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Polk County History and Information |
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Polk County was created on July 20, 1858 (Organized in 1879) from Pembina County. The County Seat is Crookston. The County was named for James K. Polk, member of Congress from Tennessee, 1825-39; governor of Tennessee, 1839-41; president of the United States, 1845-49. On his last day in office, Polk approved the act of Congress which organized the Minnesota Territory.
Counties adjacent to Polk County are Marshall County (north), Pennington County (northeast), Red Lake County (northeast), Clearwater County (east), Mahnomen County (southeast), Norman County (south), Traill County, North Dakota (southwest), Grand Forks County, North Dakota (west). Cities and Towns Include Beltrami, Climax, Crookston, East Grand Forks, Erskine, Fertile, Fisher, Fosston, Gully, Lengby, McIntosh, Mentor, Nielsville, Trail, Winger. Townships Include Andover, Angus, Badger, Belgium, Brandsvold, Brandt, Brislet, Bygland, Chester, Columbia, Crookston, Eden, Esther, Euclid, Fairfax, Fanny, Farley, Fisher, Garden, Garfield, Gentilly, Godfrey, Grand Forks, Grove Park-Tilden, Gully, Hammond, Helgeland, Higdem, Hill River, Hubbard, Huntsville, Johnson, Kertsonville, Keystone, King, Knute, Lessor, Liberty, Lowell, Nesbit, Northland, Onstad, Parnell, Queen, Reis, Rhinehart, Roome, Rosebud, Russia, Sandsville, Scandia, Sletten, Sullivan, Tabor, Tynsid, Vineland, Winger, Woodside Townships. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.
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See Also Minnesota Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records
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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 612 North Broadway, Suite 215, Crookston, MN 56716-1452; Phone: (218) 281-5408. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. At some time Polk County was attached to Crow Wing, Douglas and Clay Counties for county and or judicial purposes. Some early records may be found there.
Polk County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1873, Marriage Records from 1873, Death Records from 1873 and Land Records from 1873. Phone: 218-281-3464
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.
Polk County Court Administrator's Office has Probate Records from 1877 and has Court Records from 1879.
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 Polk County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Polk County Court Records by clicking the link below:
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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 Polk County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Polk County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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- Polk 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. Phone: 218-281-2554
- Polk County, Minnesota Tax Books at Amazon.com
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See Also Vital Records in Minnesota
Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!
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 On-Line: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek.
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 Polk County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Polk County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
- Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
- 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.
- Polk County, Minnesota Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
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See Also Research In Census Records
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Polk County, Minnesota are 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Polk County, Minnesota are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880. 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.
See Also Statewide Records that exist for Minnesota
Below is a list of online resources for Polk County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Polk 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
- Polk County, Minnesota Census Books at Amazon.com
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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 Polk County Maps. Email us with websites containing Polk County Maps by clicking the link below:
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See Also Military Records in Minnesota
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 Polk County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Polk 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.
- Polk County, Minnesota Military Books at Amazon.com
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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 Polk County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Polk County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
- Polk County Historical Society, PO Box 214, Crookston MN 56716-0214
Museum: U.S. 2 East, Crookston MN, Phone: 218 281-1038
- East Polk Heritage Center, PO Box 543, Fosston MN 56542-0543
Location: Melland Park, Fosston MN, Phone: 218 435-1313
- Minnkota Genealogical Society, PO Box 12744,
Grand Forks, ND 58208-2744
Meetings: Second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM at the Campbell Library, 422 4th St NW, East Grand Forks, MN.
- Red River Valley Genealogical Society, PO Box 9284, Fargo ND 58106
Library Location: 112 N University Drive Suite L116, Fargo, ND
- 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
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See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Minnesota
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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 Polk County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Polk 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 Polk County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Polk County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
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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 Polk County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Polk 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: [ Polk County ] [ Minnesota ] [ Main Page ]
- Polk 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
- Polk County, Minnesota Family Books at Amazon.com
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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,
Polk County in 1858 had the unique distinction of having two watersheds draining in opposite directions. The Mississippi River, which formed the southeast boundary of the county from Lake Itasca to Cass Lake, emptied its water ultimately in the Gulf of Mexico, while the Red River of the North, which formed the western boundary of the county, emptied its water into Hudson Bay. After all of the changes in land area of the county had been made, the county today lies wholly in the Red River Valley.
