Todd County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Todd 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 John Blair Smith Todd, who was a delegate from Dakota Territory to the United States House of Representatives, and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Todd County Courthouse 215 1st Ave S Long Prairie, MN 56347 Phone: 320-357-5005 Todd County Website Clerk District Court has divorce records from 1880, court records from 1874 and probate records. County Records has birth and death records from 1870, marriage records from 1867, land records, school census from 1914.

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:

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

Directories

 * 1913-1914 Benton, Meeker, and Todd Counties, Minnesota Farm Directory, 1913-14 at Ancestry ($)

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, U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)
 * Lystad, Edwin. Hendrickson, A H.  Plat book, Todd County, Minnesota Long Prairie, MN, 1940. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Local Histories

 * Hendrickson, A.H., O.B. DeLaurier, and John H. Sheets. Todd County, Minnesota, Histories: Containing Reproductions of the Original Histories of Todd County Written by John H. Sheets, A. H. Hendrickson, O. B. DeLaurier. Other Articles of Interest. Long Prairie, Minn.: Todd County Bicentennial Committee, 1976. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * DeLaurier, O. B. History of Todd County 1934. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

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


 * 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 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

 * Alexandria Minnesota Family History Center
 * Brainerd Minnesota Family History Center
 * Great River Regional Library - multiple locations - an affiliate library.
 * Stevens County Historical Society & Museum - an affiliate library.
 * Willmar Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Great River Regional Library Main Library System Phone: 833-438-4775 Website Multiple locations

Museums
Todd County Historical Society Museum 333 Central Ave Long Prairie, MN 56347 Phone: 320-732-4426 Email: [mailto:toddcountymuseum@gmail.com toddcountymuseum@gmail.com] Website Hewitt Museum 514 Wisconsin St Hewitt, MN 56453 Phone: 701-230-9047 Email: [mailto:hewittmuseum@gmail.com hewittmuseum@gmail.com] Website Clarissa Museum 402 Main St W Clarissa, MN 56440 Phone: 320-594-2960 Email: [mailto:garyritastracek@gmail.com garyritastracek@gmail.com] Website Bertha Historical Society Museum 63671 County Highway 40 Bertha, MN 56437 Phone: 218-924-4490 Facebook

Societies
Todd County Historical Society 333 Central Ave P.O. Box 146 Long Prairie, MN 56347 Phone: 320-732-4426 E-mail: [mailto:toddcountymuseum@gmail.com toddcountymuseum@gmail.com] Website Bertha Historical Society 63671 County Highway 40 Bertha, MN 56437 Phone: 218-924-4490 [https://www.facebook.com/Bertha-Historical-Society-715050718929744/? Facebook] Clarissa Historical Society 402 Main St W Clarissa, MN 56440 Phone: 218-756-2403 Website Eagle Bend Historical Society 737 3rd Avenue NW Eagle Bend, MN 56446-8116 Phone: 218-738-3852 Website Hewitt Historical Society P.O. Box 73 Hewitt, MN 56453 Phone: 701-230-9047 Email: [Mailto:hewittmuseum@gmail.com hewittmuseum@gmail.com] Website Staples Historical Society Fourth St NE Staples, MN 56479 Phone: 320-894-1010 Website

Websites

 * 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.
 * Todd County, a member of MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of USGenWeb Project.
 * Todd 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.