library
150 High Street, Rockwell City, Iowa 50579
· [FL] Farnhamville Library
240 Hardin Street, Farnhamville, Iowa 50538
· [LCPL] Lake City Public Library
120 N. Illinois Street, Lake City, Iowa 51449
· [JJHL] J J Hands Library
609 2nd Street, Lohrville, Iowa 51453
· [LPL] Lytton Public Library
118 Main Street, Lytton, Iowa 50561
· [ML] Manson Library
1076 13th Avenue, Manson, Iowa 50563
· [PPL] Pomeroy Public Library
114 North Ontario Street, Pomeroy, Iowa 50575
· [RCL] Rockwell City Library
426 5th Street, Rockwell City, Iowa 50579
· [SCL] Somers City Library
Somers, Iowa 50586
· [IGSL] Iowa Genealogical Society Library
628 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
· [ISHL] Iowa State Historical Library
600 East Locust Street
Des Moines, Iowa 50319
Section III: Records
– records may be found at the record sites abbreviated after each entry. See
Section II for complete record site information.
Census
· Federal: 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, microfilm: [ISHL], [IGSL]
· Federal Indexes: 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1920: [ISHL], [IGSL]
· Iowa State: 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925, microfilm: [ISHL], [IGSL]
Vital Records
· Birth registrations, (from 1880): [CCCH]; (1880-1927), microfilm: [ISHL]; (1880-1899), microfilm: [IGSL]
· Birth index, (1880-1957), microfilm: [IGSL]
· Delayed births, (to 1990), microfilm: [IGSL]
· Delayed birth registrations, (1878-1942), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Marriage registrations, (from 1857): [CCCH]; (1875-1928), microfilm: [ISHL]; (1892-1928), microfilm: [IGSL]
· Death records, (from 1880): [CCCH]; (1880-1932), microfilm: [ISHL], [IGSL]
Probate and related records
· Probate records, (from 1873): [CCCH]; (1880-1910), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Probate index, (1880-1924), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Probate docket, (1884-1913), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Will books, (1909-1928), microfilm: [ISHL]
Land and related records
· Land records, (from 1855): [CCCH]; (1856-1903), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Index to land records, (1855-1887), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Town lots, (1875-1888), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Index to town lots, (1869-1879): [ISHL]
· Original Entries, Alphabetical Listing of Purchases, (land records), n.d.: [IGSL]
Maps, atlases and
gazetteers
· Chatfield Directory Service: Calhoun Farm Directory, (1953): [ISHL]
· Manson Journal: Atlas and Plat Book of Calhoun Co., (1920: [ISHL]
Court records
· Court records, (from 1860): [CCCH]
· Naturalizations – declaration of intent, (1873-1906), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Naturalization records, (1873-1902), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Index to naturalization records, (1873-1906), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Naturalization records – minors, (1887-1906), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Divorce records, (from 1906): [CCCH]
Cemetery
· Calhoun County Genealogical Society: Calhoun County, Iowa Cemeteries, (1994): [ISHL]
· Works Progress Administration: Grave Registrations, (1942): [ISHL], [IGSL]
· Calhoun County Genies: Calhoun County Cemeteries, (1977): [IGSL]
· Calhoun County Genealogical Society: Crown Hill Cemetery, Butler Township, (2001): [IGSL]
· Calhoun County Genealogical Society: St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, (2001): [IGSL]
Funeral homes
· Lake City
- Lampe Funeral Home
418 N. Hancock Street, Lake City, Iowa 51449
· Lohrville
- Brawn Funeral Home
404 Maple Street, Lohrville, Iowa 51453
· Manson
- Larson – Weishaar Funeral Home
1408 11th Avenue, Manson, Iowa 50563
· Pomeroy
- Michael L. Powers Funeral Home
210 Main Street, Pomeroy, Iowa 50575
· Rockwell City
- Palmer and Swank Funeral Home
528 Main Street, Rockwell City, Iowa 50579
Church, Bible
· Brief Historical Sketch of Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Center Township, 60th Anniversary, (1928): [ISHL]
· Watters: The First Hundred Years, 1865-1965, Woodland Christian Church, Lake City, (1965): [IGSL]
