History
Dubuque County and the City of Dubuque are named after Julian Dubuque, a French Canadian fur trader who settled in the area in the 1780’s. The area has the distinction of having been under control of five countries. France made the first claim in 1674. The claim was disputed by the English. At the settlement of the French and Indian War in 1763, France ceded the land to Spain. Then in 1800 the land was turned back to France. In 1803, the land was sold by France to the United States as a part of the Louisiana Purchase.
Dubuque County was in that portion of Iowa originally known as the “Black Hawk Purchase”, which on June 1, 1833 was opened to white settlement. In 1834 the “Black Hawk Purchase” was attached to the Territory of Michigan. It was divided into the counties of Dubuque and Des Moines. In 1836 Dubuque and Des Moines Counties were attached to the territory of Wisconsin. In September 1837, Dubuque County was divided into Clinton, Dubuque, Delaware, Jackson and Jones Counties and portions of Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Clayton, Fayette, Johnson, Keokuk, Lynn and Scott Counties. In 1838 this area became the Territory of Iowa.
In the 1780’s through the 1820’s the Mesquakie Indians extensively mined and smelted lead within the area. In 1822, the federal government licensed white settlers to mine the lead. This paved the way for a lead rush. The settlement became the city of Dubuque in 1833, making it the oldest city in Iowa. Dubuque has the distinction of having the oldest church and oldest newspaper published in what was to become Iowa.
Boundaries
Dubuque County is
located in northeast Iowa on the Mississippi River. It is surrounded by the
following counties: West: Delaware Co.; North: Clayton Co.; East: Grant
County, Wisconsin and Jo Davies Co., Illinois; South: Jackson and Jones
Counties.
Current towns and communities (Zip codes given for towns having Post Offices)
1890 2000
Ashbury Dubuque 2,450
Balltown Jefferson 60 73
Bankston Iowa 150 27
Bernard (52032) Prairie Creek 85 97
Cascade (52033) Cascade, White Water 955 1,958
Centralia Center 40 101
Dubuque (52001+) Dubuque 30,811 57,686
Durango (52039) Peru 50 24
Dyersville (52040) New Wine 1,272 4,035
Epworth (52045) Taylor 348 1,428
Farley (52046) Taylor 582 1,334
Graf Center 55 73
Holy Cross (52053) Concord 339
Luxemburg (52056) Liberty 30 246
New Vienna (52065) New Wine 350 400
Peosta (52068) Vernon 75 651
Rickardville Jefferson 25 191
St. Catherine Mosalem
Sageville Peru 203
Sherrill (52073) Jefferson 75 186
Worthington (52078) Dodge 300 381
Zwingle
(52079) Washington
150 100
Abandoned towns
Town Township
Town Township
Allison became Luxemburg Key West Table Mound
Alma Taylor King Mosalem
Aspinwall Jefferson Lore Center
Bally Claugh Grove Table Mound Marshfield Dubuque
Bennettville Washington Massey Mosalem
Buncombe Washington McCants Vernon
Caledonia Vernon Millers P.O. Table Mound
Centre Town Vernon Milleray Prairie Creek
Channingsville Center Mosalem Mosalem
Cottage Hill Concord New Vine became New Vienna
Dacotah became Centralia Oakland unknown
Derrinane Vernon Ogden Prairie Creek
Donelan Prairie Creek Peru Peru
Duke Washington Pin Oak became Holy Cross
Evergreen Iowa Plum Creek Concord
Factoryville Table Mound Prairie Creek Prairie Creek
Falls became Cascade St. Joseph’s Prairie unknown
Five Points Center Sheffield Cascade
Georgetown became Holy Cross Squires Mills Iowa
Glassnevin Liberty Tara White Water
Hazel White Water Tivola Iowa
Hempsted became Fillmore Viola New Wine
Higginsport Washington Waubesopinecoux unknown
Hogansville became Epworth Waupeton Jefferson
Jefferson Jefferson Weld’s Landing Peru
Section II: Resource Centers
Courthouse:
· [DCCH] Dubuque County Courthouse
720 Central Avenue, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
