Goodhue County, Minnesota
Goodhue County was created on March 5, 1853 (Organized in 1854) from Dakota and Wabasha Counties. The County Seat is Red Wing. The County was named for James Madison Goodhue, first printer and editor in Minnesota. Printed first issue of the Minnesota Pioneer on April 28, 1849.
Counties adjacent to Goodhue County are Pierce County, Wisconsin (northeast), Pepin County, Wisconsin (northeast), Wabasha County (east,southeast), Olmsted County, Dodge County (southwest), Rice County (west), Dakota County (northwest). Cities and Towns Include Bellechester, Cannon Falls, Dennison‡, Goodhue, Kenyon, Lake City, Pine Island, Red Wing, Wanamingo, Zumbrota. Townships Include Belle Creek, Belvidere, Cannon Falls, Cherry Grove, Featherstone, Florence, Goodhue, Hay Creek, Holden, Kenyon, Leon, Minneola, Pine Island, Roscoe, Stanton, Vasa, Wacouta, Wanamingo, Warsaw, Welch, Zumbrota Townships. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.
Records at the Goodhue County Courthouse
All Departments below can be contacted by clicking the link, by contacting the Phone number below for each department or contacting the Justice Center/Court Administration at 454 W. 6th Street, Red Wing, MN 55066-2540; Phone: (651) 385-3034. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Goodhue County Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1870, Marriage Records from 1854, Death Records from 1870 and Land Records from 1853.
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.
Goodhue County Court Administrator's Office has Probate Records from 1854 and has Court Records from 1854.
The Court Administrator's Office maintains court files for Civil, Criminal, Traffic, Probate, Conciliation, Juvenile, Tax and Family Court matters.
Goodhue 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Goodhue County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Goodhue County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Goodhue County Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records
Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.
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 Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from Vital Records from Archives.com: Order Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records Online!

- 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 Goodhue County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Goodhue County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
- Submit a website for Goodhue Co. Vital Records
- Vital Records from Archives.com: Order Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records Online!

- Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research.
- 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.
- Goodhue County, Minnesota Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
Goodhue County 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 Goodhue County, Minnesota are 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1910, 1920 and 1940. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Goodhue 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Goodhue County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Goodhue County Census Records by clicking the link below:
- Submit a website for Goodhue Co. Census Records
- Census Records at Archives.com
- 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
- Goodhue County, Minnesota Census Books at Amazon.com
- Census & Voter Lists
Goodhue County Maps & Atlases
Below is a list of online resources for Goodhue County Maps. Email us with websites containing Goodhue County Maps by clicking the link below:
Goodhue County Military Records
Below is a list of online resources for Goodhue County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Goodhue County Military Records by clicking the link below:
- Submit a website for Goodhue Co. Military Records
- 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.
- Goodhue County, Minnesota Military Books at Amazon.com
- Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.
Goodhue County Genealogical Addresses
Below is a list of online resources for Goodhue County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Goodhue County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
- Submit a website for Goodhue Co. Genealogical Addresses
- Goodhue County History Center, 1166 Oak St, Red Wing MN 55066-2447; Phone: 651 388-6024
- Cannon Falls Area Historical Society, PO Box 111, Cannon Falls MN 55009-0111
Location: 206 West Mill St, Cannon Falls MN; Phone: 507 263-4080
- Friends of the Florence Town Hall, PO Box 96, Frontenac MN 55026-0096
Location: 33923 Highway 61 Blvd., Frontenac, MN; Phone: 651 388-5683
- Goodhue Area Historical Society, PO Box 141, Goodhue MN 55027-0141
Location: 105 E. 4th Ave., Goodhue MN
- Wanamingo Historical Society, 572 Second Ave., Wanamingo MN 55983; Phone: 507 824-2627
- Minnesota Historical Society Research Center, 1500 Mississippi Street, St. Paul, MN 55101, (612) 296-6980
Serves Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona 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.)
- Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
- Minnesota Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
Goodhue County Cemeteries & Graveyards
There are many churches and cemeteries in Goodhue County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Goodhue County Tombstone Transcription Project.
Below is a list of online resources for Goodhue County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Goodhue County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
- Submit a website for Goodhue Co. Cemetery & Church Records
- Cemetery Records at Archives.com
- 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.
- Obituary Records at Archives.com
- 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!
- 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.
- Goodhue County, Minnesota Cemetery Books at Amazon.com

- Gravestone, Tombstone, and Memorial Photo Collection from findagrave.com

- Goodhue County, Minnesota Church Books at Amazon.com
County Church & Bible Records
Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits
Below is a list of online resources for Goodhue County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Goodhue County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below: