Watonwan County, Minnesota Genealogy

United States

Minnesota

Watonwan County

Guide to Watonwan 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: St. James Organized: Jun 16, 1871 Parent County(s): Brown Neighboring Counties Blue Earth • Brown • Cottonwood • Jackson • Martin See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

The county was named for Dakota word "watanwan," meaning "fish bait," or "plenty of fish.". The county is located in the south-central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Watonwan County Courthouse
710 2nd Ave S
PO Box 518
St. James, MN 56081-0518
Phone: 507-375-1236
Watonwan County Website

Clerk District Court has birth, marriage and divorce records from 1863, divorce and court records from 1865.
Probate Judge has probate records.
Register of Deeds has land records.

Watonwan 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
1863	1863	1863	1865	1859	1890	1836
*Statewide registration started for births in 1900 and deaths in 1908. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss

1895 The county courthouse, along with some county records, burned sometime prior to 1895. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Boundary Changes

1860--Watonwan County was created 6 November 1860 from Brown County. County seat: St. James 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

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
Butterfield Darfur La Salle	Lewisville Madelia Odin	Ormsby St. James
Unincorporated communities
Echols Godahl	Grogan South Branch	Sveadahl Tenmile Corner
Townships
Adrian Antrim Butterfield Fieldon	Long Lake Madelia Nelson Odin	Riverdale Rosendale South Branch St. James

Resources

Biographies

• Brown, John A. History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, volume 1 and volume 2. B.F. Bowen & Co, Indianapolis, IN, 1916. Volume 2 (biographical) online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive; searchable database available at Ancestry ($)

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Watonwan County, Minnesota online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	BillionGraves Find a Grave Interment.net MN Tombstone Transcription Project USGenWeb Archives
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library 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.	%±
1870	2,426	—
1880	5,104	110.4%
1890	7,746	51.8%
1900	11,496	48.4%
1910	11,332	−1.4%
1920	12,457	9.9%
1930	12,802	2.8%
1940	13,902	8.6%
1950	13,881	−0.2%
1960	14,460	4.2%
1970	13,298	−8.0%
1980	12,361	−7.0%
1990	11,682	−5.5%
2000	11,876	1.7%
2010	11,211	−5.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

State Census

• 1835-1890 Minnesota, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at Ancestry ($)
• 1849-1905 Minnesota, U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at Ancestry ($)
• 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
  

Lutheran
1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)

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

• Sturm Funeral Home in Madelia and St. James.

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 Minnesota, 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 Watonwan 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.

• Memorial record of the counties of Faribault, Martin, Watonwan and Jackson, Minnesota Lewis Publishing Co, Chicago, IL 1895. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, HathiTrust, Internet Archive.
  
• In the World War, 1917-1918-1919, Watonwan County, Minnesota. St. James Plaindealer, St. James, MN. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Minnesota Digital Library
  
• Brown, John A. History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, volume 1 and volume 2. B.F. Bowen & Co, Indianapolis, IN, 1916. Volume 1 (history) online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, ; searchable database available at Ancestry ($)
  
• Adrian Township - Darfur Village Spirit of '76 Committee. The centennial history of Adrian Township - Darfur village, Watonwan County, Minnesota : in observance of our county's bicentennial year 1976. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
  

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

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

Military Records

Multiple Wars

• 1861-1917 United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Free index, images ($)
• 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)

Civil War

• 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry; Free index
• 1861-1865 Minnesota, U.S., Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry; Free index
• 1861-1865 Minnesota Civil War Soldiers at Ancestry; Free index
• 1861-1934 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 at Ancestry; Free index

Spanish-American War

• 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898  at Ancestry; Free index
• 1898-1899 Minnesota, 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; Free index, images ($)
• 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; Free index, images($)
• 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry; Free index

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 Minnesota, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1880-1920 at Ancestry ($)
• 1918 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Alien Registration Index, 1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)

Newspapers

• Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub at Minnesota Historical Society; narrow to county or city, 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 collection)

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
• 1870-1972 Probate Records, ca. 1870-1940 ; Index, ca. 1870-1972(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1895-1981 Minnesota, Watonwan County, Will Records, 1895-1981(*); 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 Watonwan 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

• Mankato Minnesota FamilySearch Center
• Spencer Iowa FamilySearch Center
• Waseca County History Center - an affiliate library.

Libraries

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

Watonwan County Library
125 Fifth St S
St James, MN 56081
Phone: 507-375-1278
Email: libtwa@tds.lib.mn.us
Website
Facebook

Museums

St. James Museum
602 3rd Ave S
St James, MN 56081
Phone: 507-380-7024
Email: jpsandbo@mchsi.com
Facebook

Watonwan County Historical Center
423 Dill Ave SW
Box 126
Madelia, MN 56062
Phone: 507-642-3247
Email: watcohistory@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Societies

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

St. James Historical Society
602 3rd Ave S
St James, MN 56081
Phone: 507-380-7024
Email: jpsandbo@mchsi.com
Facebook

Watonwan County Historical Society
423 Dill Ave SW
PO Box 126
Madelia, MN 56062
Phone: 507-642-3247
Email: watcohistory@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Websites

• Watonwan County, a member of MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of USGenWeb Project.
• Research at Minnesota Historical Society — links to Records and Indexes; See also MHS Wiki Page
• 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
• Watonwan County, a member of MN USGenWeb Archives, an affiliate of 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.