In 1958, the land area of the county was less than one-half its original area. The land area of Polk County was established when Governor H. H. Sibley signed the bill creating the county on July 27, 1858. The land area for the county was set off from the territorial county of Pembina, which included parts of northwestern Minnesota and northeastern North Dakota. The law set up the southern boundary of Pembina as the northern boundary of Polk County. When the present counties north of Polk were established, the name Pembina was erased from the county map of Minnesota.
The boundaries of the county, as originally established, commenced at the southwest corner of Pembina county, opposite the mouth of the Turtle River and running up the Red River to the mouth of the Buffalo River at Georgetown; thence, easterly up the Buffalo River along the northern boundary of the then named Breckenridge County and then along the northern boundary of Becker County to the southeastern extremity of Lake Itasca; then, north and east up the Mississippi to its intersection of the county's eastern boundary line at the northeast extremity of Cass Lake; then, due north to the southern boundary of Pembina County, then, due west to the point opposite the mouth of the Turtle River, the place of its beginning.
The first division of the county occurred in 1862, when a sizable strip of land across the southern boundary was allotted to Clay County. The southern boundary of Polk and the northern boundary of Clay counties were established on a line between Townships 142 and 143.
The second division of Polk County occurred in 1866 when all of the land east, between the ranges 38 and 39, was set off to form a part of Beltrami County. (The land adjacent to the eastern boundary of the county was later separated from Beltrami County to form the present Clearwater County).
Some confusion occurred, regarding the northern boundary of Polk County, when Marshall County was established in 1879. The act establishing Marshall County had the dividing line between the two counties, between Townships 154 and 155N, while the original boundary, when Polk was set off from Pembina, was fixed between Sections 6 and 7, Township 154N. This boundary was reaffirmed by the following legislature, and remains at the present northern county boundary. With the squaring up of the south and east boundaries, the land area of the county was reduced to 4,450 square miles.
At the 1880-81 session of the Minnesota Legislature, an act was passed creating the new county of Norman from the southern third of Polk County. The new southern boundary of Polk County and the northern boundary of Norman County were fixed on an east and west line between Townships 146 and 147. Norman County was allotted 1,432 square miles of land area and it in turn was later reduced when 572 square miles of the eastern part was set off to form Mahnomen County.
The last division of Polk County took place following the general election 1896, when an irregular portion of the north central and northeast townships, totaling 1,039 square miles, was set off to form Red Lake County. The eastern boundary of the central section of Polk and the western boundary of Red Lake was established between Ranges 46W and 45W, beginning at the north boundary of the county and extending south to the northern boundary of Township 150, Range 45W (Gentilly Township); thence south along the eastern boundary of that township to an east and west line between Townships 149 and 150 to form the south boundary of Red Lake County. The southern boundary of Red Lake extends east to Range 41W, thence, north and east bordering on Township 150, Range 40W (Chester Township); thence, north and east following the west and northern boundaries of Township 152, Range 39W (Johnson Township); thence, north along the eastern boundary of Polk County to the Marshall County line. (Red Lake County, too, suffered dismemberment when in 1920 its north half [approximate] was set off to form Pennington County).
While the successful attempts to divide the land area have been duly documented, yet the history of Polk County would be incomplete unless a brief account of the unsuccessful attempts to divide the county were made in this report. The writer, upon his arrival in Polk County, was intrigued by the reports, many of them first hand from participants, of the unsuccessful attempts to divide the county. Argument for county division was not without justification. Before the general use of the automobile in the early twenties, a relay journey by team and railroad meant about a two-day trip to the county seat for residents in the northwestern and northeastern part of the county.
