Iowa Prisons & Convicts
Anamosa State Prison
First 20 convicts to arrive 1873
1915 Index at Anamosa State Prison
Names of all staff that worked at institution between 1873 and 1915
Ft. Madison Penitentiary
Extract from 1870 federal census
Iowa Outlaws & Criminals
Wesley Elkins
Elkins was only 11 years old when he murdered his father and step-mother in the remote farmhouse they shared in rural Clayton County, Iowa in July 1889. A motive was never definitively established; however, young Elkins was known to be angry over being required by his parents to care for his infant step-sister more frequently than he wanted. The brutality of the crime, its senselessness, and the tender age of the alleged murderer caused a stir across the state and beyond.
Snapper Hortman
Harry Hortman was a 25-year old hack driver in Cherokee, Iowa. On November 30, 1901, he shot and killed his sweetheart as she tried to flee from his jealous rage.
Harvey Logan aka Kid Curry
Curry was born Harvey Alexander Logan in Tama County, Richland Township, Iowa in 1867.
Lynn County Outlaws and Black Sheep
If they lived in Lynn County, you might find them here
Iowa Court Records
Iowa Courts
Online search
Appanoose County Courthouse- Centerville, Iowa
Index to Probate Records 1846 – 1855.
Wright County
Court records
Court, Government, & Criminal Records
Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
Iowa Executions
Executions in Iowa
1834 – 1963