Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records | Church & Cemetery |
Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Genealogy Related Sites |
Lake of the Woods County Facts

VEIW FULL SIZED D.O.T. COUNTY MAP

Lake of the Woods County was created on November 28, 1922 from Beltrami County. The County Seat is Baudette. The County was named for Lake of the Woods. Translation of the Cree name for the lake. The lake was first mapped and named Lac des Bois in 1737.

Counties adjacent to Lake of the Woods County are Ontario Province, Canada (northeast), Ontario Province, Canada (northeast), Koochiching County (southeast), Beltrami County (south), Roseau County (west), Manitoba Province, Canada (northwest). Cities and Towns Include Baudette, Roosevelt, Williams, Angle, Baudette, Beaver Dam, * Boone, Chilgren, Cloverdale, * Eugene, * Forest Area, Gudrid, Hiwood, * Kiel, Lakewood, McDougald, Meadowland, * Myhre, Norris, * Noyes, * Park, * Pioneer, * Potamo, Prosper, Rapid River, Rulien, Spooner, Swiftwater, Townships 157-30, Township 158-30, Victory, Wabanica, Walhalla, Wheeler, Zippel Townships. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

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Records at the Lake of the Woods County Courthouse

See Also Minnesota Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

All Departments below can be contacted by clicking the link, by contacting the Phone number below for each department or contacting the County Courthouse at 206 SE 8th Avenue, Baudette, MN 56623; Phone: (218) 634-2836. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Lake of the Woods County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1922, Marriage Records from 1923, Death Records from 1923 and Land Records from 1886.

The Recorders Office is responsible for all the real estate records for properties located in the County. Permanent records of deeds, mortgages and other various real estate records are recorded/filed in this office. As Local Registrar, the office protects and issues certified copies of Birth and Death records, Marriage Certificates & Military Discharge Records.

Lake of the Woods County Court Administrator's Office has Probate Records from 1923 and has Court Records from 1922.

The Court Administrator's Office maintains court files for Civil, Criminal, Traffic, Probate, Conciliation, Juvenile, Tax and Family Court matters.

Below is a list of online resources for Lake of the Woods County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Lake of the Woods County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
  • Minnesota Naturalization Records Index, 1854-1957: An index to the microfilmed Minnesota Naturalization Records
  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • Minnesota Land Records: This database contains information on Minnesota (U.S.A.) land records. The database comes from the Bureau of Land Management's Minnesota Pre-1908 Homestaed and Cash Entry Patent and Cadastral Survey Plat Index. Information recorded in the collection includes patentee name, land office, legal description, etc.
  • Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota Court Books at Amazon.com
  • Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
  • Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
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Lake of the Woods County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

The Minnesota Historical Society holds large numbers of county property tax records, filed under the respective county. Some of the tax records are for specific municipalities. No determination has been made concerning tax record holdings in the county courthouse.

Below is a list of online resources for Lake of the Woods County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Lake of the Woods County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Lake of the Woods County Treasurers Office - The treasurer is responsible for keeping a complete accounting of all monies collected and expended by all the county departments. This includes the investing of available funds and accurately distributing the interest received. The department is also responsible for the collection of taxes and distribution to the various taxing entities within the County.
  • Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota Tax Books at Amazon.com
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Lake of the Woods County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Minnesota

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Minnesota Department of Health, Attention: Office of the State Registrar, P.O. Box 64882, St. Paul, MN 55164. It is no longer necessary to go to the registrar's office of the county where the birth or death took place. You may go to a registrar's office in any county in Minnesota for births that took place during of after 1900 and for deaths that took place during or after 1997. They have the following records:

  • Birth Certificates: Avalible since 1900 to 3 months ago.
    • Cost: $16.00 for Certified and $13.00 for Non-Certified Certificates. For births that took place before 1900, go to the local registrar office in the county where the birth took place.
    • Processing Time: Filled requests take 4-6 weeks when ordered by mail (Application for Certified and Non-certified) or 2-5 Days when you order online.
  • Death Certificates: Avalible since Jan 1908.
    • Cost: $13.00 for Certified and Non-Certified Certificates. For deaths that took place before 1900, go to the local registrar office in the county where the death took place.
    • Processing Time: Filled requests take 4-6 weeks when ordered by mail (Application for Certified and Non-certified) or 2-5 Days when you order online.
  • Marriage Certificates: Certified copies may be available from the Local Registrar in the county where the license was issued or you can order them online.
  • Divorces: Certified copies may be available from the Local Registrar in the county where the divorce was granted.
  • Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.
  • Order In Person: The Dept of Health no longer accepts walk-in or phone orders because of a change in Minnesota law. However, you may complete your requests by mail or online.