The ambitious and aspirations of the citizens of the towns and villages to become county seats were the other driving forces working for county dismemberment. The law passed by the State Legislature in 1893, which permitted voters to decide at general elections on county division, added fuel to the fire of enthusiasm of factional groups for county division. Four sectional groups filed petitions for county divisions, which were voted on in the general election of 1894. The proposed divisions of the county with proposed county names and county seats were: west, Nash with East Grand Forks as county seat; north central, Red Lake with Red Lake Falls as county seat; east, the group favoring McIntosh as county seat submitted the name Columbia – those designating Fosston as the county seat submitted Nelson as the county name. This first attempt to slice up the county into three parts failed.
The following session of the legislature amended the County Division Law to permit voters to vote on only one division proposal at any one election. Similar petitions for county division were again placed before the voters in the general election of 1896. This election carried for Red Lake County. The last important county division election occurred in 1902 when petitioners sought to separate the eastern part from the parent county.
The late Charles Conger, a friend who then resided in McIntosh, gave an excellent report of the county division fight in the 1916 HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY OF POLK COUNTY, entitled "The rise and Fall of Columbia County". The four petitions voted on in the 1902 election were in agreement on land area, fixing the line of separation on the western boundaries of Garden, Woodside and Grove Park Townships. The groups were in disagreement, however, on the county names and county seat towns. The proposed county names and county seats were: Nelson with Fosston, Columbia with McIntosh, North Star with Erskine and Valley with Mentor. The petition for Columbia County carried the most yes votes and Governor Van Sant issued his proclamation declaring the proposition for the creation and organization of the Columbia County carried.
The new Columbia County proceeded to organize the commissioners named in the petition as the organizing agency. The legality of the election was questioned, inasmuch as all petitions included the same land area. Polk County contested the election before the State Supreme Court. The Supreme Court handed down its decision on April 16, 1903, stating, "That the pretended organization of the new county was invalid and of no effect and its pretended officials were ousted from the offices they claimed to hold". Considerable business had been transacted by the new county officials before the Supreme Court decision was handed down. The 1907 legislature however legalized in part many of the acts of the temporary organization pertaining primarily to estates, tax payments, marriage licenses and other minor matters. The final attempt to divide the county by the Nelson County advocates was decisively defeated in the 1908 election.
One interesting sidelight of legal significance was brought out in the final division of the county. The issue in controversy, between Polk and Red Lake counties, was whether or not Red Lake County should bear its share of the bonded indebtedness incurred while it was still a part of Polk County. The State Supreme Court reversed the decision of District Judge William Watts and ruled that Red Lake County should pay its share.
County Courthouse
The first term of court convened on the upper floor of a store building that Polk County rented in 1879. In 1881, a formal courthouse was built. The two-story frame building had a high, pointed tower. When the 1900 courthouse was occupied, the older building was moved from the square and housed a variety of tenants until it burned in 1911.
The second courthouse was built in a classic Beaux Arts style at a price of $90,000. An unusual, large, square open tower, columned on all sides like a Greek temple and topped by a small drum and dome, rose from the center of the brick and stone building. On the front, four Ionic columns reached two stories to the entablature and pediment. Urns, anthemia, and corner domes decorated the roof line. The building was demolished in 1968 to provide parking space for the new courthouse.
The current courthouse was completed in 1968. Designed by Cecil Griffith of Ellerbe Architects of St. Paul, it was built by Dean L Witcher, Inc. of Minneapolis. District Judge J.H. Sylvestre was a big influence behind the construction and personally designed the top floor.
The three-level block building is set into a slope, so that the rough random-coursed Minnesota granite of the lower floor disappears at the rear elevation. The upper floors are smooth white concrete with a regular window pattern 18 bays across and 7 deep, set off by narrow fins that rise to a wide, vertically scored band.
Inside, a unique feature is the open spiral stairway in the center lobby, a mock rotunda beneath the bright skylight.
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