Link To This Page — Contact Us —
State of Minnesota
New Tactics for Minnesota Genealogy Research
Minnesota is one of the largest states, and often one that is overlooked when we speak of the American Midwest. This is perhaps due to its northern location, but it is unfortunate because it is a state with a vibrant history. It has connections with Native Americans, immigrants, and people making the westward trek to the Pacific coast. This is the reason it is home to such a diversity of materials for Minnesota genealogy research. This article is going to briefly touch on the essential tools and tactics to use in your search for Minnesota genealogy data.
First Steps in a Search for Minnesota Genealogy Data
What is the first step in the quest for Minnesota genealogy materials? It is the same thing you would do when seeking out any sort of data – you head to the computer. In the modern digital age it is not unusual to find archives with all kinds of online databases, and to locate an array of public records online. Your computer is a good tool to use as you begin gathering essential information for Minnesota genealogy work. You may even find that it is possible to get copies of documents in addition to some useful facts.
The real trick is to spend a bit of time understanding which resources for Minnesota genealogy are going to be strictly available online, and which may ask you to make an actual visit in order for you to get materials for Minnesota genealogy projects.
The Essential Records for Minnesota Genealogy Research
Most state research work begins with public records, and these tend to fall under three categories. You should learn the differences as you begin searching for Minnesota genealogy:
- Vital Records – these are birth, marriage, divorce and death records from county, state, and national archives. They can include cemetery or obituary information, census records, newspaper items, military records, immigration and naturalization details, and passenger lists and records as well. These tend to be available as online or offline resources for Minnesota genealogy.
- State Records – from probate information to surname lists, state census information, private manuscripts, newspapers, military or veterans information, marriage details, maps, land records, genealogical folders, estate information, deeds, death records, cemetery information, birth certificates and more, these are available as online and offline resources for Minnesota genealogy.
- Local Records – state research will begin in the county clerk’s office or website, and then move on to historical societies, local genealogical societies, small local libraries, and school or college libraries for Minnesota genealogy materials. These are items that are usually offline and viewable by appointment or special arrangement.
Specific Tools for Minnesota genealogy Research
The records described above are normally the primary resources for those seeking for Minnesota genealogy, but the items below give very targeted answers and data:
- Office of the State Registrar, Minnesota Department of Health, P.O. Box 64499, St Paul, MN 55164; Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/minnesota.htm. This is where anyone can order birth, death, marriage and divorce records via a written request or even through an online form.
Additional state and local records can be found at the:
- Archives of Minnesota Historical Society, Website: http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/records/index.htm. Minnesota State Archives has a handful of different sites that each provide online and offline records. These are a wonderful resource that should be explored individually to generate the best results.
Also, consider using the Minnesota Genealogical Society for Minnesota genealogy data at: http://mngs.org/.
Also, these three websites give researchers a tremendous amount of state-specific details for those in search for Minnesota genealogy data.
- The USGenWeb Project - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mngenweb/;
- State census records at Genealogy Research Guides - http://www.researchguides.net/census/state.htm; and
- Genealogy Today - http://www.genealogytoday.com/genealogy/states/minnesota.html
List of Minnesota Counties
Select a county from the table below to to view more information on genealogical information & records pertaining to each county.
