Minnesota Census Records - Statewide Records that exist for Minnesota 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.   There are Industry and Agriculture Schedules (lists do not exist for all counties for each year) availible for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1860, 1870 and 1880. Union Veterans Schedules were conducted in 1890. Census of surviving Union veterans of the Civil War or their widows, listing service information, any service-connected disability, and current address.

See Also Researching in Census Records - What is the name, age, sex, color, occupation, and birthplace of each person residing in this house? Which of these individuals attended school or was married within the year? Who among them is deaf and dumb, blind, insane, “idiotic,” a pauper, or a convict? Is there anyone in the household over twenty years of age who cannot read and write? What is the name of the slave owner? How many slaves belong to the owner? What is the tribe of this Indian? What were the places of birth of the person’s parents? In what year did this person immigrate to the United States and, if naturalized, what was the year of naturalization? For answers to these and other questions, researchers look to census records......

Although not a state at the time, Minnesota residents were enumerated in 1850 as part of the regular federal enumeration process. Both the 1850 and 1860 schedules have been indexed in additon to those generated by AISI. See Patricia C. Harpole and Mary D. Nagle, Minnesota Territorial Census, 1850 (St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Historical Society, 1972), and Dennis Meissner, Guide to the Use of the 1860 Minnesota Population Census Schedule and Index (St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Historical Society, 1978).

Much of the Minnesota 1870 federal census was destroyed. Only the schedules for Stearns, Steele, Stevens, St. Louis, Todd, Wabasha, Wadena, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Wilkin, Winona, and Wright counties still exist. However, a duplicate of the entire census retained by the Minnesota Historical Society was microfilmed. There are, therefore, two versions of the 1870 federal census for the state of Minnesota. The extant 1890 federal census includes one page of Rockford township in Wright County. A state copy for the 1890 federal return of Rockville Township, Stearns County, is at Minnesota Historical Society Research Center.

The extensive early logging industry in Minnesota may make it difficult to locate ancestors involved in that particular labor force. They may be counted in the lumber camps or at the numerous boarding houses in the river cities and towns. It is also important to note that the steamboat crews on the rivers were often enumerated in the city in which the boat was temporarily docked.

Territorial

Minnesota inhabitants were first enumerated in the Michigan Territory 1820 census and the 1836 census of the Wisconsin Territory. A census of the Minnesota Territory was ordered in 1849, which included the name of head of household and number of males and females in that household. See Wiley R. Pope, Minnesota Genealogical Index: Vol. 1 (St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Family Trees, 1984) and Minnesota(Territory), Legislative Assembly, Journal of the House of Representatives, First Session of the Territory of Minnesota,1850, Appendices C and D, pages 195–215.

A very incomplete 1853 Minnesota census exists for limited areas. Some schedules are only head of household, number of children, and total number in household, but a few include all names of inhabitants. The state census for heads of household in 1855 has been largely lost. The published schedule for Wright County has survived, as have manuscript copies for the counties of Chisago, Doty, and Superior. Winona, however, has an unusual “inhabitants by building” enumeration for that year.

The 1857 Minnesota territorial census was mandated for statehood qualification and apparently included fictitious names in seven counties to boost the population [See Arthur L. Finnell, “Southwest Minnesota's 1857 State Census: Notes on a Forgery,” Minnesota Genealogist 17 (June 1986): 76–78, and Robert J. Forrest, “Mythical Cities of Southwestern Minnesota,” Minnesota History 14 (September 1933): 243–62. The census includes name, age, sex, color, birthplace, voting status of male (native or naturalized), and occupation of each male over the age of fifteen. This census has been indexed by last name and a microfilm edition is available.

State

State censuses were also taken in 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, and 1905. Each of the state census enumerations includes all members of the household. In 1865 “Soldier in service on June 1, 1865" was included. The 1875 states the birthplaces of father and mother. The 1895 and 1905 censuses may be especially helpful to the genealogist as they include the length of time an individual has lived in the state and the district. Microfilmed copies of the state censuses are at the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul. They may be purchased or obtained on interlibrary loan through the society.

