Watonwan County, Minnesota Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Dakota word "watanwan," meaning "fish bait," or "plenty of fish.". The County is located in the south-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Watonwan County Courthouse 710 2nd Ave S PO Box 518 St. James, MN 56081-0518 Phone: 507-375-1236 Watonwan County Website Clerk District Court has birth, marriage and divorce records from 1863, divorce and court records from 1865. 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

 * Brown, John A. History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, volume 1 and volume 2. B.F. Bowen & Co, Indianapolis, IN, 1916. Volume 2 (biographical) online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive; searchable database available 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
Lutheran 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)
 * FamilySearch Places

Emigration and Immigration

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

Funeral Homes

 * Sturm Funeral Home in Madelia and St. James.

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

Local Histories

 * Memorial record of the counties of Faribault, Martin, Watonwan and Jackson, Minnesota Lewis Publishing Co, Chicago, IL 1895. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, HathiTrust, Internet Archive.
 * In the World War, 1917-1918-1919, Watonwan County, Minnesota. St. James Plaindealer, St. James, MN. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Minnesota Digital Library
 * Brown, John A. History of Cottonwood and Watonwan counties, Minnesota : their people, industries, and institutions, volume 1 and volume 2. B.F. Bowen & Co, Indianapolis, IN, 1916. Volume 1 (history) online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, ; searchable database available at Ancestry ($)
 * Adrian Township - Darfur Village Spirit of '76 Committee. The centennial history of Adrian Township - Darfur village, Watonwan County, Minnesota : in observance of our county's bicentennial year 1976.  Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Minnesota Maps at David Rumsey Map Collection
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Watonwan 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

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898  at ; 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

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1849-1985 Minnesota, U.S., Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at (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 or city, search for surname, limit by date.

Obituaries

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

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
 * 1870-1972 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1895-1981 (*); 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

 * Mankato Minnesota FamilySearch Center
 * Spencer Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Waseca County History Center - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Watonwan County Library 125 Fifth St S St James, MN 56081 Phone: 507-375-1278 Email: [mailto:libtwa@tds.lib.mn.us libtwa@tds.lib.mn.us] Website Facebook

Museums
St. James Museum 602 3rd Ave S St James, MN 56081 Phone: 507-380-7024 Email: [mailto:jpsandbo@mchsi.com jpsandbo@mchsi.com] Facebook Watonwan County Historical Center 423 Dill Ave SW Box 126 Madelia, MN 56062 Phone: 507-642-3247 Email: [mailto:watcohistory@gmail.com watcohistory@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Societies
St. James Historical Society 602 3rd Ave S St James, MN 56081 Phone: 507-380-7024 Email: [mailto:jpsandbo@mchsi.com jpsandbo@mchsi.com] Facebook Watonwan County Historical Society 423 Dill Ave SW PO Box 126 Madelia, MN 56062 Phone: 507-642-3247 Email: [mailto:watcohistory@gmail.com watcohistory@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Watonwan County, a member of MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of USGenWeb Project.
 * Research at Minnesota Historical Society — links to Records and Indexes; See also MHS Wiki Page
 * 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
 * Watonwan County, a member of MN USGenWeb Archives, an affiliate of USGenWeb Archives
 * – 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.