Minnesota

Minnesota Research Notes

Federal Censuses began in 1850, though statehood was not achieved for another eight years. Before statehood, parts of Minnesota were included in the 1820 census of the Michigan Territory and the 1836 Iowa Territorial census.

Minnesota state censuses were taken in 1857, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, and 1905. Although information varies between censuses, all include members of the household.

 

Minnesota Vital Records

Minnesota began registering vital records events at the county level in 1870. Some counties have records for earlier events, particularly marriages. In 1907, registration of birth and death records was transferred to the state, while marriage and divorce registration remains at the county level.

• Minnesota Department of Health - Vital Records: Holds records of births after 1900 and deaths after 1908. Earlier records may be available from the county where the event occurred, or from the Minnesota Historical Society.
  Marriage and divorce records must be requested from the local registrar’s office in the county where the event occurred. Links to local registrar’s offices are available on the Vital Records web site.

• Minnesota Historical Society: The Society maintains searchable indexes of births certificates (1900-1934, with a few pre-1900 records) and deaths (1904 to 2001). Copies of records found can be ordered from the Society.

Minnesota Research Resources

The organizations listed below provide information about Minnesota history and genealogy. In addition to these state-level resources, many counties and towns maintain important genealogical collections in local libraries, genealogical societies, or historical societies, so check for a local resource when researching.

Statewide Research Resources

•  Minnesota Historical Society (MHS): In addition to the extensive resources at the library in St. Paul, MHS has indexed many records of interest to genealogists. See the Family History page to search indexes of Minnesota census records, birth and death records, or veterans gravesites; view maps and photographs; request research; or view available family research resources.
• Minnesota Genealogical Society
• Minnesota GenWeb
• Minnesota Discovery Center: A library, archive, and the Iron Range Research Center hold a wide range of records of interest to genealogists, including census, passenger arrival, naturalization, and mining records. A web-based search of selected materials is available from the Genealogy page.
  
• The National Archives at Chicago: This facility maintains records from Federal agencies and courts in Minnesota, including census, military, court, naturalization, and immigration records.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) General Land Office Records: The BLM administers Federal Land for public land states including Minnesota, and maintains records of land patents which granted land from the Federal Government to individuals. Use the Land Patent Search to locate land grants by name. Many record images are available on the web site. See the FAQ for more information on how to locate and use land patents.

Specialty and Regional Research

• Chronicling America: Online newspapers: Provides searchable online versions of selected Minnesota newspapers.
  
• Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Books from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, ca 1820-1910: This digital archive from the Library of Congress’ American Memory project uses information from first-person accounts, local histories, biographies, and other sources to describe life in the upper midwest in the early nineteenth to early twentieth centuries.