The 1918 Alien Registration and Declaration of Holdings, under the auspices of the Minnesota Commission of Public Safety, is an alternate source for locating an immigrant ancestor in Minnesota in the twentieth century. The registration forms, completed by non-citizen adults in the state in February 1918, are filed by county. An every-name index is in progress, complete except for St. Louis and Hennepin counties. Questions on the form include place of birth, years in the country, port of entry, date of arrival, occupation, name of spouse, and names of children. Originals of these forms are at the Minnesota Historical Society.

Alternates to census records in determining the location of a particular ancestor at a particular time include city directories, especially in St. Paul (from 1856) and Minneapolis (from 1859). Some are in original form; some are on microfilm at the Minnesota Historical Society.

• Click Here for More Detailed Information on Researching Census Records
• Minnesota Census, 1820-90: This database contains indexes to the Minnesota (U.S.A.) portions of the 1820-1860 U.S. Federal Censuses as well as indexes to the 1836-1838, 1842, 1846, and 1855 State Censuses, the 1840 Pensioners Lists, the 1890 Veterans Schedules, and other early censuses. Information contained in these indexes can include name, state, county, township, year of record, and name of record set.
• Minnesota State Censuses, 1895 and 1905: This database contains an index to the 1895 and 1905 Minnesota state censuses. Both censuses cover all counties that existed at the time. Information listed includes: name of individual, and place of enumeration. The 1905 census also includes relationship to head of household, race, gender, age, marital status, and birthplace.

Excerpts From the Book "Family History Made Easy"

   There are numerous ways to determine the location in which to concentrate research for an ancestor. One of the most popular and productive is the census.
Alice Eichholz, Ph.D., In Ancestry’s Red Book: American State,County and Town Sources

    Since 1790, the U.S. government has taken a nationwide population count every ten years. Unique in scope and often surprisingly detailed, the census population schedules created from 1790 to 1920 are among the most used of records created by the federal government. Over the course of two centuries the United States has changed significantly, and so has the census. From the six basic questions asked in the 1790 census, the scope and categories of information have changed and expanded dramatically.

   Early censuses were essentially basic counts of inhabitants; but as the nation grew, so did the need for statistics that would reflect the characteristics of the people. In 1850, the focus of the census was radically broadened. Going far beyond the vague questions previously asked of heads of households, the 1850 census enumerators were instructed to ask the age, sex, color, occupation, birthplace, and other questions regarding every individual in every household. Succeeding enumerations solicited more information; by 1920, census enumerators asked twenty-nine questions of every head of household and almost as many questions of everyone else in the residence. (Only a very small segment of the 1890 census remains; a fire in the Commerce Department destroyed the vast majority of the original records for that year. Because of privacy considerations, census records less than seventy-two years old are not available to the general public; thus, the 1920 census is the most recent available to the public.)

   Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do the U.S. federal censuses. The population schedules are successive “snapshots” of Americans that depict where and how they were living at particular periods in the past. Once home sources and library sources have been exhausted, the census is often the best starting point for further genealogical research. Statewide indexes are available for almost every census; they are logical tools for locating individuals whose precise place of residence is unknown. While some inaccuracies are to be expected in census records, they still provide some of the most fascinating and useful pieces of personal history to be found in any source. If nothing else, census records are important sources for placing individuals in specific places at specific times. Additionally, information found in the census will often point to other sources critical to complete research, such as court, land, military, immigration, naturalization, and vital records.

   The importance of census records does not diminish over time in any research project. It is always wise to return to these records as discoveries are made in other sources because, as you discover new evidence about individuals, some information that seemed unrelated or unimportant in a first look at the census may take on new importance.

   When you can’t find family, vital, or religious records, census records may be the only means of documenting the events of a person’s life. Vital registration—the official recording of births, deaths, and marriages—did not begin until around 1920 in many areas of the United States, and fires, floods and other disasters since have destroyed some official government records. When other documentation is missing, census records are frequently used by individuals who must prove their age or citizenship status (or that of their parents) for Social Security benefits, insurance, passports, and other important reasons.

