Preserving the past of Marshall County for future generations since 1908
Research Services
We are happy to assist with all types of local historical and genealogical research. Free use of our library is available to visitors. Research assistance is available at $10 per hour plus any document or mailing costs. Members receive one hour of research free with their current paid membership.
Due to the tornado, we have moved our library and archive to the Mowry Irvine Mansion. We are still in the process of organizing and unpacking, and do have limited access to some of our material during this transition, so please contact us with your inquiry and we will assist you as well as we can. Thank you for your patience!
For photos, event information and more online, check out Our account on Facebook! Our on-site resources include:
Frances Rhoades Williams Library
Our collection includes a variety of materials on local topics, and also by local authors. We have yearbooks, town and church histories, city directories, and personal memorabilia. We also house material about other counties, Iowa history, and other general historical topics.
Our collection also includes a wealth of photographic and documentary history pertaining to a variety of topics. Our records include family history information as well as local government, schools, churches, social organization photos and records.
Genealogical Research
The former Central Iowa Genealogical Society (CIGS) is now the HSMC Genealogical Interest Group. The CIGS and HSMC genealogical research collection is housed in the Frances Rhoades Williams Library. The collection covers individual records, published family histories, county histories, census, cemetery records, ship passenger lists, and other society publications. It also includes material from all over the United States.
Helpful Links
For Newspapers:
http://marshalltown.advantagepreservation.com and https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov
For Obituaries:
https://www.findagrave.com and https://www.legacy.com
For Genealogy:
http://iagenweb.org and http://iowagenealogy.org
For Iowa History:
https://iowaculture.gov/history and http://iowahistoryjournal.com