Goodhue County, Minnesota Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for James Madison Goodhue, the first printer-editor in Minnesota. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Goodhue County Courthouse 509 5th St W Red Wing, MN 55066 Phone: 651-267-4800 Goodhue County Website County Administrator has birth and death records from 1870, marriage and probate records from 1854, divorce and court records from 1951. Minnesota Historical Society has divorce and court records 1854-1950.

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

 * Goodhue County, Minnesota at Goodhue County Biographies Project

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
Lutheran
 * FamilySearch Places
 * Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($) has the following information:
 * Dale Lutheran Church, Kenyon
 * Gol (and Moland) Lutheran Church, Kenyon
 * Kenyon
 * Minneola Lutheran Church, Zumbrota
 * Trinity Lutheran Church, Red Wing
 * Urland Lutheran Church
 * Minnesota Historical Society has a Collection Finding Aid for the following:
 * Lutheran Church in America: An Inventory of Selected Congregational Records of the American Lutheran Church in Minnesota

Emigration and Immigration

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

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

Local Histories

 * Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; History of Dakota and Goodhue counties, Minnesota; (Tucson, Arizona: W.C. Cox & Co., 1974); Volume 1 online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust; Volume 2 online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.
 * Hancock, Joseph Woods; Goodhue County, Minnesota, past and present; (Red Wing, Minn.: Red Wing Printng Co, 1893) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.
 * History of Goodhue County: including a sketch of the territory and state of Minnesota; ...; (Red Wing, Minn.: Wood, Alley & Co., St. James Building, 1878) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Google Books.
 * Minnesota County History Name Index at Ancestry ($)
 * Minnesota Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Maps at David Rumsey Map Collections
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Goodhue County municipality and township maps

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; 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

Civil War service men from Goodhue County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Goodhue County.
 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company F.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Company F.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company I.
 * - 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company D and E.
 * - 4th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company D.
 * - 5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies A and H.
 * - 6th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company F.
 * - 7th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company G.
 * - 8th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies F and H.
 * - 10th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company D.
 * - Hatch's Independent Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies A and C.
 * - 1st Minnesota Company Sharpshooters, First Company only.

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 U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at ($); index and images
 * 1849-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Three Minnesota counties are not in this collection: Hennepin, Marshall, and St. Louis.

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.

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 ($)
 * 1970-2003 Minnesota Divorce Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)

Family History Centers

 * Faribault Minnesota Family History Center
 * Lakeville Minnesota Family History Center
 * Cannon Falls Library - an affiliate library
 * Goodhue County Historical Society Research Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Goodhue County Historical Society Library 1166 Oak St Red Wing, MN 55066 Phone: 651-388-6024 Website
 * Cannon Falls Library 306 W Mill St Cannon Falls, MN 55009 Phone: 507-263-2804 Email: [mailto:cfl_ill@selco.info cfl_ill@selco.info] Website
 * Kenyon Public Library 709 2nd Street Kenyon, MN 55946 Phone: 507-789-6821 Email: [mailto:ken_dir@selco.info ken_dir@selco.info] Website
 * Pine Island: Van Horn Public Library 115 Se 3rd Street Pine Island, MN 55963 Phone: 507-356-8558 Email: [mailto:pipl@selco.info pipl@selco.info] Website
 * Red Wing Public Library 225 East Ave Red Wing, MN 55066 Phone: 651-385-3673 Email: [mailto:rwpl@selco.info rwpl@selco.info] Website
 * Zumbrota Public Library 100 West Ave Zumbrota, MN 55992 Phone: 507-732-5211 Email: [mailto:zpl@selco.info zpl@selco.info] Website

Museums

 * Goodhue Area Historical Museum 105 N Broadway Box 141 Goodhue, MN 55027 Phone: 651-301-5731 or 651-923-4388 Email: [mailto:goodhue.museum@yahoo.com goodhue.museum@yahoo.com] Website

Societies

 * Goodhue Area Historical Society 105 N Broadway Box 141 Goodhue, MN 55027 Phone: 651-301-5731 or 651-923-4388 Email: [mailto:goodhue.museum@yahoo.com goodhue.museum@yahoo.com] Website
 * Goodhue County Historical Society 1166 Oak St Red Wing, MN 55066 Phone: 651-388-6024 Website

Websites

 * Minnesota Historical Society
 * USGenWeb Archives for Goodhue County.
 * The Goodhue County MNGenWeb Project, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Iron Range Research Center The Iron Range Research Center contains one of the largest collections of genealogical and local history research materials in the Upper Midwest and includes census, naturalization records, passenger arrival records, mining company newsletters, and a survey of Women in Industry taken in 1919, among many others.
 * Cyndi's List: Goodhue County
 * 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.