Hello!! Haven't caught up on my reading yet, but thought I should share this. I apologize if it has already been said. I live in Iowa. Birth records can be found in the county courthouses from the time of formation to present. Birth records can also be found in the State Health Department/Bureau of Vital Statistics (don't know the exact title) for a certain year (early 1900s) to present. Believe there is a $10 fee for certified copy. There are also two locations for the Iowa State Historical Library...one in Des Moines and the other in Iowa City. The library contains early birth record information for all the counties on microfilm. The library also has many printed sources of information for each of the counties. The Iowa State Historical Library in Iowa City would be my first choice of places to start or you could contact each of the county courthouses in the area you are looking for. Don't know if they would charge you a research fee or not. I know the Library charges 10 cents per photocopy and 25 cents a microfilm copy. If anybody has any other questions about research in Iowa, please ask me. I can try to answer them. Jennie