Big Pigeon in Southwest Iowa
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Picture
Picture
1853 Grenville Dodge Railroad Survey near Crescent
1853 Dodge Survey Party near Crescent
Resources
bigpigeon.us webpage Home > Resources >  Free Sites, updated by RAC 17 Jun 2022.

This is a collection of links to free web resources that I use in my research. From here you can also:
  • Access my useful ancestry.com databases.
  • View a list of the print resources I use.
  • Access my lists of WWII links.
  • Visit the Danish Links collection in danishheritage.org, the website I previously created and managed.
Internal links to my own historical reports are distributed in different pages in my website.

Parts: 
  1. familysearch.org
  2. Pottawattamie County, Iowa on the Web
  3. Pottawattamie County Locales on the Web
  4. Iowa History on the Web
  5. United States History on the Web
  6. Additional Big Pigeon Links Information

==> Part 1 - familysearch.org
  • Access is free but registration is required.
  • In the list of Iowa databases below, database names are followed by record count and date last updated.
 
  • https://www.familysearch.org/search/ - search databases for an individual.​
  • https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/list/ - access alphabetical list of databases.
  • https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/list/?fcs=placeId%3A51&ec=region%2Cregion%3AUNITED_STATES - access list of Iowa databases.

List of familysearch.org Iowa databases copied 11 Apr 2021:​
  • Iowa Births and Christenings, 1830-1950396,403Apr 9, 2021
  • Iowa Deaths and Burials, 1850-1990321,781Oct 30, 2020
  • Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992192,790Apr 9, 2021
  • Iowa Mortality Schedules, 1850-188039,148Jul 26, 2017
  • Iowa Non-Population Census Schedules, 1850-1880Browse ImagesJan 16, 2014
  • Iowa State Census, 18851,737,228Jan 25, 2011
  • Iowa State Census, 18952,110,508Nov 1, 2018
  • Iowa State Census, 19052,182,231Aug 23, 2016
  • Iowa State Census, 19152,574,691Oct 6, 2016
  • Iowa State Census, 19252,487,917Jun 20, 2020
  • Iowa, Adjutant General's Office, Grave Registration Service, Cemetery Records, 1800-200010,636Mar 8, 2020
  • Iowa, Armed Forces Grave Registrations, ca. 1835-1998289,493Oct 17, 2017
  • Iowa, Birth Records, 1921-194235,336Apr 8, 2021
  • Iowa, Black Hawk County, Waterloo, World War I Pledge Cards, 1917-191844,100Aug 5, 2020
  • Iowa, Buchanan County Obituaries and Cemetery Records, ca.1796-1988218,373Jun 18, 2020
  • Iowa, Church Records, 1839-200417,480Jan 12, 2021
  • Iowa, Church and Civil Births and Baptisms, 1837-198791,582Apr 9, 2021
  • Iowa, Church and Civil Deaths, 1845-198721,153Apr 9, 2021
  • Iowa, Church and Civil Marriages, 1837-19898,793Oct 15, 2020
  • Iowa, County Births, 1880-19352,277,928Oct 15, 2020
  • Iowa, County Death Records, 1880-1992857,181Nov 9, 2020
  • Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-19342,216,624Oct 30, 2020
  • Iowa, Dallas County, Violet Hill Cemetery, Lot Records, 1846-19886,605Sep 24, 2020
  • Iowa, Death Records, 1904-1951933,998Apr 8, 2021
  • Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939540,796Oct 31, 2016
  • Iowa, Fayette County Probate Records, 1851-1928Browse ImagesDec 7, 2012
  • Iowa, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1861-194987,376Dec 7, 2016
  • Iowa, Historical Society of Iowa, Divorce Records, 1906-1937118,243May 1, 2020
  • Iowa, Iowa City, Voter Registers, 1897-190460,329Apr 7, 2021
  • Iowa, Lyon County, Cemetery Records, ca.1800- ca.200012,385Jun 20, 2020
  • Iowa, Marriage Records, 1941-195113,151Apr 8, 2021
  • Iowa, Marshall County, Marshalltown, Riverside Cemetery Burial Records, ca.1800-ca.197536,046Sep 25, 2020
  • Iowa, Military Discharge Records, ca.1862 - ca.1976170,766Apr 6, 2021
  • Iowa, Monroe County, Card Index of Births, Deaths & Marriages from Newspaper Clippings, 1898-2015387,622Aug 12, 2020
  • Iowa, Old Age Tax Assistance Records, 1934-1958926,046Oct 2, 2020
  • Iowa, Polk County Probate Records, 1914-1924Browse ImagesNov 10, 2014
  • Iowa, Polk County, Cemetery Gravestone Records24,050Sep 25, 2020
  • Iowa, Poweshiek County Land Records, 1855-1934Browse ImagesMay 8, 2017
  • Iowa, Poweshiek County Probate, School, and Court Records, 1850-1954Browse ImagesSep 12, 2014
  • Iowa, Poweshiek County, School Records, 1895-1941215,464Nov 2, 2020
  • Iowa, Records of Persons Subject to Military Duty, 1862-19105,075,771Aug 3, 2019
  • Iowa, Scott County, Oakdale Cemetery, Interment Records, 1856-198923,867Jul 18, 2020
  • Iowa, Tama County, Tax Records, 1865-1939373,492May 6, 2020
  • United States, Iowa Naturalization Records, 1859-199055,256Aug 25, 2020

