Otter Tail County, Minnesota Genealogical Records Information

Start your family tree. We'll start searching. It's FREE. - Enter a few simple facts about recent generations of your family. We'll use what you enter to try and find more about your family in the world's largest online collection of historical records and family trees.

SEARCH THIS SITE

SEARCH FOR YOUR ANCESTORS IN THESE Minnesota GENEALOGICAL DATABASES:

MN Court, Land & Wills

MN Public Records

MN Birth, Marriage & Death

Otter Tail County History and Information

Otter Tail County Facts

Click HERE to see full size D.O.T. County Map

Otter Tail County was created on March 18, 1858 (Organized in 1870) from Cass and Pembina Counties. The County Seat is Fergus Falls. The County was named for Otter Tail Lake. Otter Tail is the translation of the Ojibway name for the lake, characterized by a long, narrow sand bar in the shape of an otter's tail.

Counties adjacent to Otter Tail County are Becker County (north), Wadena County (northeast), Todd County (southeast), Douglas County (southeast), Grant County (southwest), Wilkin County (west), Clay County (northwest). Cities and Towns Include Battle Lake, Bluffton, Clitherall, Dalton, Deer Creek, Dent, Elizabeth, Erhard, Fergus Falls, Henning, New York Mills, Ottertail, Parkers Prairie, Pelican Rapids, Perham, Richville, Rothsay, Underwood, Urbank, Vergas, Vining, Wadena. Townships Include Aastad, Amor, Aurdal, Blowers, Bluffton, Buse, Butler, Candor, Carlisle, Clitherall, Compton, Corliss, Dane Prairie, Dead Lake, Deer Creek, Dora, Dunn, Eagle Lake, Eastern, Edna, Effington, Elizabeth, Elmo, Erhards Grove, Everts, Fergus Falls, Folden, Friberg, Girard, Gorman, Henning, Hobart, Homestead, Inman, Leaf Lake, Leaf Mountain, Lida, Maine, Maplewood, Newton, Nidaros, Norwegian Grove, Oak Valley, Orwell, Oscar, Otter Tail, Otto, Paddock, Parkers Prairie, Pelican, Perham, Pine Lake, Rush Lake, Scambler, St. Olaf, Star Lake, Sverdrup, Tordenskjold, Trondhjem, Tumuli, Western, Woodside Townships. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.

The Otter Tail County Official Government Website
Search the Minnesota USGenWeb Archives
Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail 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 515 W. Fir Avenue, Fergus Falls, MN 56537-1364; Phone: (218) 739-4491. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. At some time Otter Tail County was attached to Stearns, Crow Wing and Douglas Counties for county and or judicial purposes. Some early records may be found there.

Otter Tail County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1871, Marriage Records from 1869, Death Records from 1871 and Land Records from 1867.
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.

Otter Tail County Court Administrator's Office has Probate Records from 1872 and has Court Records from 1871.
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 Otter Tail County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Otter Tail 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.
Otter Tail County, Minnesota Court Books at Amazon.com

Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Otter Tail 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.
Otter Tail County, Minnesota Military Books at Amazon.com

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

Otter Tail County Historical Society, 1110 W Lincoln Ave, Fergus Falls MN 56537-1029, Phone: 218 736-6038
History Museum of East Otter Tail County, 230 1st Ave N, Perham MN 56573-1844; Phone 218 346-7676
Otter Tail County Genealogical Society, 1110 W Lincoln Ave, Fergus Falls MN 56537-1029, Phone: 218 736-6038
Local Minnesota Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
Northwest Minnesota Historical Center, Livingston Lord Library, Moorhead State University, Moorhead, MN 56560
Serves Becker, Clay, Kittson, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, and Wilkin 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

Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Otter Tail 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.
Otter Tail County, Minnesota Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Otter Tail 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: [ Otter Tail County ] [ Minnesota ] [ Main Page ]
Otter Tail County USGenweb Archives
[GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Minnesota Family Group Sheets
Meet your ancestors. Learn their stories. Start your FREE family tree.
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
Otter Tail 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,

Native Americans used the survey area for hunting and fishing and had permanent dwelling sites. Two Native American tribes were in constant conflict. The Dakota (Sioux) were being pushed from their home area by the Ojibwa (Chippewa) during the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. Burial mounds and artifacts can still be found. Some of the oldest remains of Native Americans were found near Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. The remains, nicknamed Minnesota Girl, were dated at about 11,000 B.C. First County Seat(Otter Tail County Historical Museum).

The first white men to enter the county were French and British fur traders. Efforts were made to set up trading posts on the Leaf Lakes and Otter Tail Lake. In the late 1800’s, most of the towns were built along the railroad lines. Lumber and agriculture were the major industries in the county at that time. The pine and hardwood forests, transportation system, and markets were instrumental in the development of Fergus Falls into a lumber center.

In 1870, the population of the county was about 2,000. At that time the principal languages spoken in the county were Norwegian, Swedish, German, and English (Mason, 1916). Otter Tail County was established in March 1858 by a legislative act. It was organized in 1868. The original county seat was Ottertail City.