How to Find Census Records
   All available federal census schedules (those made from 1790 to 1920) have been microfilmed and are available at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.; at the National Archives’ regional archives; at the Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church) in Salt Lake City and LDS family history centers throughout North America, “The Family History Library and Its Centers”); at many large libraries; in genealogical society libraries; and through companies that lend microfilmed records. Some state and local agencies have census schedules for the state or area they serve. Generally, microfilm copies may be borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Starting With the Census
   It is usually best to begin a census search in the most recently available census records (1920) and to work from what is already known about a family. With any luck, birthplaces and other clues found in these more recent records will point to locations of earlier residence.

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Minnesota Church Records - Detailed background on Minnesota church history is found in numerous published denominational histories. Religion of the European settlers was first brought to Native Americans in what is now Minnesota with the Catholic missionaries and the French explorers. In 1656 Groseilliers and Radisson built a chapel at Prairie Island, near present-day Hastings. The Mission of St. Michael the Archangel was established at Fort Beauharnois on Lake Pepin (Mississippi River) in 1727.

In June of 1839, the Right Reverend Mathias Loras, first Bishop of Dubuque, Iowa, visited Mendota (then known as St. Peter's), finding 185 Catholics among the French, English, and Sioux. Arrangements were made for the establishment of a parish. James Michael Reardon's The Catholic Church in the Diocese of St. Paul, from Earliest Origin to Centennial Achievement (St. Paul, Minn.: North Central Publishing Co., 1952) provides background on the development of this parish.

See Also Research In State Church & Cemetery Records - Church records rank among the most promising of genealogical records available. Indeed, for periods before the advent of civil registration of vital statistics (a very late development in many American states), church records rank as the best available sources for information on specific vital events: birth, marriage, and death. They are also among the most under-used major records in American genealogy. Part of the reason lies in the number of denominations-there are hundreds of them. Identifying and locating the records of these various churches makes even professional genealogists hesitate......

Sacramental records for all parishes within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are presently being microfilmed. The staff will provide limited research upon written request directed to Dr. Robert Gamboni, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 226 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55102.

For Catholic parishes in Minnesota (and North and South Dakota), there is the Minnesota Historical Society collection for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis parish questionnaires and related papers. The questionnaires were from the 1930s and 1940s; however, additions were made through the 1970s when the collection was microfilmed.

During the 1850s the number of churches increased rapidly in the new territory with at least fifteen congregations in St. Paul, eight in Minneapolis, and seven in St. Anthony by 1859. Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, and Catholic were the most prevalent at that time. Chisago Lakes and Vasa, both Scandinavian settlements, had Lutheran churches in the mid-1850s. Quakers were active in Minneapolis at this time, while the first Jewish service was held in St. Paul in 1856.

Numerous church records are deposited at the Minnesota Historical Society. Some are originals; some are microfilms. There are significant collections for Quakers and for the United Church of Christ. Anne A. Hage's Church Records in Minnesota: A Guide to Parish Records of Congregational, Evangelical, Reformed, and United Church of Christ Churches, 1851–1981. Minneapolis, Minn.: Minnesota Conference, United Church of Christ, 1983 helps in located record sources, while the Minnesota Historical Society is the official repository for the Protestant Episcopal Church.

Luther Northwestern Seminary in St. Paul is the archives repository of the Region Three Archives of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and for some American-Lutheran Church records. The seminary is at 2481 Como Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108.

Microfilmed records of the Minnesota Conference of the old Augustana Synod (Swedish-American) are at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. Archives of the Minnesota South District of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod are at Concordia College in St. Paul. There are records of Swedish-American Lutheran Churches at Gustavus Adolphus College, Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, St. Peter, Minnesota.

The WPA Minnesota Papers “Historical Records Survey, Churches,” held by the Minnesota Historical Society, gives information on locations of individual church records in the 1930s and limited histories of the congregations. The papers are filed by county, name of community, and church.

The Minnesota Historical Society Research Center has guidebooks to the center's Minnesota Historic Resources Survey completed between 1973–79 and organized by county and 300 historic organizations on seven reels of microfilm. They indicate location of church records in local historical societies or other manuscript repositories. The State Archives section has Secretary of State notebooks for articles of incorporation of churches and religious organizations.

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Minnesota Cemetery Records - The Minnesota Genealogical Society's Cemetery Project involves the compilation of the names and sites of all cemeteries in Minnesota with information on which have been transcribed and where the transcription can be located. Many cemetery records have been published in the Minnesota Genealogist, the quarterly publication of that society. Several regional groups have published records of their local cemeteries. Also see Wiley R. Pope's Minnesota Cemeteries in Print: A Bibliography of Minnesota Published Cemetery Inscriptions, and Burials, etc. (St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Family Trees, 1986), Minnesota Historical Society Research Center for the WPA papers for cemeteries in Minnesota, and Wiley R. Pope's Minnesota Cemetery Locations (St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Family Trees, 1988).

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.

• Find Minnesota Cemetery Record Books at Amazon.com

   Cemetery records and gravestone inscriptions are a rich source of information for family historians. Cemetery and other sources of information associated with death include:

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Minnesota Land Records - Minnesota is a public-domain state, with twelve General Land Office districts, the first opening in 1848 at Falls Saint Croix River, Wisconsin. However, pioneers were staking their claims long before that. Immediately following the tribal treaties of 1838, the European settlers built homes and sawmills, logged the white pine, and generally took possession of land that was not legally available. The federal government was, apparently, exceedingly slow to begin land surveys in the territory. The pressure of settlers and investors finally resulted in that process in 1847. The Pre-Emption Act of 1841 allowed home-seekers to purchase up to 160 acres of surveyed public lands at $1.25 per acre.

See Also Researching in Land Records - Land records provide two types of important evidence for the genealogist. Prior to the Civil War, more than eighty-five percent of all Americans owned or leased land. Therefore, almost every researcher, whether a seasoned professional or weekend hobbyist, has required land records to document the existence, association, or movement of an individual or ancestral family. Most beginning genealogists underestimate the importance of using land records to pin persons to specific locales. In the South, which has far fewer vital records than New England, the land records are even more crucial to genealogical success. For answers to these and other questions, researchers look to Land records......

Numerous land records are held by the Minnesota Historical Society including: records of the state auditor; land department's state land sale correspondence, sales and accounting records; and U.S. General Land Office files comprised of correspondence, accounting records, and location records (which include homestead records and pre-emption sales). The earliest records are for the Stillwater district, beginning in 1848. The Minnesota Historical Society Research Center also has duplicates of the records of the U.S. Surveyor General's Office and a list of lands allotted to the White Earth Reservation in 1901. A Guide to the Records of Minnesota's Public Lands (St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Historical Society, 1985), by George Kinney and Lydia Lucas, indicates holdings at the research center.

At the county level in Minnesota, land records are kept by the county recorder. This office will have deed and mortgage records, grantor-grantee indexes, township and village plats, and various records pertaining to power of attorney, contracts, and leases.

• Find Minnesota Land Record Books at Amazon.com
• Land Records from All States
• Search County Property Records
• Search County Land Patents

Excerpts From the Book "Family History Made Easy"

   Prior to the Civil War, more than eighty-five percent of all Americans owned or leased land. Therefore, almost every researcher, whether a seasoned professional or weekend hobbyist, has required land records to document the existence, association, or movement of an individual or ancestral family. While many researchers may feel a sense of historical excitement when finding an ancestor in a land deed, many also fail to understand the importance of such a document and how land can be used to make vital links between generations; they are not aware that it can bridge distant origins and help solve even the most difficult problems. E. Wade Hone, In Land and Property Research in the United States

U.S. House of Representative Private Claims, Vol. 1, Vol. 2 or Vol. 3

   The right to own land has always been one of the great incentives for living in the United States. Yet researchers often overlook the importance of land records as a source of family history information. Written evidence of people’s entitlement goes back in time further than virtually any other type of record family historians might use.

