Digital History Project
The Digital History Project is a web-based archive highlighting historic Iowa City and Johnson County featuring a growing collection of more than 1,000 items.
Census Materials
Johnson County Vital Statistics
All data compiled and provided by the Iowa City Genealogical Society
Cemeteries
For information on recent burials, contact City cemeteries directly.
Maps and Plat Books
- Plat maps of Johnson County, Iowa (shows occupancy and ownership of rural properties)
- Johnson County landowners map and index
- Sanborn fire insurance maps on microfilm (detailed maps covering towns including Iowa City)
City Directories
- Iowa City print and microfilm (may include area cities and rural listings)
- Iowa State directories including Iowa City
Phonebooks
Located at the Page Station on the second floor.
- Iowa City (includes surrounding area) - From 1925 - Present
- University of Iowa directory (students, faculty and staff) - Herd books from 1922 – 2013
Yearbooks
Iowa City Public Schools
- Community Education Center
- Central Junior High School (Baby Hawklets)
- City High School (Red and White)
- Northwest Junior High School (Reflections)
- PS #4 yearbook
- South East Junior High School
- West High School (The Trojan Epic)
Other Public Schools in Johnson County
Private Schools in Iowa City
- Iowa City Regina Catholic Education Center (Spectrum)
- St Mary's High School (The Marianum)
- University High School (Hawkeye)
Civil War Military Records
From Our Collection
We have many local history resources in print, DVD, and streaming video formats.
Books
- Leading Events in Johnson County Volumes 1, 2. (1913) by Clarence Aurner
- The Old Stone Capitol Remembers (1939) by Benjamin Shambaugh
- Old Settler's Association Yearbooks 1866-1925 (1978) - Reproduced by the Johnson County Historical Society
- The History of Johnson County, Iowa 1836-1882 (1883) author unknown
- Johnson County History: Compiled and written by the Iowa Writers' Program of the Works Progress Administration (1941) Iowa Writer's Program
We also have many interviews conducted by Ellen Buchanan in both the One of a Kind Series and the Tell Me Your Story Series.
Irving Weber
Irving B. Weber (1900-1997) was a prolific citizen historian chronicling Iowa City and Johnson County history through the more than 800 columns he wrote for the Iowa City Press Citizen from 1973-1998. Half of the columns were reprinted in eight volumes titled Historical Stories about Iowa City, published by the Iowa City Lions Club. Searcher’s aids to Irving Weber’s stories are available in the circulation and the Iowa Reference collections.
A complete collection of the 800 Iowa City Press Citizen article authored by Irving Weber are available the University of Iowa’s Iowa Digital Library and The Iowa Heritage Digital Collection.
Irving Weber also recorded a number programs about Iowa City, including a bus tour of Iowa City and a tour of Iowa City cemeteries. Also of interest are Lolly Parker Egger’s, (retired Iowa City Public Library director) Iowa City’s Irving Weber: A Biography and Ellen Buchanan’s Tell Me Your Story interview of Irving Weber.
Online Resources
We have many resources available for local history research and well as much broader historical and genealogical. Resident library card required.
HeritageHub
Includes The Gazette which has obituaries from Iowa City and surrounding cities from 1992 to present.
Ancestry Library Edition In-Library Use Only
Search census, birth, marriage, death, military, & immigration records.
Des Moines Register
Iowa’s newspaper of record with coverage from 1992 to present.
HeritageQuest
Search census and family records, local history, city directories, military records and more.
Iowa City Press Citizen
Iowa City’s local newspaper with coverage from Nov. 13, 2002 to present.
Sanborn Fire Maps
Initially created to estimate fire insurance risks. Iowa maps only, includes Iowa City fire maps for September 1883, July 1888, April 1892, June 1899, April 1906, January 1912, July 1920, February 1926, and February 1933 through April 1946.
Social Security Death Index In-Library Use Only
Genealogical tool lists birth and death dates, and place of death.
More Genealogy Resources
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
2730 Bradford Drive
Iowa City, IA 52240-2550
319-338-5306
319-338-1027
Iowa City Genealogical Society
PO box 822
Iowa City, IA 52244-0822
Iowa Department of Public Health
Vital Records
Lucas State Office Building
321 E 12th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-4944
Johnson County Administration Building
Vital Records
913 S. Dubuque St.
Iowa City, IA 52240
State Historical Society - Iowa City
402 Iowa Ave
Iowa City, IA 52240
319-335-3916