Adams County, Wisconsin Genealogy
Guide to Adams County, Wisconsin ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
The county was named for John Adams or John Quincy Adams. The county is located in the centre area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse
Adams County Courthouse
400 Main Street
Friendship, WI 53934
Phone: 608-339-4200
Adams County Website
Register of Deeds has birth records from 1860, marriage records from 1859, deaths from 1873 and land records from 1853.
County Clerk has divorce and court records.
Register in Probate has probate records.[3]
Adams County, Wisconsin Record Dates
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1860 | 1859 | 1873 | 1854 | 1853 | 1855 | 1820 |
Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
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For animated maps illustrating Wisconsin County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Wisconsin County Boundary Maps" (1790-1961) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. |
Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[7]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 187 | — |
| 1860 | 6,492 | 3371.7% |
| 1870 | 6,601 | 1.7% |
| 1880 | 6,741 | 2.1% |
| 1890 | 6,889 | 2.2% |
| 1900 | 9,141 | 32.7% |
| 1910 | 8,604 | −5.9% |
| 1920 | 9,287 | 7.9% |
| 1930 | 8,003 | −13.8% |
| 1940 | 8,449 | 5.6% |
| 1950 | 7,906 | −6.4% |
| 1960 | 7,566 | −4.3% |
| 1970 | 9,234 | 22.0% |
| 1980 | 13,457 | 45.7% |
| 1990 | 15,682 | 16.5% |
| 2000 | 18,643 | 18.9% |
| 2010 | 20,875 | 12.0% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Adams census records online, see: Wisconsin Census.
State Census
- 1855 Wisconsin State Census, 1855 This census includes name of head of family; other individuals in the household are identified by sex and race, number of deaf and dumb, blind, insane and foreign born. - How to Use this Collection
- 1865 Wisconsin State Census, 1865 Name index & images of the 1865 State Census which names the head of household. Most records have been destroyed but schedules exist for the following counties: Dunn, Green, Jackson, Kewaunee, Ozaukee, and Sheboygan. - How to Use this Collection
- 1875 Wisconsin State Census, 1875 Identifies head of household by name. - How to Use this Collection
- 1885 Wisconsin State Census, 1885 — index & images. Search indexed census.Identifies by name of head of household. Other information is statistical and identifies the rest of the household by race, gender and country of birth. - How to Use this Collection
- 1895 Wisconsin State Census, 1895 — index & images. Identifies head of household by name. Other information is statistical. - How to Use this Collection
- 1905 Wisconsin State Census, 1905 — Name index & images of population. Enumerates by name all inhabitants. - How to Use this Collection
Church Records
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Wisconsin denominations, view the Wisconsin Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
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Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Wisconsin Land and Property for additional information about early Wisconsin land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Adams County, Wisconsin Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Wisconsin Local Histories. Local histories are valuable sources for family history research. Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain accounts of families and describe the settlement of the area and the founding of churches, schools, and businesses. You can also find lists of pioneers, soldiers, and civil officials. Even if your ancestor is not listed, information on other relatives may be included that will provide important clues for locating your ancestor. A local history may also suggest other records to search. Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. The United States Research "History" page cites nationwide bibliographies of local histories which include histories of Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin WIGenWeb
- The Wisconsin Historical Society has a site for Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles. This is a search-able site where you'll find thousands of historical newspaper articles on Wisconsin people and communities.
- American History and Genealogy Project has information on individual counties.
