Crow Wing County, Minnesota Genealogy

United States

Minnesota

Crow Wing County

Guide to Crow Wing County, Minnesota ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Minnesota Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Brainerd Organized: July 31, 1866 Parent County(s): Ramsey Neighboring Counties Aitkin • Cass • Mille Lacs • Morrison See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

The county was named for the Crow Wing River. The county is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Crow Wing County Courthouse
326 Laurel St
Brainerd, MN 56401
Phone: 218-824-1067
Crow Wing County Website

County Treasurer has birth records from 1873, marriage records from 1871 and death records from 1874.
Court Administrator has divorce, probate and court records.
County Recorder has land records from 1867 and military discharge records from 1919.

Crow Wing County, Minnesota 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.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1873	1871	1874	1871	1867	1874	1836
*Statewide registration started for births in 1900 and deaths in 1908. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

1857--Crow Wing County was created 23 May 1857 from Ramsey County and fully organized 31 Jul 1866. County seat: Brainerd Minnesota Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Minnesota Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Minnesota county boundary changes

Populated Places

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:

Cities
Baxter Brainerd Breezy Point Crosby Crosslake Cuyuna	Deerwood Emily Fifty Lakes Fort Ripley Garrison Ironton	Jenkins Manhattan Beach Nisswa Pequot Lakes Riverton Trommald
Unincorporated communities
Barrows Bay Lake Crosby Beach Crow Wing Ideal Corners Iron Hub Klondyke	Lake Hubert Legionville Little Pine Loerch Mission Pine Center	St. Mathias Shephard Swanburg Wolford Woodrow
Census-designated places
Merrifield
Townships
Bay Lake Center Crow Wing Daggett Brook Deerwood Fairfield Fort Ripley Gail Lake Garrison Ideal	Irondale Jenkins Lake Edward Little Pine Long Lake Maple Grove Mission Nokay Lake Oak Lawn Pelican	Perry Lake Platte Lake Rabbit Lake Roosevelt Ross_Lake St. Mathias Sibley Timothy Wolford
Unorganized territories
Dean Lake	West Crow Wing
Ghost towns
Old Crow Wing

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Crow Wing County, Minnesota online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	BillionGraves Find a Grave MN Tombstone Transcription Project MNGenWeb USGenWeb Archives
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	FamilySearch Places Find a Grave
See Minnesota Cemeteries for more information.

Census Records

For links to Federal, State, and Territorial censuses, see Minnesota Census.

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	269	—
1870	200	−25.7%
1880	2,319	1059.5%
1890	8,852	281.7%
1900	14,250	61.0%
1910	16,861	18.3%
1920	24,566	45.7%
1930	25,627	4.3%
1940	30,226	17.9%
1950	30,875	2.1%
1960	32,134	4.1%
1970	34,826	8.4%
1980	41,722	19.8%
1990	44,249	6.1%
2000	55,099	24.5%
2010	62,500	13.4%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

State Census

• 1835-1890 , U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at Ancestry ($)
• 1849-1905 , U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at Ancestry ($)
• 1865 Minnesota State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
• 1875 Minnesota State Census, 1875 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
• 1885 Minnesota State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
• 1905 Minnesota State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.

Church Records

Most church records are held by individual churches. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information, see Minnesota Church Records.

• FamilySearch Places
  

Directories

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Emigration and Immigration

• 1912-1956 Minnesota Passenger and Crew Lists, 1912-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.

Funeral Homes

• Brenny Family Funeral Chapel and Cremation Services Baxter, Crosslake, Pequot Lakes.
• Kline Funeral Home in Pequot Lakes.
• Koop Funeral Home in Crosby.
• Nelson-Doran Funeral Home in Brainerd.

Land and Property Records

The county register of deeds keeps land records once the land was transferred to private ownership. Abstracts and indexes for these records are generally available at the county courthouse.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Pre-1908 , U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)
• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Crow Wing County. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Minnesota Local Histories.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
• Crow Wing County at David Rumsey Map Collections
• Minnesota Department of Transportation, Crow Wing County municipality and township maps

Military Records

CivilWar

• 1861-1865 U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1861-1865 , U.S., Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free collection)
• 1861-1865 Minnesota Civil War Soldiers at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1861-1917 United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
• 1861-1934 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• Civil War Veteran Burials in Crow Wing County at MNGenWeb.

Spanish-American War

• 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)
• 1898-1899 , U.S., Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at Ancestry (Free index)

World War I

• 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Civilian Draft Registrations, 1917-1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry ($)
• 1918-1941 Minnesota, World War I Records, 1918-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.