==> Part 2 -  Pottawattamie County, Iowa on the Web
​
​Part 2a - Pottawattamie County historical and genealogical research sites:
  • Historical Society of Pottawattamie County -  http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org
  • Pottawattamie County Genealogical Society - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iapcgs
  • Iowa Gen Web project for Pottawattamie County - http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie
  • Pottawattamie County Genealogy Trails Project - http://genealogytrails.com/iowa/pottawattamie
  • Council Bluffs Public Library - https://www.councilbluffslibrary.org
  • Council Bluffs Public Library local history vignettes - https://www.councilbluffslibrary.org/blog/tag/local-history/

Part 2b - Pottawattamie County history museums:
Council Bluffs historic locations:
  • Commemorative Air Force, Great Plains Wing - http://greatplainswingcaf.org/Great_Plains_Wing/Home.html
  • General Grenville Dodge House - www.dodgehouse.org
  • Kanesville Tabernacle Replica - lds.org/locations/kanesville-tabernacle
  • Rails West Railroad Museum - http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/museums/index.html
  • Squirrel Cage Jail - http://www.thehistoricalsociety.org/museums/index.html
  • Union Pacific Railroad Museum - www.uprrmuseum.org
Greater Omaha area history museums:
  • Joslyn Art Museum - https://www.joslyn.org
  • Durham Museum - https://durhammuseum.org
  • Fort Atkinson State Historical Park - http://outdoornebraska.gov/fortatkinson/
  • Steamboat Bertrand Museum - https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Desoto/wildlife_and_habitat/steamboat_bertrand.html
  • Winter Quarters visitor center - https://www.lds.org/locations/mormon-trail-center-at-historic-winter-quarters?lang=eng&_r=1

Part 2c - Pottawattamie County historical and biographical books:
  • 1869, Bushnell - History of Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County, two page typescript, from Bushnell's Directory for Council Bluffs, http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/history/hist-CB-Bushnell-1869-001.htm
  • 1882, Giles - History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa by W. T. Giles, Chapters 1-6 transcribed by Joyce Hickman http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/history/1882/1882index.htm​
  • 1883, Baskin- Baskin History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa by John H. Keatley (complete) - https://books.google.com/books/about/History_of_Pottawattamie_County_Iowa.html?id=I4YUAAAAYAAJ
  • 1891, Lewis - Lewis Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa (complete) - https://books.google.com/books/about/Biographical_History_of_Pottawattamie_Co.html?id=W1M0AQAAMAAJ
  • 1907, Field - History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa from the Earliest Historic Times to 1907 (complete) - https://books.google.com/books/about/History_of_Pottawattamie_County_Iowa.html?id=f1Q0AQAAMAAJ
  • 1916, Babbitt - Early Days at Council Bluffs, by Charles H. Babbitt - https://www.councilbluffslibrary.org/archive/files/original/74f10a7d21a337af61a0896465295185.pdf.
  • 1978, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, A Collection of Historical Sketches and Family Histories, Taylor Publishing Co., Dallas, TX (partial transcription) - http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/hist-1978/1978_surnames.htm
  • 2016, Lost Council Bluffs by Sue M. Sidden, The History Press (128 pages, 28 page preview) - https://www.google.com/books/edition/Lost_Council_Bluffs/Aw6KDAEACAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&kptab=overview
Commentary - Pottawattamie County historical and biographical books:: 
  • The Field book consists of two volumes - Vol. 1, pp 1-562; vol. 2, pp. 566-1200, with an index at the end. There is also an on-line 84-page index at https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/386904-redirection.