Genealogical Society
· [DCGS] Dubuque County/Key City Genealogical Society and Library
P.O. Box 13, Dubuque, Iowa 52004
Historical Societies
· [DCHS] Dubuque County Historical Society
Ice Harbor 2nd Street and River, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
· [DAHS] Dyersville Area Historical Society
120 Third Avenue, SW, Dyersville, Iowa 52040
· [NVHS] New Vienna Historical Society
7396 Columbus Street, New Vienna, Iowa 52065
· [TCHS] Tri-County Historical Society
606 2nd Avenue, SE, Cascade, Iowa 52033
Libraries with Genealogical or Historical Collections
· [CSPL] Carnegie-Stout Public Library
360 West 11th Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
· [CPL] Cascade Public Library
Main Street, Cascade, Iowa, 52033
· [CCL] Clarke College Library
1850 Clarke Drive, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
· [FHL] Family History Center
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 685 Fremont Ave, Dubuque, Iowa 52003
· [FLL] Ficke Laird Library
University of Dubuque, 2000 University Avenue, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
· [HPL] M M Hoffman Public Library
228 1st Avenue East, Dyersville, Iowa 52040
· [WML] Wahlert Memorial Library
Loras College, 1540 Alta Vista Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
· [WTS] Wartburg Theological Seminary, Archives & Library
333 Wartburg Place, Dubuque, Iowa 52003
· [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
Other:
· [CVA] Commission of Veteran Affairs
799 Main Street, Nesler Center, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
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, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920: [CSPL], [WML], [IGSL] , [ISHL]; 1930: [IGSL] , [ISHL]
· Federal Indexes: 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1920: [IGSL] , [ISHL]; 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870: [CSPL]; 1840, 1850: [WML]
· State: 1836, 1854, 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925: [CSPL], [WML], [IGSL] , [ISHL]
· Wheelwright, et al: 1850 Dubuque County Census, transcript: [IGSL] , [ISHL]
Vital Records
· Birth registrations, (1880 to present): [DCCH]
· Birth records, (1880-1933), microfilm: [IGSL] ; (1880-1940), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Physicians and midwives registers, (1880-1891), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Marriage records, (1836 to present): [DCCH]
· Marriage records, (1835-1927), microfilm: [IGSL] ; (1835-1928), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Daughters of American Revolution: Dubuque County Marriage Records, 1835-1870, vol 1 & 2: [CSPL], [WML]
· Fewell/Henshel: Dubuque County Marriage Records, 1867-68, (1987): [ISHL]
· Death registrations, (1880-1904, 1907-1917, 1941 to present): [DCCH]
· Death records, (1880-1933), microfilm: [IGSL] ; (1880-1917), microfilm: [ISHL]
Probate and related
records
· Probate and Wills, (1858 to present): [DCCH]; partial listing, microfilm: [CSPL]
· Index to probate, (1835-1899), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Probate records, (1835-1880), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Bonds for Administrators, (1891-1923), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Dubuque County – Key City Genealogical Society: Probate Records Index, 1833-1937, (2002): [IGSL]
Land and related
records
· Deed records, (1824 to present): [DCCH]
· Real estate lot books, (1869 to present): [DCCH]
· Real estate transfer books, (1869 to present): [DCCH]
· Deeds and Mortgages, Michigan and Wisconsin Territories, (1819-1836): [DCCH]; microfilm: [WTS]
· Homestead book, (1852-1935): [DCCH]
· Abstracts of Original Entries, (1839-1852): [DCCH], [WML], [DCGS]
· Dubuque Town Lots, (1840-1846): [DCCH]
