FamilySearch Wiki

Step-by-Step Minnesota Research, 1850-1910



Step-by-Step Minnesota Research, 1850-1910
1. Contact living relatives.
2. Online census records.
3. Death records, obituary and cemetery records online.
4. Births and marriages online.
5. Military records online.
6: Look for church records online.
7. Wills and probate.
8. Immigration and naturalization records online.
9. Land records online.
10. Printed local histories or biographies online.
11. Historical or genealogical societies.
12: Use other FamilySearch tools.
13: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in Minnesota.
Tip Tip1.jpg

Some online records have restrictions, due to contractual agreements, allowing them to be used only at FamilySearch Centers or FamilySearch Affiliate Library. This pop-up warning has links to lists of addresses of the many affiliate libraries that are available throughout the world.

Subscription websites such as Ancestry.com, FindMyPast, and MyHeritage and many others offer complimentary service at these affiliate libraries and at most local libraries.

Affiliate.png


Step 1: Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.

Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What are the best questions to ask?

In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :

What documents should be collected or copied?

Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.

  • Announcements of births, weddings,
    and anniversaries
  • Baby and wedding books
  • Certificates
  • Deeds, and property records
  • Family Bibles
  • Family reunion notices and records
  • Fraternal or society records
  • Insurance policies
  • Journals and diaries
  • Letters and cards
  • Licenses (business, marriage,
    fishing, driving)
  • Naturalization documents
  • Newspaper clippings and obituaries
  • Medical records
  • Military service and pension documents
  • Occupational awards
  • Passports
  • Personal histories and biographies
  • Photograph albums
  • Printed Notices and Announcements
  • Programs (graduation, award ceremonies, funerals)
  • School records
  • Scrapbooks
  • Wills and trusts


Step 2: Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.

  • A census is a count and description of the population for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day.
  • For each person living in a household (depending on the year), their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military can be listed.
  • Searching for a family in census records every ten years can identify all the children in a family.
  • Searching in earlier census records to find someone as a child can identify parents.


Example of a census record.

Censdus.png

Tip Tip1.jpg

Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.

Minnesota State Censuses

For more information, see Minnesota Census and United States Census.

Step 3: Try to find additional details in death certificates, Social Security, obituary and cemetery records online.

When a person dies, several records will be created: death certificates, Social Security records, obituaries, and cemetery records.

  • Death certificates can give birth information for people born before actual birth registration began. Death certificates frequently give the birth date and place, parents' names, and birth places of parents.
  • The Social Security Death Index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits. The index entries give the person's full birth date, last known residence, and residence at the time they first enrolled.
  • The Social Security Applications and Claims Index provides information filed in the application or claims process, including valuable details such as birth date, birth place, and parents’ names.
  • Cemetery records can be as simple as the information on the headstone or, in some FindAGrave records, they can report more thorough information about birth, parents, spouses, children, and siblings.


Example of a death index entry.

Death minn.png

Example of a Social Security Application and Claims Index Entry:

Ssca fina minnl.png

Example of a FindAGrave cemetery record.

Fag minn .png

Example of an obituary.

A resident of Douglas county for more than half a century, Robert Black, pioneer Orange township farmer, passed away at his home there Sunday morning, June 9, at 10:30 a.m. Mr. Black had reached the advanced age of 85 years at the time of his death. Born at Scranton, Pennsylvania, on May 12th, 1850, Robert Black came to Orange township early in the Seventies. He was married to Mathilda Smith of that township in 1877, and Mr. and mrs. Black made their home there for more than half a century, until she passed on last fall, dying on October 1, 1934. He is survived by two sons, John Black of Osakis township and Arthur Black of Orange. He is also survived by nine grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and two brothers: William, who lives in Orange township, and John, of Park Rapids. Besides his wife, three children preceded him in death and one sister, Mrs. Sid South Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon, June 12, at 1:00 o'clock at the Anderson Funeral Home and at 2:00 o'clock at the Free Methodist church; Rev. McMillan officiating. Burial was in the Union Lake cemetery beside the wife who had gone on before him. The pallbearers were Charles Robertson, John Fisher, Chas. Kee, George Frazier, Henry Kapphahn, and Wm. Kaiser. (Park Region Echo, 20 June 1935)

Tip Tip1.jpg

Gather information from as many death related records as possible.



Death Indexes

Writing for Full Death Certificates

The full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).

U.S. Social Security Records

  • The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
  • The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
  • You can search these records online at
  • If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.

Obituaries

Cemeteries

For more information, see Minnesota Obituaries and Minnesota Cemeteries.

Tip Tip1.jpg



Study any new information in these records for clues leading to more census searches.

Step 4: Search for county birth and marriage records online.

Vital records registration of births at the state level started in 1900, and marriage records were only kept at the county level. Counties also kept some earlier birth records. The starting dates of those records vary from county to county, depending on when the county was formed.

Example of county birth indexes.

Birth final.png

Example of an indexed county marriage entry.

Marr minn.png

Online Records

Births


Marriages

Records at the County Courthouse.

