State Archives Holdings

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.