· Nelson: History of Our Evangelical Lutheran Manson Church, (1955): [IGSL]
Military
Deyoe:
Calhoun County in the World War,
n.d.:
[ISHL]
Newspapers: (on microfilm)
· Lake City
- Calhoun County Pioneer: [ISHL]
- The Lake City Graphic, (1886-1916): [ISHL]
- The Graphic, (1916-1926): [ISHL]
- The Graphic and News, (1926-1939): [ISHL]
- Lake City Graphic, (1942-1997): [ISHL]
· Lohrville
- The Lohrville Enterprise, (1894-1897): [ISHL]
- Lohrville Enterprise and Farnhamville Index, (1960-1965): [ISHL]
- Twin Lakes Trader, (1974-1975): [ISHL]
- The Newspaper, (1975-1976): [ISHL]
· Lytton
- The Lytton Star, (1916-1921): [ISHL]
· Manson
- The Manson Democrat, (1896-1920): [ISHL]
- The Manson Journal and Democrat, (1922-1928): [ISHL]
- The Manson Journal, (1928-1987): [ISHL]
- The Calhoun County Journal-Herald, (1987-1996): [ISHL]
· Pomeroy
- The Pomeroy Herald, (1889-1987): [ISHL]
· Rockwell City
- The Farmers Advocate, (1891-1893): [ISHL]
- City Advocate, (1906-1909, 1922-1927): [ISHL]
- The Rockwell City Advocate and Calhoun County Republican, (1927-1950): [ISHL]
- The Rockwell City Advocate, (1950-1975): [ISHL]
- The Advocate, (1982-1983): [ISHL]
- Calhoun County Advocate, (1984-1996): [ISHL]
Educational, business and other:
· Ferguson: After 45 Years … the Farmers Cooperative Company, [ISHL]
· Ridge: Our Vanished Country Schools of Calhoun Co., Iowa, (1959): [ISHL]
Miscellaneous:
· Owens: My Early Life in Calhoun Co., Iowa, n.d.: [ISHL]
· Miscellaneous Records from Calhoun Co., Iowa, n.d.: [IGSL]
County & Local Histories:
· Clark Pub Co.: A Biographical Record of Calhoun Co., Iowa, (1902), (reprint 1996): [ISHL]
· Stonebraker: Past and Present of Calhoun County, Iowa, (1915): [ISHL]
· Calhoun County Historical Society: Calhoun County History, (1982): [ISHL]
· Calhoun County Pioneer History: a Sesquicentennial Slice …, (1995): [ISHL]
· Cole: Happiness is my Universe: Reminiscences of Calhoun Co. (1972): [ISHL], [IGSL]
· Centennial History Committee: Rockwell City’s 100 Golden Years and Calhoun Co. History, 1876-1976, (1976): [IGSL]
· Hippen: Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge in Iowa, (1997): [ISHL]
· Crahan, et al: A Brief History of Manson, Iowa, Observing Its Centennial, (1972): [ISHL], [IGSL]
· Manson Quasquisicentennial: 125 Years, 1872-1997: (1997): [ISHL]
· Bierg, et al.: The Town and Community of Jolly; First 100 Years, (1983): [ISHL], [IGSL]
· Patterson: The Twin Lakes (Calhoun Co.) Story, (1975): [ISHL]
· Newhouse: Towns of Calhoun Co., Iowa, (1966): [ISHL]
· Quade: Knierim: A Photo-narrative, (1995): [ISHL]
· Calhoun County Historical Society: A Tour of Calhoun County Historical Sites, (1968): [IGSL]
· Denise: The History of Lytton, Iowa, 1899-1982, (1982): [IGSL]
· Calhoun Knoke Diamond Jubilee, 1901-1976, (1976): [IGSL]
· Wolf: Over the Years, (Lytton Area), (1974): [IGSL]
Publications
· Iowa Genealogical Society: Hawkeye Heritage articles through 1993, [IGSL] (Entries indicate year, issue number and page number.)
- 1856 State Census for Calhoun County, (1970), 4:157
- 1857 Tax List for Calhoun County, (1970), 4:158
- 1860 Federal Census for Calhoun County, (1970), 4:159
- First Marriages, 1856-1884, (1970), 4:175
- Grand Army of the Republic, Albert E. Allen Post 113, Manson, (1970), 4:161
- Grand Army of the Republic, Frederick W. Lander Post 156, Lake City, (1970), 4:165
- Grand Army of the Republic, Lohn Post 349, Lohrville, (1970): 4:173
- Grand Army of the Republic, Opdyke Post 332, Rockwell City, (1970), 4:171
- Grand Army of the Republic, Pomeroy Post 480, Pomeroy, (1970): 4:170
- Calhoun County History, (1970), 4:156
- Rockwell City Ladies Club – 1903, (1970): 4:18
· The following Calhoun County Publications are for sale through the Iowa Genealogical Society. See the Iowa Genealogical Society webpage for a detailed listing and availability.
- Calhoun County Cemeteries, listed by township
- Marriage records, 1856-1884
Section IV: Credits
We wish to acknowledge the contributions made by members of the Calhoun County Genealogical Society the Calhoun County Courthouse, the Iowa State Historical Society and volunteers at the Iowa Genealogical Society in providing data contained in this research guide. Their efforts have been of immeasurable help in gathering this information.