Hancock County, Iowa
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 9 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1981. Most listings are in or near Forest City, Garner, Britt.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for Iowa is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Hancock titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP8 of 9 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
9 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Avery Theater, The | Garner | 2008 |
| Hancock County Courthouse | Garner | 1981 |
| Pilot Knob State Park, Amphitheater (Area 4) | Forest City | 1990 |
| Pilot Knob State Park, Observation Tower (Area 2) | Forest City | 1990 |
| Pilot Knob State Park, Picnic Shelter (Area 3) | Forest City | 1990 |
| Pilot Knob State Park, Portals (Area 5a) | Forest City | 1990 |
| Pilot Knob State Park, Trail Area (Area 6a-6c) | Forest City | 1990 |
| Pilot Knob State Park: Portals in Area 5b | Forest City | 1995 |
| Stubbins, George E., House | Britt | 1999 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBHancock was formed in 1851 (1851-01-15) from unknown / original county.
HANCOCK created from Non-County Area 9 attached to POLK.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusHancock County population from 1860 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1860 | 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 179 | 3,453 | 13,752 | 14,723 | 15,402 | 15,077 | 14,604 | 13,833 | 12,100 | 10,795 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS25 cemeteries and 0 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 25 of 25 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Amsterdam Cemetery |
| Amsterdam Township Cemetery |
| Bingham Township Cemetery |
| Boone Township Cemetery |
| Calvary Cemetery |
| Christian Reformed Cemetery |
| Concord Cemetery |
| Corwith Cemetery |
| Crystal Township Cemetery |
| Ellington Cemetery |
| Ellington Prairie Cemetery |
| Evergreen Cemetery |
| Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery |
| Liberty Cemetery |
| Madison Cemetery |
| Magor Township Cemetery |
| Old Amsterdam Cemetery |
| Orthel Township Cemetery |
| Pilot Knob Cemetery |
| Saint Boniface Cemetery |
| Saint John Cemetery |
| Saint Johns Cemetery |
| Saint Marys Cemetery |
| Saint Patricks Cemetery |
| West Lake Cemetery |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Historical markers
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Search HMdb for Hancock County, Iowa
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