   Land records meet the needs of researchers in different ways and contain a variety of genealogical and historical data. They are a major source of information for many family histories and provide primary source material for local history as well. They are closely related to probate and other official court records and should be investigated in connection with them. Land and property are leading issues in the settlement of estates, and the majority of civil cases in the courts deal with real and personal property. Although land records rarely yield vital statistics, in many instances they provide the only proof of family relationships. Often they include the names of heirs of an estate (including daughters’ married names and a widow’s subsequent married name) and refer to related probates and other court cases by number and court name. In some places where other records are scarce, the land records take on extra importance. Occasionally these documents disclose former residences and more often provide the new address of the grantors or heirs at the time of the sale of the property.

   Land records provide two types of important evidence for the family historian. First, they often document family relationships. Second, they place individuals in a specific time and place, allowing the researcher to sort people and families into neighborhoods and closely related groups. One of land records’ most important qualities is that they are sometimes the only records that allow us to distinguish one person of a common name from another.

   The National Archives has bounty-land warrant files, donation land entry files, homestead application files, and private land claim files relating to the entry of individual settlers on land in the public land states. There are no land records for the original thirteen states or for Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, and Hawaii. Records for these states are maintained by state officials, usually in the state capital. Searching for the record of a particular land grant from the federal government requires contacting both the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the National Archives (NARA).

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Minnesota Military Records - Initial research on a Minnesota volunteer in the Civil War should include the two-volume Board of Commissioners on Publication of History in Civil and Indian Wars' Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars, 1861–1865 (St. Paul: Pioneer Press Co., 1890–93 and 1891–99). The first volume includes regimental rosters and narratives. The second contains reports and correspondence. Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars: An Index to the Rosters was compiled in 1936 for the Minnesota Historical Society by the WPA and is available on microfilm at the society.

The society's reference library has an incomplete file “in progress” of veterans of these periods of warfare, including those who moved to Minnesota after the wars. The information, which may include residence, death date, widow's name, pension file number, regiment and company, has been accumulated from a variety of sources, including the 1890 Federal Census of Veterans, pension registers, names of participants in GAR parades, the reports noting deaths during the years, and a few biographical sketches.

See Also Researching in Military Records - 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.......

Minnesota Historical Society Research Center holds numerous diaries of Civil War veterans, some regimental records, Grand Army of the Republic records, microfilms of service cards for Minnesota State Militia in federal military service in the Civil War, and Civil War Pension Registers of letters sent from the Adjutant General for 1877 through 1949. The name of the veteran, date of the letter, and amount awarded is included on the cards. Board of Auditors files at the research center includes minutes and registers of claims and certificates relating to the Dakota Conflict (Sioux Uprising) of 1862.

World War I military service cards for people who entered the service through the Minnesota National Guard are also at the research center along with photographic copies of original draft lists, induction lists, and Soldiers' Bonus Records. This file includes over 120,000 bonus applications for Minnesota soldiers, marines, sailors, and medical personnel who served in World War I. It is not indexed, but the fifty-one questions on the application include name, place and date of birth, names and residence of nearest relative, draft information, present residence and occupation, name of employer, business address, name and address of parents at time of enlistment, length of residence in Minnesota, and marital status.

The Public Safety Commission Gold Star Roll Records at the Minnesota Historical Research Center pertain to men and women from Minnesota who died in World War I. The four page form includes biographical information and may include family photographs, letters, and clippings.

