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Iowa County
Marshall County, Iowa
Marshalltown's immigrant workforce and the 2018 tornado recovery - from Marshalltown's diverse immigrant community (Marshalltown's Excel/JBS beef processing plant has attracted workers from Mexico, Central America, and Southeast Asia, making it one of Iowa's most demographically diverse small cities - the community's immigrant population has transformed the schools, churches, and businesses of what was once a homogeneous Iowa manufacturing town) to the July 19, 2018 EF3 tornado (the tornado that struck Marshalltown's historic downtown - destroying the iconic courthouse dome and damaging the historic Main Street district - prompted one of Iowa's most significant downtown rebuilding efforts, with the restored Marshalltown courthouse dome becoming a symbol of community resilience).
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What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Marshall County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via marshallcountyia.gov.
Sheriff: Marshall County Sheriff’s Office – 2369 Jessup Avenue, Marshalltown, IA 50158 | confirm current phone via marshallcountysheriff.com. Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-4:30 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-30 and IA-14 serve Marshalltown, the county seat and largest city.
Notes: Marshall County was formed January 13, 1846, named for Chief Justice John Marshall. Marshalltown was founded in April 1851 by Henry Anson, who built a log cabin there and named the settlement for Marshall, Michigan, his former home; it became “Marshalltown” in 1862 to distinguish it from another Iowa town then also named Marshall (later renamed Wayland, in Henry County). Henry Anson’s son, Adrian “Cap” Anson, born in Marshalltown in 1852, became one of 19th-century baseball’s greatest stars and a National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Marshall County Courthouse – Marshalltown, IA (built 1886, Classical Revival, architect John C. Cochrane; National Register of Historic Places since 1972).
Notes: On July 19, 2018, an EF3 tornado with winds up to 144 mph tore directly through downtown Marshalltown, severely damaging the historic courthouse – tearing off its dome and spire and causing roughly 16,000 gallons of water damage inside from broken sprinkler lines – along with dozens of downtown businesses; 22 people were injured, with no fatalities. More than $30 million, mostly from insurance, went toward restoring the courthouse’s roof and dome, which was rededicated more than four years later. The Historical Society of Marshall County (founded 1908) preserves several historic homes, including the Glick-Sower House (built 1859), operated as a house museum.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Marshall County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via marshallcountyia.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Marshalltown Public Library (Marshalltown) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The restored Marshall County Courthouse, the Glick-Sower House museum, and downtown Marshalltown’s historic district are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine story of Marshalltown’s 2018 tornado recovery, and Marshall County’s role as the birthplace of baseball legend Cap Anson, are among the standout local histories covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Marshall County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via marshallcountyia.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown – 1921 Taylor Avenue, Marshalltown, IA 50158 | (641) 753-9046. The largest animal shelter in Iowa, caring for roughly 2,500 animals annually; serves dogs, cats, small animals, and barn animals; funded by private donations and small city contracts.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Marshall County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via marshallcountyia.gov.
NOTES: Marshall County is the sixty-fifth county in Iowa’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine story of Marshalltown’s 2018 tornado recovery, and Marshall County’s role as the birthplace of baseball legend Cap Anson, are among the standout local histories covered in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Marshall County
Marshall County is central Iowa’s immigrant diversity and tornado recovery county – Marshalltown’s beef processing plant workforce has created one of Iowa’s most culturally diverse small cities, and the 2018 tornado’s destruction of the courthouse dome prompted a remarkable community rebuilding effort.
Marshalltown (the county seat, population ~27,000) is also the hometown of Bob Feller – the Iowa farm boy who became one of baseball’s greatest pitchers – and the Lennox Industries manufacturing heritage.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Marshall County Assessor at 1 E. Main Street, Marshalltown, IA 50158, phone 641-754-6305. IA assessed at 100% market value with residential rollback.
Courts & Legal
Marshall County District Court at 17 S. 1st Avenue, Marshalltown, IA 50158, phone 641-754-6381, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF DISTRICT COURT (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
1 E. Main St., Marshalltown, IA 50158
(641) 754-6373
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Marshall County District Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The county’s manufacturing heritage (Fisher Governor Company, Lennox International) is a significant local industrial history topic.
Local societies
No dedicated Marshall County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Marshall County District Court, 2nd Judicial District 1 East Main Street, Marshalltown, IA 50158 (641) 754-1603
Marshall County is in central Iowa, seated in Marshalltown, historically home to the Fisher Governor Company and Lennox International.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Iowa has its own comprehensive probate code (Iowa Code Chapter 633) and has not formally adopted the Uniform Probate Code. Iowa offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Distribution by Affidavit (“very small estates”) – for estates where the gross value of personal property is $50,000 or less and there is no real estate, available 40 days after death under Iowa Code § 633.356. A sworn affidavit is presented directly to banks and other institutions. No court filing is required.
Small Estate Administration – a simplified probate process under Iowa Code Chapter 635 for estates with a gross value of $200,000 or less, with reduced notice requirements and court costs compared to full administration.
Regular (Full) Probate – standard administration through the district court for larger or more complex estates, which can be independent (unsupervised) or supervised.
Supervised Administration – closer court oversight, typically used for contested estates.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and Appointment of Executor (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Administration (if intestate) with the Marshall County District Court.
The court admits the will (if any) and issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (intestate) appointing the personal representative.
Publish notice to creditors; under independent administration, creditors generally have 4 months from the date of first publication to file claims.
The personal representative inventories assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and – under independent administration – largely acts without ongoing court check-ins.
After the creditor period closes and debts are paid, the personal representative distributes assets to heirs or beneficiaries.
File a final accounting/final report; the court closes the estate upon approval.
What it costs
Personal representative fees are capped by statute at 3% of the gross value of the probate estate (excluding life insurance) unless services are itemized; attorney fees follow a similar framework.
Recording fees at the county recorder run about $7 for the first page of a document and $5 for each additional page.
Typical timelines: Distribution by Affidavit – a minimum 40-day wait; independent (unsupervised) probate typically closes in 6-12 months, with the 4-month creditor period as the primary timing constraint.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1 E. Main St., Marshalltown, IA 50158
(641) 754-6380
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY AUDITOR (Records, Elections, Finance)
1 E. Main St., Marshalltown, IA 50158
(641) 754-6370
ELECTIONS (County Auditor)
1 E. Main St., Marshalltown, IA 50158
(641) 754-6370
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Marshall County Public Health – confirm current contact via marshallcountyia.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Marshalltown
Population: 40,000
Area: 573 sq mi
Established: 1849
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Marshall County residents.
