Cook County, Minnesota Genealogical Records Information

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MN Court, Land & Wills

MN Public Records

MN Birth, Marriage & Death

Cook County History and Information

Cook County Facts

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Cook County was created on November 3, 1874 (Organized in 1897) from Lake County. The County Seat is Grand Marais. The County was named for Major Michael Cook of Faribault. Territorial and state senator, 1857-62; killed in Civil War at battle of Nashville.

Counties adjacent to Cook County are Ontario Province, Canada (north, northeast), Lake County (west), Ashland County, Wisconsin (south), Keweenaw County, Michigan (east), Ontonagon County, Michigan (east). Cook County Cities and Towns Include Grand Marais. Townships Include Lutsen, Schroeder, Tofte Townships. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

The Cook County Official Government Website
Search the Minnesota USGenWeb Archives
Cook County, Minnesota History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

Records at the Cook County Courthouse

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

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 411 W 2nd Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604-2307; Phone: (218) 387-3000. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. At some time Cook County was attached to St. Louis County for county and or judicial purposes. Some early records may be found there.

Cook County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1897, Marriage Records from 1897, Death Records from 1897 and Land Records from 18?.
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.

Cook County Court Administrator's Office has Probate Records from 18? and has Court Records from 1892.
The Court Administrator's Office maintains court files for Civil, Criminal, Traffic, Probate, Conciliation, Juvenile, Tax and Family Court matters.

Click Here to Search Minnesota Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

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

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.
Cook County, Minnesota Court Books at Amazon.com

Cook County Tax Records

See Also Military Records in Minnesota

Click Here to Search Minnesota Military Records! - 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 Cook County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Cook County Military Records by clicking the link below:

Minnesota Civil War Soldiers: List of over 26,000 soldiers mustered from Minnesota during the American Civil War
Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection: This database indexes names of persons from Minnesota who enlisted in the Spanish American War.
Minnesota Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, 1776 D Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006; Phone: (202) 628-1776
Minnesota Society of Sons of the American Revolution
National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Minnesota (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Minnesota (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Cook County, Minnesota Military Books at Amazon.com

Cook 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 Cook County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Cook County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Cook County Historical Society, PO Box 1293, Grand Marais MN 55604-1293
Museum: Lightkeepers House, 8 Broadway, Grand Marais MN; Phone: 218 387-2883
Johnson Heritage Post, PO Box 35, Grand Marais MN 55604-0035; Phone: 218 387-2314 or 218 388-0575
North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum & Tofte Historical Society, PO Box 2312, Tofte MN 55615-2312; Phone: 218 663-7804; Location: Highway 61 and County Rd 2, Tofte MN
Schroeder Area Historical Society, PO Box 337, Schroeder MN 55613-0337
Location: 7932 West Highway 61, Schroeder MN; Phone: 218 663-7706
Local Minnesota Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
Northeast Minnesota Historical Center, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Library 375, Duluth, MN 55812
Serves Carlton, Cook, Lake, and St. Louis 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.)
Minnesota Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Minnesota Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Cook County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search Minnesota Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. 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 Cook County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Cook 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 Cook County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Cook County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Index, Select Counties: This database is an index to cemetery inscriptions of cemeteries in several Minnesota (U.S.A.) counties and cities. It contains the names of nearly 600,000 persons. Researchers will find birth date, death date, name of cemetery and, in some cases, the closest living relative.
Cook County, Minnesota Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Cook County, Minnesota Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Minnesota Family Tree Records! - 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 Cook County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Cook County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
Search the Family Tree DNA Project - Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
Sites on USGenweb: [ Cook County ] [ Minnesota ] [ Main Page ]
Cook County USGenweb Archives
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Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Minnesota Family Group Sheets
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Minnesota Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
Cook County, Minnesota Family Books at Amazon.com

County 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,

A BRIEF HISTORY OF COOK COUNTY AND HER PEOPLE

Ages ago volcanoes laid down much of the bedrock of the land that is now Cook County. The present-day Sawtooth Mountain Range is the heart of the mountain range that once loomed here. Lake Superior originated in a past geological age from the shell of a collapsed volcano. Glaciers scraped out its basin as they ground down the mountains and heaped rock and gravel into hills. Lake Superior and the modern landscape emerged as the last Ice Age receded.

The land now known as Cook County was probably first populated by the Dahkotah Indians (People of the Lakes). The Chippewa, also early residents, called them Sioux or Foes. According to tradition, the Chippewa once lived near the eastern ocean and journeyed West over a period of time. The Chippewa developed a semi-nomadic way of life remarkably suited to the rigorous conditions here.

Probably the first white explorer to travel by canoe along the North Shore was Etienne Brule, in 1623 or 1624. The first exploration was directed toward finding a water passageway to the West. Groseilliers and Radisson, however, in 1654-1660, are generally regarded as the first explorers of the Lake Superior region. These first explorations ultimately resulted in French sovereignty over Lake Superior.

During the 1700's most of the activity along the North Shore was involved with a lively fur trade. The center of activity was Grand Portage, where fur pelts were sold or exchanged for supplies at a trading post and stockade owned by the North West Company. In the early 1800's, this bustle of trade diminished, and in 1821 the Hudson Bay Company absorbed the North West Company, moving the majority of the trading to the northern and western parts of Canada.