· Original land entries, Township 89, North, Range 1, West, 1839-49, n.d.: [IGSL]
· Dubuque County Land Grants, Vol. 2: [ISHL]
· Dubuque County tax lists, (1853-1906): [WML]
Maps, atlases and
gazetteers
· Dubuque Plat Books: [DCCH]
· Dubuque County Plat books, (1874, 1893, 1906): [WML], (1906): [ISHL]
· Aerial maps of townships: [DCCH]
· Original land survey maps, township plats and surveyor field notes, Territory of Iowa (1838-1846), microfilm: [WML]
· Andreas: Historical Atlas of Iowa, (1875): [WML], [CSPL], [ISHL]
· Bowerman: Atlas for Genealogists, 1830+, (1985): [WML], [CSPL], [DCGS], [ISHL]
· Root: Root’s Dubuque City Directory, (1867): [IGSL]
· Dubuque City Directories, (from 1856), microfilm: [WML], [CSPL]
· Dubuque County directories, (1876, 1889): [WML], [CSPL]; (1918): [WML]
· Dubuque Telephone directories, (1940 to present): [WML]
· Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Dubuque, (1898 – 1950s): [WML]
· Farm and Village Directory of Dubuque County, (1934-1937): [DCGS]
· Prairie Farmer’s Home and Co.: Directory of Dubuque Co., Iowa, (c1920): [DCGS], [ISHL]
Court records
· Court records, (1840-present): [DCCH]
· Court records, (1840-1900), microfilm: [WML]
· Bonds for guardians, (1874-1891), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Declaration of Intent to Become a Citizen, (1834-1932), 10 vol: [DCCH]; (1834-1936): [DCGS]
· Indenture of Apprenticeship and Naturalization of Aliens, (1852-1895): [DCCH]; transcript: [DCGS]; (1834-1906), 4 volumes, transcript: [WML], [DCGS]
· Naturalization Records, (1838-1941): [DCCH]; (1895-1902), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Naturalizations index, (1840-1933), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Adoptions, (from 1928 to present): [DCCH]
· Divorce Records, (from 1879 to present): [DCCH]; (1888-1935), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Change of Names, (from 1905 to present): [DCCH]; (1867-1949), microfilm: [ISHL]
· Dubuque County - Key City Genealogical Society: Declaration of Intent to become a Citizen, 1856-1906, 3 vol. (1989): [IGSL] ; book 1, 1832-1856, (1982): [IGSL] , [ISHL]
Cemetery
· Area church and cemetery records, n.d.: [IGSL]
· Bicentennial Committee: Dubuque, Iowa Cemeteries, (1975-1978), 3 vol.: [ISHL]
· Dubuque County - Key City Genealogical Society: Burial Records of Dubuque City Cemetery 1854-1875, (1988): [IGSL] , [DCGS]
· Miller: Dubuque County Grave Records published by DAR, (1939): [IGSL]
· Dubuque County - Key City Genealogical Society: St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery, Dubuque, (1996): [IGSL] , [ISHL]
· Bowerman: Burial Records of the Dubuque City Cemetery 1854-1875, (1988): [DCGS], [ISHL]
· Cemetery Records for the Budd Cemetery: [DCGS]
· French Cemetery, Dubuque Co.: [DCGS]
· Mt. Hope Cemetery, Dyersville, Iowa: [DCGS]
· Centralia Presbyterian Church Cemetery: [ISHL]
· Daughters of American Revolution: Dubuque Co. Grave Records, vol. 56, (1939): [ISHL]
Funeral homes
· Index for the Hoffmann Mortuary Book, 1910-1928: [DCGS]
The following is a listing of current funeral homes for the county:
· Cascade
- Reiff Funeral Home
205 Hayes Street, SW, Cascade, Iowa 52033
· Dubuque
- Behr’s Funeral Home
1491 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
- Egelhof, Seigert & Casper Funeral Home; Siegart-Didesch Colonial
2659 John F. Kennedy Road, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
390 N. Grandview Avenue, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
- Hoffman – Schneider Funeral Home
1640 Main Street, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
- Kitchen Funeral Home
3860 Asbury Road, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
- Leonard Funeral Home
2595 Rockdale Road, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
