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Monroe County, Wisconsin Genealogy

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Guide to Monroe County, Wisconsin ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Sparta
Organized: March 21, 1854
Parent County(s): La Crosse County[1]
Neighboring Counties
Jackson • Juneau • La Crosse • Vernon
See County Maps
Courthouse
Monroe County Courthouse WI.JPG
Location Map
WI Monroe.png

County Information

Description

The county was named for James Monroe. The county is located in the west-central area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Monroe County Courthouse
202 S K Street
Sparta, WI 54656
Phone: 608-269-8705
Monroe County Website

Register of Deeds has birth, marriage, death, and land records.
Clerk of Courts has divorce, probate, court and naturalization records.
Veterans Service Office has military records. [3]

Many birth, marriage, death, court, naturalization, and other records are found at the Monroe County Local History Room & Museum. Check there first.

Monroe 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.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1854 1854 1867 1854 1851 1855 1820
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1907. General compliance year unknown.

Record Loss

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

Boundary Changes

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:[6]

Cities
Towns
Villages
Unincorporated communities
  • Leon
  • Norway Ridge
  • Oil City
  • Portland
  • Raymore
    		•
    Census-designated places


    History Timeline

    Resources

    Bible Records

    Biographies

    Business, Commerce, and Occupations

    Cemeteries

    Cemeteries of Monroe County, Wisconsin online and in print
    Tombstone Transcriptions Online
    Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
    List of Cemeteries in the County
    See Wisconsin Cemeteries for more information

    Census Records

    Historical populations
    Census Pop. %±
    1860 8,410 —
    1870 16,550 96.8%
    1880 21,607 30.6%
    1890 23,211 7.4%
    1900 28,103 21.1%
    1910 28,881 2.8%
    1920 28,666 −0.7%
    1930 28,739 0.3%
    1940 30,080 4.7%
    1950 31,378 4.3%
    1960 31,241 −0.4%
    1970 31,610 1.2%
    1980 35,074 11.0%
    1990 36,633 4.4%
    2000 40,899 11.6%
    2010 44,673 9.2%
    Source: "Wikipedia.org".

    For tips on accessing Monroe census records online, see: Wisconsin Census.

    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.

    Lutheran

    • Records of Trinity Lutheran Church, Cashton, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).


    List of Churches and Church Parishes

    Court Records

    Directories

    Emigration and Immigration

    Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

    Funeral Homes

    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

    Local Histories

    Maps and Gazetteers

    Jackson CountyJuneau CountyVernon CountyLa Crosse CountyWI MONROE.PNG
    Click a neighboring county
    for more resources

    Migration

    Military Records

    Civil War

    Regiments. Service men in Monroe 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 Monroe:

    - 3rd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Companies A and G
    - 10th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Companies H and I

    World War I

    Naturalization and Citizenship

    Newspapers

    Wisconsin Newspapers Online

    Obituaries

    Other Records

    Institutional Records

    Photographs

    Periodicals

    Probate Records

    Probate records are held by the Monroe Clerk of Circuit Court and are housed at the Monroe 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

    School Records

    Social Security Records

    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

    Birth

    Marriage

    Death

    Divorce

    Research Facilities

    Archives

    Listed below are archives in Monroe County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Wisconsin Archives and Libraries.

    • Area Research Center
      Murphy Library, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
      1631 Pine St.
      La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601
      Telephone: 608-785-8511
      Email: specoll@uwlax.edu
      Website
      Facebook
    • Monroe County Local History Room & Museum
      200 West Main Street, 1st Floor
      Sparta, WI 54656
      Phone: 608-269-8680
      Website
    Monroe County Local History Room & Museum is a Monroe County Department that has microfilm of county newspapers, early vital records, Wisconsin and US Censuses, naturalization records, tax rolls, probate records, military registration lists, as well as court records, church records, plat maps, school records, some cemetery records, family history books and files, yearbooks, and a large photo archive for researchers to access. Many of these records are included in their online index and can be requested online. Records can also be looked up in person. Online indexes are always being updated and added to.

    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 Monroe County. For state-wide library facilities, see Wisconsin Archives and Libraries.

    • Murphy Library, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
      Area Research Center
      1631 Pine St.
      La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601
      Telephone: 608-785-8511
      Email: specoll@uwlax.edu
      Website
      Facebook

    Museums

    Societies

    Listed below are societies in Monroe County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Wisconsin Societies.

    • Monroe, Jackson, Juneau Genealogical Workshop
      PO Box 422
      425 Hill Street
      Sparta, WI 54656
      Phone 608-378-4388
      Email:mailt:mjjworkshop@yahoo.com mjjworkshop@yahoo.com]
      Website
       * Indexes & Databases
   * Library & Genealogy

    Websites

    Research Guides

    References

    1. ↑ 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.
    2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Monroe County, Wisconsin " in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_County,_Wisconsin ."
    3. ↑ 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.
    4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Monroe 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.
    5. ↑ 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.
    6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Monroe County, Michigan," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_County,_Michigan, accessed 23 September 2018.
    v • d• e
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    National Archives at Chicago · Wisconsin Historical Society · Wisconsin State Genealogical Society · Wisconsin State Old Cemetery Society · Area Research Centers: 1. Wisconsin Historical Society, 2. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 3. University of Wisconsin-Platteville, 4. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 5. University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 6. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 7. University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 8. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 9. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 10. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 11. University of Wisconsin-Stout, 12. University of Wisconsin-River Falls, 13. Superior Public Library, 14. Northern Great Lake Center · Beloit Public Library · Brown County Library · Kenosha Public Library · Milwaukee County Historical Society · Milwaukee Public Library · Norwegian American Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library · Oshkosh Public Library · Racine Heritage Museum Research Center · University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Library · Allen County Public Library · Newberry Library
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