World War II

• 1940-1947 Minnesota, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
• 1940-1947 U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 at Ancestry ($)
• 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry ($)

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

• 1849-1985 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at Ancestry (Free Collection)
• 1872-1962 Minnesota Naturalization Records and Indexes, 1872-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
• 1880-1920 , U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1880-1920 at Ancestry ($)
• 1918 Web: , U.S., Alien Registration Index, 1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)

Newspapers

• Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub at Minnesota Historical Society — narrow to county (55 listed) or city (106 listed), search for surname, limit by date.
• 1800s-Current Minnesota, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Obituaries

• 1813-Onward Minnesota Obituaries at MyHeritage — index ($)
• 1865-2006 Minnesota Obituaries 1865-2006 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
• 1891-2003 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at Ancestry (Free Index)

Probate Records

Probate records may include wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. They may include the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, etc. See Minnesota Probate Records for additional information.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1801-1925 Minnesota, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry ($)
• 1849-1985 Minnesota Will Records, 1849-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• 1878-1967 Minnesota, Crow Wing County, Will Records, 1878-1967(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

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

Since Minnesota tax records include only persons who owned taxable property, many residents were not included. Still they complement land records and can be used in place of missing censuses or the years between censuses. There may also be gaps. For more information, see the wiki page Minnesota Taxation.

Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.

A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also Minnesota Vital Records.

Birth

• 1840-1980 Minnesota, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1840-1980 at Ancestry ($)
• 1900-1934 Minnesota People Records Search - Births at Minnesota Historical Society - free index, images ($)
• 1900-1934 Minnesota, Birth Index, 1900-1934 at MyHeritage; index ($)
• 1935-2000 Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1935-2000 at Ancestry ($)
• Minnesota, Births at MyHeritage — index ($)

Marriage

• 1850-2019 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Marriages from the Minnesota Official Marriage System, 1850-2019 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1850-Onward Minnesota, Marriages at MyHeritage — index ($)
• 1860-1949 Minnesota, County Marriages, 1860-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1885-present Minnesota Official Marriage System at MOMS.mn.gov; search by county, name or date, and request copy.
• 1970-2003 Minnesota Marriage Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)
• 1976-2003 Minnesota, Marriages, 1976-2003 at MyHeritage; index ($)

Death

• 1850-2001 Minnesota, County Deaths, 1850-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1887-2001 Minnesota Deaths, 1887-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1904-2001 Minnesota People Records Search - Deaths at Minnesota Historical Society - free index, images ($)
• 1904-2001 Minnesota, Death Index, 1904-2001 at MyHeritage; index ($)
• 1908-2017 Minnesota, U.S., Death Index, 1908-2017 at Ancestry ($)

Divorce

• 1970-1995 Minnesota, U.S., Divorce Index, 1970-1995 at Ancestry ($)
• 1970-2003 Minnesota Divorce Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Crow Wing County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Minnesota Archives and Libraries.

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

• Alexandria Minnesota FamilySearch Center
• Askov Minnesota FamilySearch Center
• Brainerd Minnesota FamilySearch Center
• Great River Regional Library - multiple branches - an affiliate library.
• Jessie F. Hallett Memorial Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Crow Wing County. For state-wide library facilities, see Minnesota Archives and Libraries.

Brainerd Public Library
416 S 5th St
Brainerd, MN 56401
Phone: 218-829-5574
Email: brainerd@krls.org
Website
Facebook

Jessie F. Hallett Memorial Library
101 1st St SE
Crosby, MN 56441
Phone: 218-546-8005
Email: librarian@hallettlibrary.org
Website
Facebook

Museums

Crow Wing County Historical Society Museums and Library
320 Laurel St
PO Box 722
Brainerd, MN
Phone: 218-829-3268
Email: history@crowwing.us
Website
Facebook

Cuyuna Iron Range Heritage Network and Soo Line Depot Museum
101 1st St NE
PO Box 272
Crosby, MN 56441
Phone: 218-545-1166
Website
Facebook

Societies

Listed below are societies in Crow Wing County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Minnesota Societies.

Crosslake Area Historical Society
35404 Co Rd 3
PO Box 134
Crosslake, MN 56442-0134
Phone: 218-692-5400
Website
Facebook

Crow Wing County Genealogical Society
101 W Buffalo Hills Ln
PO Box 92
Brainerd, MN 56401
Phone: 218-828-4701
Email: lkirk@brainerd.net
Website
Facebook

Crow Wing County Historical Society
320 Laurel St
PO Box 722
Brainerd, MN
Phone: 218-829-3268
Email: history@crowwing.us
Website
Facebook

Cuyuna Iron Range Heritage Network
101 1st St NE
PO Box 272
Crosby, MN 56441
Phone: 218-545-1166
Website
Facebook

Websites

• Crow Wing County GenWeb], a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• PeopleFINDER (Family History) at Minnesota Historical Society
• Minnesota Genealogy Trails
• Iron Range Research Center The Iron Range Research Center contains one of the largest collections of genealogical and local history research materials in the Upper Midwest and includes census, naturalization records, passenger arrival records, mining company newsletters, and a survey of Women in Industry taken in 1919, among many others.
• USGW Archives
• Cyndis's List: Crow Wing County
• 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.