These records were originally created by county clerks, and then copies were sent to the state. County clerks can be willing to help find all the birth records for one family or perform other searches that the state would not do. To contact county clerks by e-mail or telephone, go to the Wiki article for each county. Links to the county Wiki articles are found at the end of this page or by clicking here: Minnesota Counties.

For more information on birth, marriage, and death records in Minnesota, see How to Find Minnesota Birth Records, How to Find Minnesota Marriage Records, and How to Find Minnesota Death Records.

Step 5: Search military records: World War I and II draft cards.

There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information.

Example of a World War I draft card.

Minnesota WW I.png

Example of a World War II draft card and enlistment record.
Wwii better q.png Minnesota WW II.png

Tip Tip1.jpg

Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.



For more information and additional collections, see Minnesota Military Records.

Step 6: Look for church records online.

Church records function as vital records.

  • An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
  • Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
  • Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.

Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration.

Example of a church baptism record. Notice that two dates are recorded. The first is the birth date, and the second is the christening/baptism date.


Minn church red.png

Tip Tip1.jpg

Search for church records that can provide additional birth, marriage, and death information.


FamilySearch Indexes

Ancestry.com Indexes

Dutch Reformed

Lutheran

Presbyterian

Quaker (Society of Friends)

  • Quaker Records : Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota Monthly Meetings, by Society of Friends. n.p.: n.p., n.d. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Other Collections


Step 7: Search for online wills and probate packets.

Minnesota probate index.png
  • County probate records include probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
  • In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
  • Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.


Tip Tip1.jpg

Search these indexes and images for probate records.



Probate Information in County Wiki Articles

Each Minnesota county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: Minnesota Counties

For more information, see Minnesota Probate Records and United States Probate Records.

Step 8: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.

The census records may show that an ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records would be the next step.

Minnesota passenger list 1.png

Minnesota passenger list2.png



There is a full-length original naturalization record that this index reports.
Clicking on the URL gives a link to ordering this original.

Minn nat eide.png

Tip Tip1.jpg

Look for immigrant ancestors in shipping lists and citizenship sources.



Minnesota Immigration Records

Minnesota Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

Step 9: Search land records online.

These records will give the

  • names of the buyer (grantee) and seller (grantor),
  • previous or new residence of the parties to the deed
  • the date they obtained the land,
  • the description of exact location of the land, sometimes mentioning neighbors.

They can contain clues to

  • family members who shared ownership of the land,
  • sold or gave land to a child, or
  • officially witnessed the sale.
Tip Tip1.jpg

Search for any ancestor's land records.


For more information, see Minnesota Land and Property and United States Land and Property.

Step 10: Search for printed local histories or biography collections online.

Local histories

  • Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
  • Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories:
    • Hathi Trust Digital Library. Don't use the keywords Minnesota; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
    • Google Books. Use keywords "Minnesota" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
    • Family History Books
    • Internet Archive. Use keywords "Minnesota" and the county name.
    • Genealogy Book Links, Minnesota. Browse list; county histories are interspersed.
    • Ancestry.com ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Minnesota and the name of the county.
  • Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find out about local histories the library has by checking the FamilySearch Catalog. In the "place" field, type the name of your county and select it from the drop down list, then click "Search". A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, and History - Indexes.

Biographies

These collections of biographies can be searched online. Most have a table of contents and an index. Or use the "Find" function on a computer.

  • 1915 Minnesota History and Biography, 1915 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
  • Compendium of History and Biography of Central and Northern Minnesota, Chicago: Geo. A, Ogle and Co., 1904. Online at: HathiTrust
  • Encyclopedia of Biography of Minnesota, by Flandrau, Charles E. Chicago: Century Publishing and Engraving Company, 1900. Online at: HathiTrust
  • Memorial Record of Southwestern Minnesota, Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1897. Online at: HathiTrust
  • Minnesota Biographies, 1655-1912, Volume 14, by Upham, Warren and Rose Barteau Dunlap. St. Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society, 1912. Online at: HathiTrust
  • Minnesota Pioneer Sketches, by O'Brien, Frank. Minneapolis, Minn. : H.H.S. Rowell, 1904. Online at: Internet Archive
  • The Book of Minnesotans, by Marquis, Albert Nelson. Chicago: A. N. Marquis and Company, 1907. Online at: HathiTrust
  • Who's Who Among Minnesota Women, by Foster, Mary Dillon. n.p.: Mary Dillon Foster, 1924. Online at: HathiTrust

Step 11: Contact a local historical or genealogical society.

  • Historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
  • Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
  • Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the area.
  • Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.
  • Find the society on the internet, and they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, one of their members can be hired to search the collection for you.

This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings. Here is an example of an internet website for a local genealogical society. Minnesota society.png

Step 12: Use other FamilySearch tools.

Historical Images

Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.


Minnesota Online Genealogy Records

Search any other online records listed in Minnesota Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Minnesota Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.


Step 13: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in Minnesota.

This article focused more on Minnesota state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in Minnesota. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.

Retrieved from "https://integration-ru.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Step-by-Step_Minnesota_Research,_1850-1910&oldid=6330413"