Below is a list of online resources for Lake of the Woods County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Lake of the Woods County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

  • VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
  • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREEicon - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
  • Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Minnesota newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
  • Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002: This database is an index created by the Minnesota Department of Health to approximately 5.2 million births occurring in the State of Minnesota, USA, between 1935 and 2002. Information contained in this index includes child's full name, father's full name, mother's maiden name, birth date, birth county, and state file number.
  • Minnesota Marriage Collection, 1958-2001: This database is an index to individuals who were married in the state of Minnesota (U.S.A.) from 1958-2001. Information that may be found in this database for each entry includes bride and groom's full names, their ages, birth dates, and marriage date and place.
  • Minnesota Divorce Index, 1970-1995: This database contains a statewide index of divorces filed in Minnesota between 1970 and 1995. Information that may be found in this database includes: husband's name and age, wife's name and age, divorce date, and divorce county.
  • Minnesota Death Index, 1908-2002: This database is an index of deaths recorded by the State of Minnesota, USA, from 1908 to 2002. The index includes: name of the deceased, city and county of death, date of death, birth date, birthplace, mother's maiden name, and state file number.
  • Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
  • Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.
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Lake of the Woods County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Minnesota

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota is 1930. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

Below is a list of online resources for Lake of the Woods County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Lake of the Woods County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Minnesota Census, 1835-90: This database contains indexes to the Minnesota (U.S.A.) portions of the 1850-1880 U.S. Federal Censuses as well as indexes to the 1835-1839 Tax Lists, 1849 Territorial Census, and the 1890 Veteran's Schedule. Information contained in these indexes can include name, state, county, township, year of record, and name of record set.
  • Minnesota Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905: This database contains the Minnesota territorial and state censuses from 1849-1905. Information available for an individual will vary according to the census year and the information requested on the census form. Some of the information contained in this database though includes: name, enumeration place, age, gender, race, and birthplace.
  • Census Online - Minnesota Census Records
  • The USGenWeb Archives Minnesota CENSUS IMAGES PROJECT
  • Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota Census Books at Amazon.com
  • Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.
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Lake of the Woods County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Genealogy Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Minnesota showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Minnesota showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Minnesota Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here

Below is a list of online resources for Lake of the Woods County Maps. Email us with websites containing Lake of the Woods County Maps by clicking the link below:

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Lake of the Woods County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Minnesota

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Lake of the Woods County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Lake of the Woods County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Lake of the Woods County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Minnesota Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Lake of the Woods County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Lake of the Woods County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Lake Of The Woods County Historical Society, 206 8th Avenue SE, Suite 150, Baudette MN 56623; Museum: 119 8th Ave SE, Baudette MN, Phone: 218-634-1200
  • North Central Minnesota Historical Center, The A. C. Clark Library, Bemidji State University, Bemidji, MN 56601
    Serves Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Hubbard, Itasca, Koochiching, and Lake of the Woods counties.
  • Minnesota State Archives, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102-1906 • 651-259-3260
  • Minnesota Historical Society, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102-1906 • 651-259-3000
  • Minnesota Genealogical Society, 1185 Concord St. N. Suite 218, South St. Paul, MN 55075-1187; (651) 455-9057
  • National Archives - Great Lakes Region (Chicago), 7358 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, Illinois 60629-5898; 773-948-9001; E-mail: chicago.archives@nara.gov (Maintains retired records from Federal agencies and courts in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Minnesota.)
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
  • Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
  • Minnesota Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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Lake of the Woods County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Minnesota

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Lake of the Woods County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Lake of the Woods County Tombstone Transcription Project.

The Minnesota Historical Records Survey Project of Madison published the Directory of Churches and Religious Organizations in Minnesota in 1941 and Guide to Church Vital Statistics Records in Minnesota in 1942. There are also numerous publications by the project for specific denominations. Extensive microfilm collections of church records in Minnesota are available through the FHL. The State Historical Society of Minnesota and Area Research Centers have a variety of church records including microfilm and original records.

Numerous cemeteries have been read and transcribed by local genealogical societies in Minnesota. The transcriptions are frequently deposited with an Area Research Center, a local library, or the State Historical Society of Minnesota. A considerable number have been printed in the Minnesota State Genealogical Society Newsletter. Some have been privately published.

The Minnesota State Old Cemetery Society, 6100 West Mequon Road, Mequon, WI 53092, publishes a newsletter and maintains an archive of tombstone inscriptions from around the state. Contact the society for membership information

Below is a list of online resources for Lake of the Woods County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Lake of the Woods County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Lake of the Woods County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Lake of the Woods County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 

Minnesota County History Name Index: This database is a name index of eleven county histories and plat books for the area immediately south of the city of St. Paul in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Researchers will find the name of the county resident, the book in which the person's name appears, and the page number. Where information is available, town of residence is also given.
Minnesota Crew Lists, 1929-1952: For several decades in the early half of the twentieth century, Two Harbors, Minnesota was one of the busiest iron ore loading ports in the world. This database is an index to the crew lists (NOT passenger lists) of vessels that arrived at Two Harbors,

Lake of the Woods County was organized on November 28, 1922 when a vote by area residents separated the northern townships from Beltrami County. On January 1, 1923, the county officially began operations at its county seat in Baudette.