Part 2d - Directories for Pottawattamie County or for portions thereof:
  • 1866 Council Bluffs directory index - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iapcgs/ (in the Quick Links area, click on City Directory Index - 1866)
  • 1869 Bushnell's Directory for Council Bluffs, partial transcript - http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/history/hist-CB-Bushnell-1869-002.htm
  • transcript of 1880-1881 Hawley & Co. City and County Directory of Pottawattamie County, Iowa -  http://genealogytrails.com/iowa/pottawattamie/80cdbios.htm​
  • transcript of Pottawattamie County portion of 1910 Iowa State Gazetteer and Business Directory, R. L. Polk & Co., including the towns of Avoca, Bentley, Carson, Council Bluffs, Cresent, Dumfries, Grable, Hancock, Honey Creek, Loveland, McClelland, Macedonia, Minden, Neola, Oakland, Treynor, Underwood, Walnut, and Weston - http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/dir/dir1910.html
  • 1919, Anderson Atlas of Pottawattamie County lists most rural residents by township - http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/atlases/id/1060/rec/46
Commentary - Directories for Pottawattamie County:
  • ancestry.com has about 57 Council Bluffs directories but only the 1866 index is known to have free access.
  • Council Bluffs directories from the early 20th century include sometimes included rural residents.
  • The 1967 Pottawattamie County Atlas by Midwest Atlas Co. lists the majority of rural residents. However, as far as I know it is not available on-line.

​Part 2e - Pottawattamie County maps & atlases:

Pottawattamie County map from 1875 Andreas Historical Atlas of Iowa: 
  • http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/map/map-1875-Pott.htm​
Commentary:
  • This is the highest-quality version of the 1875 Andreas map that I have seen.

Pottawattamie County atlases that have township land ownership plats:
  • Collection overview -  https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/islandora/search/pottawattamie?type=edismax&cp=ui%3Aatlases
  • 1885 C. R. Allen & Co. Illustrated Atlas of Pottawattamie County, Iowa - http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/atlases/id/6802/rec/49
  • 1900 R. V. Inness Atlas of Pottawattamie County - http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/atlases/id/7087/rec/50
  • 1913 Bee Publishing Atlas of Douglas, Sarpy and Washington Counties, Nebraska and Mills and Pottawattamie County, Iowa - http://memories.nebraska.gov/cdm/compoundobject/collection/opl/id/1142/rec/1
  • 1919 Anderson Publishing Co. Atlas of Pottawattamie County - http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/atlases/id/1060/rec/46
  • 1930 Hixson & Co., Rockford, IL Plat Book - Pottawattamie County - http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/hixson/id/1478/rec/38
Commentary - Pottawattamie County atlases that have township land ownership plats::
  • On-line township plats often lack sufficient resolution. However, all of the above allow viewing a section of a township and thus are readable.
  • The Pottawattamie County Genealogical Society in Council Bluffs has most of these atlases. The nearby Council Bluffs Public Library also has some.
  • The content of the 1900 Inness plats seems identical to the content of the printed 1902 Ogle plats.
  • The 1919 Anderson atlas also has township directories listing most rural family members .
  • The plats in the 1930 Hixson atlas may be redrawings of the 1919 plats.

Current Pottawattamie County maps:
  • Pottawattamie County index map - http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/map/map-townships.htm
  • Pottawattamie County detailed road map - http://www.iowadot.gov/maps/msp/pdf/pottawattamie-bwco.pdf
Commentary - Current Pottawattamie County maps:
  • Thanks to Dennis Weeks for producing the index map, which shows all townships and incorporated towns. It appears in the Pott. Co. > Big Pigeon webpage heading.

Part 2f - Other Pottawattamie County sources:
  • Pottawattamie County abandoned towns , villages and post offices - http://genealogytrails.com/iowa/pottawattamie/abandoned_settlements.htm#Harrison
  • Similar content to the last bullet: http://www.iowaghosttowns.com/pottawattamie_county.html
  • Council Bluffs Nonpareil from 1940/50s (partial, pay site) - http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8290

Part 2g - Pottawattamie County vital records:
Below are some major on-line databases containing information specific to past Pottawattamie County residents. This summary reflects my own interests, namely the early history of rural northwestern Pottawattamie County, Iowa. 
Commentary - Pottawattamie County vital records:
  • Under Vital Records I include birth, christening & confirmation; marriage & divorce; death, obituary & cemetery.
  • Most on-line vital records are indices containing only basic information.
  • findagrave often has more information such as obituaries; parents & spouses; siblings & children.
  • There are various on-line lists of Pottawattamie County cemeteries, including some with maps. All such lists that I have seen have errors or are incomplete.
  • For some Pottawattamie County cemeteries, one can find on-line lists of burials. As to be expected, most such lists are incomplete.
​
​
Vital records indices - Pottawattamie County Genealogy Society site - rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iapcgs:
  • Marriage Record Index - rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iapcgs
  • Obituary Index - rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iapcgs
Commentary - rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iapcgs vital records:
  • Find the index you’re looking for in the Quick Links portion of the landing page.
  • The Marriage Record Index has marriages recorded at Council Bluffs 1902-1940 and at Avoca 1885-1921 and complements the printed marriage indices mentioned in the Resources Overview > Print Resources webpage. 
  • The Obituary Index covers years 1857-2014 and contains 236,392 listings. It does not include dates.
Vital records found at http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie:
  • Death Certificate Index 1920-1939 - http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/vitals/deaths1920_39A.html
Commentary - http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie vital records:

==> Part 3 - Pottawattamie County Locales on the Web

Avoca locale websites:
  • City of Avoca Website - http://www.cityofavoca.com/index.php
  • Sweet Vale of Avoca Museum - https://www.newtownavocahistorical-iowa.com
  • Farmall Tractor Museum (in Avoca near I-80) - http://www.farmall-land-usa.com/index.html
Griswold locale websites:
  • Griswold, IA cemetery index (Waveland Twp., Pott. Co.) - http://iagenweb.org/pottawattamie/cem/cem-griswold.html
​Harlan locale websites:
  • 143 searchable pages of obituaries from the Harlan, IA newspaper - https://harlannews.com/obituaries
Minden locale websites:
  • Minden, Iowa cemetery index - http://mindeniowa.com/Minden_Cemetery.html
Neola locale websites:
  • Neola, Iowa Centennial Book - https://www.donquigley.net/documents/0623_REF.pdf
  • Saint Patrick's, Neola, Iowa, 1882-1982 - https://donquigley.net/documents/1140_REF.pdf
  • Neola, Iowa cemetery index (both Neola Twp. Cem. & St. Pat's Cem.) - neolaiowacemetery.com
Oakland locale websites:
  • Nishna Heritage Museum - https://www.facebook.com/Nishnamuseum
Shelby locale websites:
  • Carstens Farm near Shelby - carstensfarm.com
Walnut locale websites:
  • http://iowasantiquecity.com
Commentary - Pottawattamie County Locales on the Web:
  • Neola was founded in 1869 but the Neola centennial book may cover the years 1882 -1982.

​Non-Specific Pottawattamie County Websites:
  • Council Bluffs Visitors’ Guide - http://www.unleashcb.com/files/visitors_guide.pdf
  • Pottawattamie County Visitors’ Guide - http://wattawayiowa.com/index.php
  • Loess Hills visitor guide for Pottawattamie County - http://www.visitloesshills.org/pottawattamie.html
  • Pottawattamie County Conservation Board (Hitchcock Nature Center is in the Loess Hills) - http://www.pottcoconservation.com

==> Part 4  - Iowa History on the Web

Iowa Historical and Genealogical organizations:
  • Iowa State Historical Society Research Centers (Des Moines & Iowa City) - https://iowaculture.gov/about-us/visit/research-centers
  • Iowa Genealogical Society (Des Moines) - http://iowagenealogy.org
  •     Research Links on the Internet - https://iowagenealogy.org/?page_id=69
  •     County Research Guides (for 18 counties as of Jun 2022) - https://iowagenealogy.org/?page_id=59
  • State Library of Iowa on-line digital repository - https://www.iowaheritage.org/about​

