Grant County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Grant County, Minnesota ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
The County was named for Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the United States. The County is located in the west-center area of the state.

County Courthouse
Grant County Courthouse 10 2nd Street NE Elbow Lake, MN 56531 Phone: 218-685-4520 Grant County Website Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1877, marriage records from 1869, divorce and court records from 1883. Probate Judge has probate records. Register of Deeds has land records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Biographies

 * Larson, Constant. History of Douglas and Grant Counties, Minnesota: their people, industries, and institutions; (Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen &amp; Company, Inc, 1916); Vol 2 (biographical) online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol 1 and 2 online at Ancestry ($).

Census Records
State Census
 * 1835-1890 U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at ($)
 * 1849-1905 U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at ($)
 * 1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1875 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1885 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Church Records

 * FamilySearch Places

Lutheran
 * Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($) has the following information:
 * Elbow Lake Lutheran Church
 * Immanuel Lutheran Church

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1912-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Funeral Homes

 * Bainbridge Funeral Home in Herman.
 * Erickson-Smith Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Elbow Lake and Hoffman.
 * Glende-Nilson Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Ashby.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Pre-1908 Minnesota, Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)

Local Histories

 * Larson, Constant. History of Douglas and Grant Counties, Minnesota: their people, industries, and institutions; (Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen &amp; Company, Inc, 1916); Vol 1 (historical) online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Vol 1 and 2 online at Ancestry ($).

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Minnesota Maps at David Rumsey Map Collections
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Goodhue County municipality and township maps

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to use this collections; free index, images ($)
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)

Civil War


 * 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry; free index
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at ; free index
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota Civil War Soldiers at Ancestry; free index
 * 1861-1934 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 at Ancestry; free index

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry; free index
 * 1898-1899 U.S., Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at ; free index

World War I
 * 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Civilian Draft Registrations, 1917-1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry; free index, images ($)
 * 1918-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection

World War II
 * 1940-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1940-1947 U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 at Ancestry; free index, images ($)
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry; free index, images ($)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1849-1985 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1872-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1880-1920 U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1880-1920 at ($)
 * 1918 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Alien Registration Index, 1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)

Newspapers

 * Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub at Minnesota Historical Society — narrow to county (55 listed) or city (106 listed), search for surname, limit by date.

Obituaries

 * 1865-2006 at  — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1891-2003 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at Ancestry (Free Index)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801-1925 Minnesota, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1884-1955 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1840-1980 U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1840-1980 at ($)
 * 1900-1934 Minnesota People Records Search - Births at Minnesota Historical Society - free index, images ($)
 * 1900-1934 Minnesota, Birth Index, 1900-1934 at MyHeritage; index ($)
 * 1935-2000 U.S., Birth Index, 1935-2000 at ($)

Marriage

 * 1850-2019 Minnesota, U.S., Marriages from the Minnesota Official Marriage System, 1850-2019 at (Free collection)
 * 1860-1949 at  — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1885-present Minnesota Official Marriage System at MOMS.mn.gov; search by county, name or date, and request copy.
 * 1970-2003 Minnesota Marriage Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)
 * 1976-2003 Minnesota, Marriages, 1976-2003 at MyHeritage; index ($)

Death

 * 1850-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1887-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1904-2001 Minnesota People Records Search - Deaths at Minnesota Historical Society - free index, images ($)
 * 1904-2001 Minnesota, Death Index, 1904-2001 at MyHeritage; index ($)
 * 1908-2017 U.S., Death Index, 1908-2017 at ($)

Divorce

 * 1970-1995 U.S., Divorce Index, 1970-1995 at ($)
 * 1970-2003 Minnesota Divorce Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Alexandria Minnesota FamilySearch Center
 * Wahpeton North Dakota FamilySearch Center
 * Great River Regional Library - Sauk Centre (and all other locations) - an affiliate library.
 * Stevens County Historical Society & Museum - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Thorson Memorial Library 117 Central Ave PO Box 1040 Elbow Lake, MN 56531 Phone: 218-685-6850 Email: [mailto:library@elbowlakelibrary.org library@elbowlakelibrary.org] Website West Central Minnesota Historical Center 600 E 4th St Morris, MN 56267 Phone: 888-866-3382, 320-589-6035 Morris, MN 56267 Website

Museums
Grant County Historical Society and Museum 115 2nd St NE PO Box 1002 Elbow Lake, MN 56531 Phone: 218-685-4864 Email: [mailto:gcmnhist@runestone.net gcmnhist@runestone.net] Website Facebook

Societies
Grant County Historical Society 115 2nd St NE PO Box 1002 Elbow Lake, MN 56531 Phone: 218-685-4864 Email: [mailto:gcmnhist@runestone.net gcmnhist@runestone.net] Website Facebook

Websites

 * The Grant County MNGenWeb Project, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * USGenWeb Archives for Grant County.
 * PeopleFINDER (Family History) at Minnesota Historical Society
 * Grant County at Cyndi's List
 * Iron Range Research Center
 * Genealogy Trails
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.