Other military records at the Minnesota Historical Society Research Center include: Camp Ripley records for 1842–43, Mexican border service payroll records from the early twentieth century, Minnesota Soldiers' Home Records beginning in 1891, membership applications for the Sons of American Revolution, and information from the Mexican-American and Spanish American wars

The site U.S. Wars list conflicts dating from earliest to 1865. Wars covered that are availibele are:

Search Revolutionary War 1775-83 Service Records, Rejected Pensions, Loyalists Records, 1775-1783 Pay Rolls, Courts-Martial, Officers, Pension Index, 1841 Pensioner Census

• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
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Search Civil War Soldiers, Service Records, Regiments, General Officers, Battle Summaries, Pension Index: 1861-1934, CSA Field Officers and the War of the Rebellion

Below is a list of online resources for Minnesota in the Civil War. Email us with websites containing information on Minnesota in the Civil War by clicking the link below:

• Find Minnesota Military Record Books at Amazon.com
• 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.

Excerpts From the Book "Family History Made Easy"

   Military and pension records are among the most useful sources available to genealogists because of the detail they offer. These records are important because they may provide an ancestor’s date of birth, place of residence, the names and addresses of family members, and other details that can round out a picture of his or her life. Judith Prowse Reid, Head, Local History and Genealogy, Library of Congress

   Military records have originated at the federal, state, and local levels. Whether created in time of war or in time of peace, these records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served in the military forces of the United States. Almost every American family, in one generation or another, has seen one or more of its members serve in America’s armed forces. From regimental histories, which provide blow-by-blow accounts of a unit’s participation in military actions, to the personal details contained in the service and pension files of individual men and women, military records provide valuable information concerning a large and significant portion of the American population. And because military records have been preserved and made available at and through a number of research institutions, much information awaits the well-prepared researcher.

How to Find Military Records
   To locate military records for any individual, it is essential to know when and where in the armed forces he or she served and whether that person served in the enlisted ranks or was an officer. (If you don’t have that identifying information, some potential solutions are discussed below.)
As in any research project, it is important to study carefully whatever is already known about the subject of interest. Families and communities frequently pass down stories of military heroes from generation to generation. In most cases, these stories retain some fact, but, with the passage of years and in the process of retelling, accuracy fades. At any rate, family stories should not be overlooked for clues at the start of a military search.

   When and where did the individual live? Did the family keep evidence of military service? Certificates, letters, journals, diaries, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, photographs, medals, swords, and other memorabilia kept in private collections may provide the basic facts needed to begin searching in military record collections.

Military Time Lines
   Creating a historical time line can be especially useful for determining if and when the subject might have served in the military. By compiling a chronological list of the known dates and places of residence of an individual from birth through adulthood, it is frequently easy to discover the possibility of military service. Was the individual the right age to be eligible for the draft or to serve voluntarily in the Civil War? Is it likely that the person served on the Northern rather than the Southern side, or vice versa? For records from the colonial period to more recent military engagements, the place of residence is key to finding an individual’s records.

Evidence of Military Service in Hometown Records
   There are a number of public records that are potentially valuable in discovering the military history of a veteran. It has been a long-standing American tradition to foster patriotism by honoring local sons and daughters who have defended the ideals of their country. Hometown military heroes are frequently noted on public monuments, and local newspaper files may yield surprisingly detailed accounts of a community’s well-known and less-famous military personnel.

Military History
   Commercial enterprises and historically oriented groups and institutions have regularly published local histories. As a rule, these histories will include glowing accounts of the area’s involvement in military activities. Some volumes provide biographical sketches of military leaders, while others attempt to list all of the community’s participants in various military conflicts. Locally focused histories have been published at various times for virtually every state and county in the United States. Do not overlook them as an important research aid. P. William Filby’s A Bibliography of American County Histories is a list of five thousand such sources.

   In addition to the standard histories, local public libraries and historical societies usually preserve and make available other types of publications that document the military history of the geographical areas they serve. Historical agencies collect biographies, letters, diaries, journals, and all sorts of memorabilia from military units and servicemen and -women. The personal accounts found in some collections are a fascinating means of stepping back in time. Firsthand accounts afford a better understanding of the day-to-day drudgery, loneliness, fears, and satisfactions of military life.

Evidence of Military Service in Cemeteries
   Cemeteries provide yet another local source of information regarding individuals who served in the armed forces. Almost every cemetery in the United States contains some evidence of military events and veterans. Cemetery records and grave markers frequently identify military dead by name, rank, and unit designation. If a man or woman died elsewhere while in the service, the body was frequently brought home for burial; cemetery records often note the place and date of death.