Iowa Century & Heritage farms:
  • https://centuryfarms.iowaagriculture.gov​

Iowa Gazetteers:
  • 1865 Iowa State Gazetteer, Bailey & Hair - https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.18966337;view=1up;seq=7  & https://books.googleusercontent.com/books/content?req=AKW5QaeKo2An8zTwUbm6U7VqXKf0oHvcTUIHnAdqeSXubCBdtBiYC3GwrBmsQivsy_K2DD5GOdq7EdRBhnGH1SbBVncxv8MaLEHeLBgiCynR2_W41JTco2v-7hZoApXKoxYrxlQvH0CTAk6_HmuNrkfQJWJBtmy1Gd08S8smqRYgVYfmfToQqe7i94ZI5Ysgry5zWQKYvl8CJ-Zx9Ea1_AvukKaJSAF8CRB4PwrwLMcM2ODNtJC5-d9KVhlq5tdmx-O5kK3p7wUQ2hL_xeXaZUuWWju9PyMLcg
  • 1884-1885 Iowa Gazetteer and Business Directory (pay) - http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=7669
Free Iowa Gazetteers available through google books:
  • 1905 - Iowa State Gazetteer and Business Directory, Volume 13, R. L. Polk & Co.
  • 1908 - Iowa State Gazetteer and Business Directory, Volume 14, R. L. Polk & Co.
  • 1912 - Iowa State Gazetteer and Business Directory, Volume 16, R. L. Polk & Co.
  • 1914 - Iowa State Gazetteer and Business Directory, Volume 17, R. L. Polk & Co. 
  • 1918 - Iowa State Gazetteer and Business Directory, Volume 19, R. L. Polk & Co. 
Commentary:
  •  In the 1884-1885 Gazetteer, Pottawattamie County information is mostly in Volume 3.

Other Iowa Sources:
  • iowagravestones.org  - Iowa Gravestones Photo Project.
  • http://iagenweb.org/muscatine/history2/convict_records-contents.htm - Records of Iowa convicts. Use as a backup if you don't have access to ancestry.com's database of Iowa convicts.
Commentary - Other Iowa Sources:
  • iowagravestones.org has photos of over a miliion gravestones in Iowa.

Links to key resources from area counties:
Harrison County, IA:
  • iagenweb.org/harrison
  • iagenweb.org/harrison/marriage/index.htm - Harrison Co. marriages 1853-1905.
​Mills County, IA:
  • http://iagenweb.org/mills/
  • http://iagenweb.org/mills/marriage/index.htm - Mills Co. marriages through 1925.
Shelby County, IA:
  • http://iagenweb.org/shelby/
Omaha, Douglas Co., NE:
  • omahamarriages.wordpress.com - marriages in or near Omaha.
  • omahaobits.wordpress.com - obituaries from Omaha newspapers.

Gateway to Iowa Public Records (includes gateways for other states):
  • https://www.publicrecords.onlinesearches.com/iowa 
Commentary on above gateway:
  • I just found this commercial site and am not sure if it is useful for on-line research. 

==> Part 5  - United States History on the Web

Geographical Atlases in the Library of Congress, 1920:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_List_of_Geographical_Atlases_in_the_Li/p7ZMAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=business+patrons+directory+of+pottawattamie+county&pg=PA363&printsec=frontcover

The Library of Congress's Chronicling America project: (old newspapers)
  • chroniclingamerica.loc.gov​ - selected newspapers from the Library of Congress.
  • https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/newspapers/ - list of 2400 newspapers with at least some issues included.
Commentary - The Library of Congress's Chronicling America project:
  • chroniclingamerica includes the Omaha Bee (1872-1916) and the Missouri Valley Times (1899-1920).
  • You'll probably want to restrict a search to one newspaper by using the advanced search feature.

​Free nation-wide burial data:
  • https://findagrave.com
  • https://billiongraves.com
Commentary - Free nationwide burial data:
  • Findagrave contained about 180 million burial records as of May 2020. Many records include a gravestone photo, links to other family members, or biographical material.
  • Billiongraves is free, but requires registration.

​==> Part 6 - Additional Big Pigeon Links Information
  • None at this time.
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