The people of Fergus Falls organized a new county named Holcomb. In 1872, a legislative act abolished Holcomb County, added additional townships to the west, and established Fergus Falls as the county seat of Otter Tail County. There are 62 townships in the county. The county is named for Otter Tail Lake and the Otter Tail River.

Farming

At the time of its early settlement, about two-thirds of the survey area was forested and one-third was native prairie. Today(1994), about 20 percent of the county is forested and 80 percent is used as cropland or pastureland.

In the early years, wheat was the dominant crop grown. At several times throughout Otter Tail County’s farming history, the grasshopper infestations were so terrible that bounties on grasshoppers were enacted. The production of corn and other crops did not begin until about 1905. The Food Security Act of 1985 included the Conservation Reserve Program. This program involved taking selected cropland acres out of commodity crop production for 10 years and planting those areas to trees or other vegetative cover for the purpose of controlling erosion. From October 1985 to the present, Otter Tail County has had approximately 80,000 acres in the Conservation Reserve Program. Former cropland could be brought back into crop production starting in October 1995, as the Conservation Reserve Program contracts started to expire.

Otter Tail County holds an impressive agricultural standing in Minnesota. In 1994, the county ranked first in production of hay, oats, and dry edible beans and ranked second in stock sheep and lambs, milk cows and milk production, cattle and calves, and total livestock in the State of Minnesota. Harvest time in Trondhjem Township - 2002It ranked third in overall cash receipts. In 1994, there were about 2,950 farms in Otter Tail County and the average farm size was about 335 acres. Approximately 550,000 acres in the county is used for the production of crops. During the 1994 growing season, 148,100 acres was planted to corn for grain; 37,700 acres was used for corn silage; 130,600 acres was used for hay, of which 107,300 acres was alfalfa hay; 45,100 acres was used for oats; 62,500 acres was used for spring wheat; 72,700 acres was used for soybeans; 20,100 acres was used for barley; 14,900 acres was used for dry edible beans; 11,500 acres was used for sunflowers; and 2,600 acres was used for sugarbeets. Minor acreages of other crops included potatoes, buckwheat, and rye (USDA and others, 1995).

County Courthouse

The Minnesota State Legislature made Fergus Falls the county seat in 1872. The building, located at 121 West Junius, has been the seat of county government since 1922. The original courthouse occupying this site was built in 1881 and was destroyed by the cyclone of 1919. The cyclone demolished the top two floors of the building, leaving the first floor intact. Action taken by the county commissioners put a roof over the remaining first story. This gave sufficient space for several county offices.

Proposed Architectural Plan -1920It was not until the spring of 1920 that state legislature mandated that a new, larger building should be erected for the county. Buechner and Orth, an architectural firm from St. Paul, drew up plans for this Beaux Arts design courthouse. Specifications included general work, plumbing, heating, ventilating, electric wiring, furniture, electric light fixtures and decorations. L.P. Jorgenson of St. Paul, was contracted for the general construction of the building. A dome was proposed in the original plans but was omitted to allow money to be spent on metal doors and frames, and addition that would help make the building fireproof.

Ground was broken on May 4, 1921, and the courthouse was opened to the public in December of 1922.

COURTHOUSE EXTERIOR The three story cream colored brick and Bedford limestone building is in the Beaux Arts Classicism style. The front entrance consists of glass and bronze doors with an arched opening and cast iron lamp posts. Stone pillars support a carved, stone eagle architrave. Side entries are of the same design, but are without the eagle. The foundation is made of stone, while the first floor is of brick laid in horizontal bands. The second and third stories have paired columns and brick pilasters. Stone balustrades are set below the second floor windows and between the columns and pilasters. An interior dome is by a flat roof with a parapet wall.

In 1973 a law enforcement center was added to the rear of the courthouse. A new county jail was added to the east side of the building in 1987. The details of the new facilities mimic that of the original courthouse.

COURTHOUSE INTERIOR

The main interior attraction is the false dome. Four paintings done on canvas and glued to the ceiling, are thought to have been commissioned by an artist named Holloway. The four paintings seem to depict people who were influential in the development of the county - a Native American, a fur-trader, settlers arriving in covered wagons and settlers plowing and seeding the land. The interior dome is of stained glass and is protected on the outside by glass enclosures.

The county's symbol (at left) is repeated many times throughout the building. Door knobs commissioned by the architect are adorned with brass molded otters. Above each otter are the letters "OTC."

Other attractions in the building are the W/P/A/ paintings that are hung on the first floor. These include "Market Day in Pelican Rapids-1882," "First Saw Mill at New York Mills," "First Electric Light Plant and Dam," and the "Cyclone at Fergus Falls." The paintings were commissioned by the Otter Tail County Historical Society during the depression and printed by Charles Grant, a Minnesota artist. The Works Project Art Program originated as a relief project for unemployed artists. Several murals depicting the townships of the county were painted on the walls of the courthouse offices, but most were lost when the rooms were painted. National Register of Historic Places

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Your user agent does not support frames or is currently configured not to display frames.