The history of the Lake of the Woods region began in 1688 when Jacques De Noyon came from Three Rivers, Quebec to become the first white man to view the waters. Prehistorical evidence dates back more than 5,000 years, perhaps extending back 10,000 years to ancient people who followed the retreating glacial ice into the area.

Following Jacques De Noyon's arrival in 1688, there are no known expeditions to the Lake of the Woods area until Pierre La Verendrye came with a party of more than 50 men in 1732. La Verendrye found northern Minnesota populated by Cree, Monsonis, Assiniboine and Sioux Indians. The Ojibwe had not yet pushed as far west as Lake of the Woods. The La Verendrye party was a victim of Indian warfare when Father Aulneau and 19 other men were massacred on an island in the lake by the Sioux war party which had set out to attack a Village of Cree. Today there are two islands on the lake which are identified as Massacre Island. Each has its supporters for being the site of the Massacre. History for the next 75 to 100 years was characterized by the onset of the voyageurs and rivaling fur trading companies.

In 1823, members of the International Joint Boundary Commission arrived on the lake. They had been appointed to establish the border between Canada and the United States as it had been designated in the treaty which ended the Revolutionary War. One of the most difficult points of contention was the establishment of the most northwesterly point on the Lake of the Woods. The Commission found a point which they claimed was the most northwesterly spot. However, the surveyors from the two nations differed on just where they had located the spot. The dispute continued for the next century and the final agreement was not signed until the 1920's. The end result was that the U.S. retained possession of the Northwest Angle. As the United States' most northerly point (before the admission of Alaska), the Northwest Angle became Lake of the Woods County's most famous piece of real estate.

In 1885, the county area got its first permanent settler when Wilhelm Zippel settled on the south shore of the Lake of the Woods at Zippel Bay. He was a German immigrant who worked as a fisherman. Later in that same year, Alonzo Wheeler settled at Wheeler's Point at the mouth of the Rainy River. Thomas Cathcart came to the border area in 1891 and later joined Joe Beaudette, a trapper who would later give his name to the town of Baudette. In 1901 William Mason and George Williams followed the railroad track roadbed to stake claims at the site which would grow into the community of Williams.

Baudette and Spooner became incorporated villages in 1906. Spooner, informally referred to as East Baudette, took its name from Judge Spooner of Bemidji, who had been instrumental in obtaining the incorporation papers for the town.

On October 4, 1910, a disaster struck the Lake of the Woods area. A forest fire which started east of Williams burned most of the northern half of the county and left 43 people dead. After recovering from the fire, the county experienced another settlement boom. Within the decade following, nearly every 160 acre plot was claimed. Most of these settlements have now disappeared and have been reclaimed by the wilderness.

In November of 1922, the vote for separation from Beltrami County was carried. Local residents had been dissatisfied with the services they had been receiving from Beltrami County in exchange for their tax dollars. The difficulty in making the two or three day train trip to the county seat contributed to this feeling. However, a small population, combined with the Great Depression a few years later, caused financial problems from the start.

Spooner and Baudette combined in 1954, and the courthouse was moved across the bay to the old Spooner school, ending years of squabbling over which town should be the county seat. The courthouse continues to be housed in this building today, with the addition of a new Law Enforcement Center in 1983.

The attractions of Lake of the Woods County are much the same as they were when the pioneers came to settle - fishing, hunting, forest, water, clean air and land. The pioneer spirit which enabled people to overcome the hardships of a wilderness still survives today. May we be wise enough to recognize those factors which make for the quality of life in Lake of the Woods County and prudent enough to preserve and expand them.

County Courthouse

Lake of the Woods County is the most recently established and organized county in the state, becoming Minnesota's 87th county in 1922. Prior to that, it was part of Beltrami County.

Lake of the Woods County's early court sessions were held wherever space was available, including at the Masonic Hall and the high school gymnasium. However, the building that would eventually become the county's first formal courthouse had its roots just after the turn of the century.

In 1906, the towns of Baudette and Spooner were consolidated into what is today Baudette. The county bought an empty school building and renovated it at a cost of $56,000. The three-story brick building was completed in 1909, just in time to be destroyed by a 1910 forest fire.

C.E. Wierske rebuilt the building the following year according to the original plan -- hip-roofed with rows of double-hung windows on the long faces of a rectangle. The building had a familiar school look with a Moorish gable of concave and convex curves above its central doorway pavilion. Two-story brick additions with glass block windows were added at the sides and rear of the building. It was converted into Lake of the Woods County Courthouse in 1954.

In 2001, the Lake of the Woods County Government center replaced the old courthouse. The structure's 21,684 square feet houses the courtroom and other government offices in a single level. It was built by Kraus-Anderson Construction Company of Bemidji and was financed and paid for by the county without a bond issue. In 2003, the county bought the adjacent former North Star Electric Company building to build the Government Center North, which houses additional government offices.

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