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State Government Records
The State Archives of Iowa contains records of
enduring value created or collected by Iowa state
agencies. These materials document all facets of
the state’s history. The following are some
groups of state and local government records which
may be of particular interest for researchers
Governors' Papers
Records in the State Archives of Iowa which
document the functions and responsibilities of the
Office of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, date
from the term of Iowa’s first territorial
Governor, Robert Lucas (1838-1841) through Terry
Branstad (1983-1999).The only exception is the
Harold E. Hughes Papers which are at the State
University of Iowa.
Major series include: Appointments,
Correspondence, Criminal Records, Executive
Journals, Issue Files, Proclamations, Reports,
Speeches and Subject Files.
Related records for some of Iowa’s governors
will be found in the State Historical Society of
Iowa’s Manuscripts and Audio-Visual Collection.
Military Records
The State Archives holds the records of the
Iowa Adjutant General from the territorial period
to 1915, which includes the military records of
Iowa regiments who fought in the Mexican War,
Civil War and Spanish-American War. Major record
series include correspondence, military reports,
muster rolls, roster books, and volunteer
enlistments. These records not only document
Iowa's involvement in military affairs, but also
contain the military service records of individual
soldiers (however, little genealogical information
is included in these records).
Other military records in the State Archives
collections include the following:
- Grand Army of the Republic Post Minutes & Roster Books which include
information on Union soldiers who served in the
Civil War from other states and later belonged to
Iowa G.A.R. posts. An index to G.A.R. members and
membership cards, compiled in the 1930s, are
available on microfilm in the reading room.
- Bonus Board Case Files
which record
military bonuses paid by the State Bonus Board for
military service from World War I through Vietnam
are being acquired by the State Archives. The case
files also document each individual's military
service.
- World War I and World War 11 Casualty Files which
contain photographs and compiled service records
of men who enlisted from Iowa and died during
wartime are available.
- Armed Forces Grave Registration Records which
contain information on all veterans of the U.S.
military buried in Iowa. The series is arranged
alphabetically by name and may include
genealogical information (such as date and place
of birth; names of parents, spouse, and other
immediate family members) as well as data
pertaining to military service and place of
burial. The earliest graves registered are those
of Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Iowa and
the latest are for veterans who died in 1998.
- Certificates of
Service
for the Civil War and
Spanish-American War are available from the State
Archives for a $25 fee.
For 20th Century military service records of
individuals who enlisted from Iowa contact National
Archives and Records Administration's National
Personnel Records Center
or write:
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5 100
For pension records for federal military
service contact the National
Archives and Records Administration
Other military records of units, organizations,
and individuals are available in our manuscripts
and
audio-visual
collections.
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