- Recollection Wisconsin includes digitized county and city histories from communities across the state, including Appleton, Blanchardville, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Janesville, Kaukauna, La Crosse, Menasha, Mt. Horeb, New Glarus, Oshkosh, Slinger, Sheboygan, Waterford, Wausau, and Wisconsin Rapids.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Wisconsin
Migration
Military Records
Civil War
Regiments. Service men in Adams served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Adams:
- - 2nd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Company A
- - 10th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company D
- - 12th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company E
World War I
- Men Who Died in the Army during WWI from Adams County, WI USGenWeb Archives
World War II
- Army Enlistees from Adams County USGenWeb Archives
Naturalization and Citizenship
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Wisconsin, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Wisconsin Newspapers Online
- Wisconsin Digital Newspaper at Wisconsin State Historical Society
Finding More Wisconsin Newspapers
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Adams County, Wisconsin Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Adams County, Wisconsin Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Obituaries
- Adams County Obituaries at USGenWeb Archives
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
Probate records are held by the Adams Clerk of Circuit Court and are housed at the Adams Courthouse. See the wiki page Wisconsin Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Content: Probate records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, and adoptions.
Probate records are held by the Adams Clerk of Circuit Court and are housed at the Adams Courthouse. See the wiki page Wisconsin Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Content: Probate records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, and adoptions.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1800 – 1987 Wisconsin Wills and Probate Records 1800-1987 at Ancestry — images and index $
- 1848 – 1948 Wisconsin Probate Estate Files 1848-1948 at FamilySearch — images - How to Use this Collection
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Wisconsin tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned property or other items that could be taxed were listed, some residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records. For more information see the Wiki page, Wisconsin Taxation.
Vital Records
- Register of Deeds has birth records from 1860, marriage records from 1859, death records from 1873 and land records from 1853; Clerk Court has divorce and court records; Registrar in Probate has probate records. [8]
Birth
- 1826 - 1926 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings, 1826-1926 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1820 - 1907 Wisconsin, Birth Index, 1820-1907 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1820-1920: Wisconsin, Birth Index, 1808-1920 at MyHeritage - index ($)
- 1826 - 1908 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826-1908 at Ancestry — index $
- Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
Marriage
- 1836 - 1930 Wisconsin, Marriages, 1836-1930 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1836 - 1911 Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
- 1973 - 1997 Wisconsin, Marriage Index, 1973-1997 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1973 - 1997 Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997 at Ancestry — index & images $
- Wisconsin Marriages at MyHeritage — index ($)
Death
- 1820-1907 Wisconsin, Death Index, 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1835-1968 Wisconsin, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1968 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1867-1907 Wisconsin, Death Records, 1867-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
- 1959-1997 Wisconsin, Death Index, 1959-1997 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- Wisconsin Deaths at MyHeritage — index ($)
Divorce
- 1907-2015 Wisconsin, U.S., Divorce Records, 1907-2015 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1965-1984 Wisconsin, Divorce Index, 1965-1984 at FamilySearch.org — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1985-Onward Wisconsin Divorces at MyHeritage — index ($)
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Adams County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Wisconsin Archives and Libraries.
- Neils R. Kampenga Archives and Area Research Center
University of Wisconsin Library
900 Reserve Street, Room 520
Stevens Point, WI 54481-1962
Phone: 715-346-2586
Website
Email: archives@uwsp.edu
Facebook
FamilySearch Centers
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Adams County. For state-wide library facilities, see Wisconsin Archives and Libraries.
- University of Wisconsin Library
Nelis R. Kampenga Archives and Area Research Center
900 Reserve Street, Room 520
Stevens Point, WI 54481-1962
Phone: 715-346-2586
Website
Email: archives@uwsp.edu
Facebook
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Adams County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Wisconsin Societies.
- Adams County Historical Society and Historic McGowan House / Archives
PO Box 264
507 Main Street
Friendship, WI, 53934
Telephone: 608-339-7732
Email:adams.co.wi.hist@gmail.com
Website
Websites
- Adams County, WI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Wisconsin Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- USGenWeb Archives
- FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records
Research Guides
References
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Adams County, Wisconsin " in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_County,_Wisconsin."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Adams County, Wisconsin. Page 755-760, At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 757-759.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Adams County, Wisconsin," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_County,_Wisconsin#Communities, accessed 23 July 2018.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
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