Evidence of Military Service in Court Records
   Court records are yet another potential source for identifying those who served in the military. Most counties formally recorded and indexed the names of their citizens who were discharged from the military. In some local courts, “military discharges” will be found indexed separately, and in others the military records may be oddly interspersed with deeds, naturalizations, or other categories of documents. The contents of military records may vary greatly from one courthouse to another. Some will provide biographical information, while others may simply list names and the event or names and date of certificate issue.

Military Records in the National Archives
   Federal military documents that have been classified as archival material are in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration. Not all records created by military agencies are judged to be permanently valuable. Generally, only records of historical or administrative importance are kept.

   A wonderful array of federal military records are available in major libraries and archives and through microfilm rental programs. (Heritage Quest, a division of AGLL, Inc., PO Box 329, Bountiful, UT 84011-0329, is a source of rental microfilms.) With sufficient identifying information, you may request a search of the registers of enlistments or the compiled military service records. The minimum information required for a search is (1) the soldier’s full name, (2) the war in which he or she served or period of service, and (3) the state from which he or she served. For the Civil War, you must also indicate whether the person served in Union or Confederate forces. A separate copy of the form must be used for military service, pension, and bounty-land warrant applications. Submit requests for information about individuals who served in the military before World War I on NATF form 80 (Order for Copies of Veterans Records). Write to the National Archives and Records Administration, General Reference Branch, Washington, DC 20408 to obtain copies of NATF form 80. Always ask for “all records” for an individual.

   Make requests for information about U.S. Army officers separated from the service after 1912 on standard form 180 (Request Pertaining to Military Records) and send it to the Military Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132.

U.S. Military Records
   By far the most comprehensive study of military records and how to use them is found in James C. Neagles’s U.S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and State Sources, Colonial America to the Present. Neagles’s guide addresses primary and secondary military sources and accessibility, including the following information-rich sources:

Records of state militias and the National Guard
Records of the army, navy, and other branches of the U.S. military
Records of the military academies
Post-service records
Pensions
Bounty-land grants
Bonuses and family assistance
Soldier’s homes
Military burials
Military installations
Censuses of veterans
Conscription
Civilian affairs

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Minnesota Vital Records - Legislation ordering the recording of county vital records was passed in 1870. In some counties marriage registrations began before that date, but all of these early records are somewhat incomplete. Researchers may request birth, death, or marriage records from the office of the court administrator or clerk of district court in the respective county courthouse. Some counties have recently begun to transfer their birth, death and marriage records to the office of the county recorder. St. Paul births and deaths recorded for this period are available at the Bureau of Health, 555 Cedar Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101. Charges for birth and death records are consistent with the state rates, listed below.

See Also Researching in Vital Records - Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century.......

In 1907 the Minnesota Vital Records law was enacted, giving the state the responsibility of keeping birth and death records. Their records for births start in 1900 and deaths in 1908. Both are indexed to the present but not available for research in person. There is no state-wide marriage index until 1958. The fee ($11 for a birth record and $8 for a death record) will include a search and a copy of the requested record or a statement that the record is not on file. Send to: Minnesota Department of Health, Section of Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 9441, 717 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440.

Some limited county vitals records registers have been transferred to the Minnesota Historical Society Research Center (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies), although access is restricted. The center holds justice of the peace (marriage) records from some counties and coroner's inquest (death) registers. Other alternate sources for vital records may include local genealogical societies that have transcribed and indexed vitals records and obituaries from their respective counties. Alfred J. Dahlquist's Minnesota Genealogical Journal (Brooklyn Park, Minn.: Park Genealogical Book Co., 1984–87) has transcriptions of marriages from several Minnesota counties. This publication has also printed extractions of marriage records, which include Minnesota people in Pierce and St. Croix counties, Wisconsin.

