Traverse County was created on February 20, 1862 (Organized in 1881) from Pierce County & Unorganized Territory. The County Seat is Wheaton. The County was named for the Lake Traverse, a translation of the Dakota name Mdehdakinyan, which means lake lying crosswise (compared to Big Stone and Lac qui Parle Lakes).
Counties adjacent to Traverse County are Wilkin County (north), Grant County (northeast), Stevens County (southeast), Big Stone County (south), Roberts County, South Dakota (southwest), Richland County, North Dakota (northwest).Cities and Towns Include Browns Valley, Dumont, Tintah, Wheaton. Townships Include Arthur, Clifton, Croke, Dollymount, Folsom, Lake Valley, Leonardsville, Monson, Parnell, Redpath, Tara, Taylor, Tintah, Walls, Windsor Townships. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.
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 702 Second Avenue N., Wheaton , MN; (320) 563-4343. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. At some time Traverse County was attached to Chippewa, Stearns, Douglas and Pope Counties for county and or judicial purposes. Some early records may be found there.
Traverse County Recorder's Officehas Birth Records from 1881, Marriage Records from 1881, Death Records from 1881 and Land Records from 1872.
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.
Below is a list of online resources for Traverse County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Traverse County Court Records by clicking the link below:
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.
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 Traverse County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Traverse County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
Traverse 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.
Click Here to Search Minnesota Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
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 and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
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 Traverse County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Traverse County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - 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.
Click Here to Search Minnesota Voter Lists & Census Records! - 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 Traverse County, Minnesota are1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Traverse County, Minnesota are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 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 Traverse County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Traverse 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.
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 Traverse County Maps. Email us with websites containing Traverse County Maps by clicking the link below:
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 Traverse County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Traverse 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
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 Traverse County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Traverse County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
West Central Minnesota Historical Center, University of Minnesota–Morris, Morris, MN 56267 Serves Big Stone, Chippewa, Douglas, Grant, Pope, Stevens, Swift, and Traverse counties.
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.
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.
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 Traverse County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Traverse County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Minnesota obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Minnesota newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Indiana.
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.
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 Traverse County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Traverse County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
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.
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,
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County Courthouse
Traverse County's first court term was convened at the Davis store at Browns Valley, the temporary county seat in 1881. No cases were presented that day and court adjourned. Within months, a fraudulent election moved the county seat to unplatted Maudada for the 1882-84 court terms. Then the seat returned to Browns Valley until 1889, when Wheaton, newly platted along the rail line, called a county seat election.
Wheaton missed the necessary three-fifths vote by 12. Nevertheless, the governor ordered the records moved. Browns Valley secured an injunction and when 25 sleighs and 85 Wheaton men arrived to move the records, church bells roused the defenders and a battle began. The court removed the injunction and ordered the records moved to Wheaton.
For two years, the county rented five rooms for court use in a former lumber company for $250 a year. Finally, in 1891, a special election approved no more than $12,000 in bonds to build a courthouse.
The current two-story brick building was originally 50 by 100 feet when it was built in 1892. Harry W. Jones of Minneapolis designed it and Alfred A. Setterlund of Wheaton built it at a cost of $10,800. S.C. Odenborg had donated the site for the simplified Romanesque building with six tall, segmentally-arched windows along each side of the second floor. Another six round-arched windows were built directly below. A square central tower with tourettes on each corner was topped by a steep pyramidal roof and rose over the main entrance on the south. Four tall chimneys were located on each side of the building.
After 27 years, the tower had settled about four inches away from the building and the county vaults had become too small, so the county removed the tower and built a 20 by 50 foot, two-story addition on the south at a cost of $10,038.
In 1938, the federal government offered to pay for 45 percent of a new courthouse and jail up to $63,000, but a special bond election failed to pass. The county board persevered and was able to match a $9,900 federal grant to build a new vault, replace electrical fixtures, and buy new furniture.
In 1973, the courthouse was rewired and air conditioners and light fixtures were installed. Combination windows were also added. Another addition was completed in November of the following year at a cost of $172,571. Such remodelings have doubled the building's size since its construction.