Among the Chippewa, the harbors of what is now known as Grand Marais were referred to as Kitchi-bi-to-tig (Double Harbor). It was also called Gitch-be-to-beek (Big Pond). The French translated it to Grand Marais (Big Marsh, or Harbor of Refuge). In 1854, Richard B. Godfrey, an independent fur trader from Detroit, came to Grand Marais and became the first postmaster. He returned to Detroit in 1856, and the community was on "hold" until 1871, when new settlers came. Two of these new settlers were Henry Mayhew and Sam Howenstine, pioneer mineral prospectors who might be called the actual founders of Grand Marais.

This era was characterized by hopes to develop mineral resources, particularly silver. Iron ore from the Vermillion Range, however, was what led to eventual development here. As a result of a railroad being built in the late 1800's to carry iron ore from the Range to Two Harbors, many Scandinavians from Norway, Sweden, (and Michigan) came to the county. The 1880 census showed Cook county as having 65 residents; by 1900, there were 810.

Hans Engelsen, an emigrant from Norway, settled on an abandoned homestead near Carlton Peak in 1893. In 1896, he opened the post office with the name Tofte, named after a community in Norway. Tofte means, "seat of a boat" or in the Viking ship days, a "helmsman's seat." The oldest organized township in Cook County is Hovland, organized in 1894. It was the name of the place in Norway from which one of the first settlers came, a man by the name of Brunas.

Around 1900, many people came to the North Shore to get homesteads. In order to homestead they would claim up to 160 acres, clear an acre or so for a garden, and begin building a barn and a home. If this was done within a five year period, the US government would present the settler with a patent title to the land.

At this time timber companies were moving around the south shore of Lake Superior from Michigan to Wisconsin and on to Minnesota, cutting timber. If a person had laid claim to a homestead, he could also file a stone and timber claim. This amounted to $1.25 per acre and was a quick, easy thing to do. Timber cruisers from the lumber companies were eager to help those homesteaders to pick out the "right" acreage, as they could turn around and buy 40 acres for $600 and start cutting timber.

Many homesteaders took advantage of this way to "get rich quick" and abandoned their homesteads to go West to Montana and the West Coast.

The hospitality industry began early in Cook County, C.A.A. Nelson built a wagon trail from Lutsen Resort, following the Poplar River to Brule Lake - a good distance. He would haul guests and supplies to moose camps at Brule or a moose hunt. For $300 he would guarantee the guests a moose. Five shots however, were all they were allowed, after which the guide would shoot the moose. This was the case from the early 1890's to the time of World War I, when moose hunting was closed. Moose hunting closed, not because of over hunting, but because the deer arrived in Cook County around 1908. They had migrated around Lake Superior, following the logging cuts up to the North Shore.

The moose were driven out (or died out) because of the parasite the deer carries that infects the moose. By 1918, moose were scarce. Woodland caribou, also prevalent while moose were here, disappeared even earlier than the moose.

For many years the only supplies and mail came via steamers from Duluth, such as the "America" and "Dixon." As there were few docks along the shore, passengers and freight were transported by skiff to the ships waiting off shore. In rough weather these skiffs were sometimes overturned, or swamped, and all went into the cold Superior water.

In the winter, when the shore ice was too high to reach the ship, the only way to transport mail was by dog sled from Two Harbors. John Beargrease, a Chippewa from Beaver Bay, was one of the colorful North Shore carriers. By rowboat, sailboat, or using dogs or horses, he delivered the mails faithfully from Two Harbors to Grand Marais during the 1890's.

As the wagon/sled road was built up the shore, travel increased. Fishing, logging, farming and tourism became the major industries. Through the 1940's fish caught early in the morning were iced and picked up by trucks traveling down the shore. These trucks would go to Duluth, where the fish were iced again and put on a train at 11 p.m. The next morning these fish were at the fish market in Chicago!

The fishing and farming have declined in the years since. The invasion of the lamprey in the 1950's dealt a tremendous blow to the commercial fishing industry. Few commercial fisherman remain in Cook County, though the lake is recovering from ravages of the lamprey. Farms and homesteads have grown up to brush as younger generations have moved to the cities. Logging and tourism remain as major industries now. Government may also be considered a local "industry," as much of Cook County is government owned, and many government workers live here for varying periods of time.

The Dahkota's came, and the Chippewa; the French came, and the Scandinavians, and the many since; the woods were logged over, and grew up again - and the lakes and the hills remain.

For more information contact the Cook County Historical Society at Box 1293, Grand Marais, Minnesota 55604. 218-387-2883 and The Cook County Historical Museum at 12 So. Broadway, Grand Marais, Minnesota.

County Courthouse

Cook County's original courthouse was a 24 by 30 foot two-story frame building that was used for the first time on New Year's Day, 1889. The building had a hipped roof that supported a tall flagpole. O.A. Norman designed it and it was built by Saul and Skinner, contractors from Tower, MN, at a cost of $3,000. In 1890, a 20 by 32 foot one-story addition was added.

By 1910, the simple wooden buildings were deemed "obsolete, limited in space, and far too modest an expression of the county's future." Voters authorized the sale of bonds to build the present courthouse (pictured above), which opened in 1912. The Classic Revival brick and concrete building features Ionic columns supporting a cornice. Its central bays are recessed behind the columns in a sort of loggia above and covered porch below. Kelly and Lignell, a Duluth architectural firm, designed it and Bowe-Burke Co. of Duluth built it for a total cost of $60,000.

The courthouse stands on a hill overlooking Grand Marais and Lake Superior. The old courthouse buildings were removed from their place just behind the new building in 1912. The old courthouse was relocated to Wisconsin Street and served as a pool hall, ice cream parlor, movie theater, and bakery before it burned to the ground in 1921 because of an overheated wood stove.

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