The WPA Historical Records Survey of township vital records was published in Guide to Public Vital Statistics Records in Minnesota. Many of these records have since been transferred to the Minnesota Historical Society (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies).

Township records may include some vital statistics. Deaths and births may have been reported to townships or cities from 1870 through 1953. If these records are extant (and many are not), they frequently will contain more information than the county or state record. Many of these locally created vital records are at the Minnesota Historical Society Research Center. Township records may also include the clerk's minute books and township road records, indicating names of residents. If they exist, justice of the peace records are likely to be in these materials as well.

School records, although not vital registrations, may help determine the age of an individual. Many of these are at the Minnesota Historical Society Research Center.

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• 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.
  

Facts on Birth Records - Most early birth records contain very little biographical information. Typical early New England town and church records, for example, give little information beyond the name of the child, date and place of birth, and parents’ names. Some localities listed only the name of the father.

While early birth records can be discouragingly lacking in information, by the mid-nineteenth century birth records in the United States began to include more information. Even though births were not widely recorded during the early years of America’s existence, the records that do exist may be the only source of a birth date for an individual and should always be consulted.

Delayed births are also important vital registrations that you should consider for obtaining biographical information. When Social Security benefits were instituted in 1937, individuals claiming benefits had to document their birth even if the state of their birth did not require registration when they were born. Individuals who were not registered with state or county agencies at the time of their birth often applied for a delayed birth registration. Obtaining passports, insurance, and other benefits also required proof of age.

Applications were accompanied with full name, address, and date and place of birth; father’s name, race, and place of birth; and evidence to support the facts presented. The evidence could be in the form of a baptismal certificate, Bible record, school record, affidavit from the attending physician or midwife, application for an insurance policy, birth certificate of a child, or an affidavit from a person having definite knowledge of the facts. Delayed birth records are usually filed and indexed separately from regular birth registrations, and it may be necessary to request a separate search for them.

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Facts on Marriage Records - Because of the importance of the legal distribution and control of property, most states and counties began to record marriages before births and deaths. The recording of a marriage is a two-step process. Traditionally, couples apply for a license to marry, and the applications are usually filed loose among other applications or in bound volumes. Marriage returns are filed once the marriage has taken place. The latter document is the proof of a marriage (not the license application).

Marriage applications are often filled out by both the bride and groom and typically contain a significant amount of genealogical information. They may list full names of the bride and groom, their residences, races, ages, dates and places of birth, previous marriages, occupations, and their parents’ names, places of birth, and occupations.

Marriage certificates are issued by counties after the marriage ceremony is completed, and these are usually found among family items. While the certificates tend to have less biographical data than the application, the name of the individual officiating at the wedding may lead you to religious records by revealing the denomination. The religious records, in turn, may reveal the names of witnesses and other useful information.

Early American records sometimes include marriage bonds, which served as a protection for the future children of the marriage. A bond obligated a prospective groom to pay the bond if he were discovered to be a bigamist or imposter or otherwise ineligible to contract a valid marriage. As long as the marriage was legal, the bond was void. Bonds generally include the groom’s name, name of the surety, the sum, and the date of the agreement.

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• Search U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
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Facts on Death Records - Early death records in the United States provide little more than the name of the deceased, the date of death, and the place of death. Obituaries and cemetery, court, and other records often provide more information about the deceased than do most official death records created before the last quarter of the 1800s.

By 1900 death records included more details. They often include the name of the deceased; date, place, and cause of death; age at the time of death; place of birth; parents’ names; occupation; name of spouse; name of the person giving the information; the informant’s relationship to the deceased; the name and address of the funeral director; and the place of burial. Race is listed in some records, and modern death certificates generally include a Social Security number.

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• Social Security Death Index
• Obituary Collection
• Search County Death Records
• 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 Minnesota.
• America's Obituaries (1977 to current) at Genealogybank.com - Obituaries contain helpful information such as names, dates, places of birth, death, marriage and family information. Over 28 million obituaries make this the most complete collection from the 20th and 21st centuries - includes over 1,100 U.S. newspapers. New content added daily!

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