Washington County, Minnesota Genealogy
United States 
Minnesota Washington County
Guide to Washington County, Minnesota ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Washington County, Minnesota | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Minnesota | |
 Location of Minnesota in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | October 27, 1849 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Stillwater |
| Courthouse | |
| Address | Washington County Courthouse 14949-62nd St N; Stillwater, MN 55082 Phone:. 651.430.6000 Washington County Website |
County Information
Washington County, Minnesota Record Dates
| Birth | Marriage | Death | Census | Land | Probate |
| 1870 | 1843 | 1870 | 1850 | 1856 | 1849 |
County Courthouse
Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1870,
marriage records from 1845, divorce and court records
from 1847 and probate records from 1850. [2]
History
Parent County
- 1849--Washington County was created 27 October 1849 from St. Croix County in Wisconsin Territory.
County seat: Stillwater [3]
- For a brief history of how Washington County was named, click here, then select Washington County.
Boundary Changes
Record Loss
Places/Localities
Populated Places
Neighboring Counties
- Anoka
- Chisago
- Dakota
- Pierce County, Wisconsin
- Polk County, Wisconsin
- Ramsey
- St. Croix County, Wisconsin
Resources
Cemeteries
Church
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.
Lutheran
St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Lake Elmo
- Records of the St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Lake Elmo, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).[4]
Washington County
- Records of the American Lutheran Church, Washington County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
Court
Land
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.
Land records for Minnesota are listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:
MINNESOTA, Washington – LAND AND PROPERTY
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Washington County, Minnesota 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 Minnesota Local Histories.
Maps
- Family Maps of Washington County, Minnesota Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
Military
Civil War
Civil War service men from Washington County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Washington County.
- - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company B.
- - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Company K.
- - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company F.
- - 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies B and F.
- - 5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company K.
- - 6th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company I.
- - 7th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company C.
- - 8th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company C.
Newspapers
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Washington County, Minnesota Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat
- FamilySearch. Do a Washington County, Minnesota Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see, FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Probate
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.
Taxation
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.
Societies and Libraries
Afton Historical Society
3165 St. Croix Trail South
P.O. Box 178
Afton, MN 55001
Phone: 651-436-3500
Afton Historical Society
Washington County Historical Society
PO Box 167
602 North Main St
Stillwater MN 55082-0167
Phone: 651 439-5956
Washington County Historical Society
South Washington Heritage Society
1221 Summit Ave.
St. Paul Park, MN 55071-1445
South Washington Heritage Society
Family History 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
Web Sites
- Washington County Name Index compiled by the Washington County Historical Society (150,000+ records)
- Washington County, MN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
- FamilySearch Catalog
References
- ↑ Alice Eichholz, Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, Revised ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1992), 385-403. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27rb 1992
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Washington County, Minnesota page 369, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ "Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: An Inventory of Selected Congregational Records of the American Lutheran Church in Minnesota at the Minnesota Historical Society," Collection Finding Aids, Minnesota Historical Society, http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/01009.xml, accessed 10 June 2013.