· Dyersville
- Kramer Funeral Home
103 5th Street, SE, Dyersville, Iowa 52040
- Reiff Funeral Home
490 18th Avenue, SW, Dyersville, Iowa 52040
· Epworth
- Reiff Funeral Home
115 East Main Street, Epworth, Iowa 52045
· Farley
- Reiff Funeral Home
303 1st Avenue, Farley, Iowa 52046
· Holy Cross
- Kramer Funeral Home
5754 Maple Road, Holy Cross, Iowa 52053
Obituaries
· Obituary card file, from 1940: [WML], [CSPL]
· Aitchinson: Cascade, Iowa Pioneer Obituaries and index, 1876-1937, 2 vol, (1992, 1996): [DCGS], [ISHL]
Church, Bible
· Dubuque County – Key City Genealogical Society: Church and Cemetery Directory, (1990): [IGSL] , [ISHL]
· Lawlor, et al: Sisters of Charity, BVM, (1995): [IGSL]
· Wallis: Looking Back, The First Congregational Church, Dubuque, 1887-1980, (1980): [IGSL]
· Area Church Histories: [WML], [DCGS]
· Harmony United Church of Christ, Zwingle: 125 Years of Harmony, 1851-1976: [DCGS]
· 150 years History of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Dubuque, 1833-1983: [DCGS]
· Almanac and Directory of the Archdiocese of Dubuque: [DCGS]
· Centennial Brochure, St. Mary’s Church: [DCGS]
· Centennial of Dedication, 100 Years, St. Boniface Church: [DCGS]
· Celebrating Our Heritage, First Congregational Church 150th Anniversary, 1839-1989: [DCGS]
· Church & Cemetery Directory, Liberty, Peru, Prairie Creek, Dodge and Mosalem Townships, Dubuque Co., 1 vol for each township:[DCGS]
· Church & Cemetery Directory, Peru Township, Dubuque Co.: [DCGS]
· Index of Churches and Cemeteries in Dubuque Co., Iowa: [DCGS]
· Membership Directory, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church: [DCGS]
· Nativity Parish – the First Fifty Years, 1923-1973: [DCGS]
· Our Church, St. Anthony Church, Dubuque, Iowa, (1993): [DCGS]
· Presbyterian Directory of Dubuque and Vicinity, 1900-1901: [DCGS]
· Souvenir of St. Catherine’s Parish, St. Catherine’s, Iowa, 1850-1935: [DCGS]
· St. Catherine’s Parish, 1850-1987: [DCGS]
· Souvenir, Centennial Celebration, Holy Cross Parish, 1845-1945: [DCGS]
· St. Joseph’s Parish, Key West, Iowa, 1872-1972: [DCGS]
· St. Joseph’s Parish, Rickardsville, Iowa Sesquicentennial, 1840-1990: [DCGS]
· St. Patrick’s Church, Dubuque, Iowa, sharing our Faith: [DCGS]
· St. Paul’s Parish, Worthington, Iowa, - 1975: [DCGS]
· St. Raphael Cathedral Parish, 1833-1983: [DCGS]
· United Methodist Church, Sherrill, Iowa, The Church on the Hill, 1844-1994: [DCGS]
· Westminster Presbyterian Church: [DCGS]
· Schmitz: A History of St. John’s Episcopal Church, Dubuque, (1996): [ISHL]
· The Treasures of St. Luke’s Methodist Church, Dubuque, 1883-1983, (1983): [ISHL]
· Directory of the Archdiocese of Dubuque: [DCGS]
· United Church of Christ, Zwingle: [DCGS]
Military
· Draft Register, (1917, 1940): [DCCH]
· Military lists, (1912-1914, 1921-1930), 12 vol.: [DCCH]
· Military lists, (1861-1910), microfilm: [WML]
· Soldier’s Discharges, (1919 to present): [DCCH]
· Discharges of Military Personnel, Civil War, (1865-1887), indexed: [DCCH]
· Armed Forces Graves Registration and Records, (1864 to present): [CVA]
· Black Hawk War, History of Units and Index of Servicemen: [WML]
· Dubuque Residents enlisted in the Civil War, (1861-1865): [WML]
· Militia List, Dubuque County, (1862-1909), microfilm: [WML]
· A Tribute to Victory: Dubuque in World War II, (2000: [ISHL]
Newspapers: (on microfilm)
· Dubuque area newspapers, (microfilm): [WML]
· Works Progress Administration: Index to Dubuque Newspapers: [WML]
· Cascade
- Cascade Pioneer, (1916-1939): [ISHL]
- The Cascade Pioneer Advertiser, (1940-1943): [ISHL]
· Dubuque
- Dubuque Visitor, (1836-1837): [ISHL]
- Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines …, (1837-1841): [ISHL]
- The Miner’s Express, (1842-1854): [ISHL]
- Daily Dubuque Tribune, (1851): [ISHL]
-