Jackson County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Jackson 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 Henry Jackson, the first merchant in St. Paul. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Jackson County Courthouse 405 4th Street PO Box 209 Jackson, MN 56143 Phone: 507-847-4400 Jackson County Website Court Administrator has birth, death, divorce, probate and court records from 1870 and marriage records from 1868. County Recorder has land records from 1870.

Populated Places
 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:

History Timeline

 * 1862 County government was dissolved due to Sioux uprising.
 * 1866 Reorganized. Before its reorganization it may have been attached to Martin 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

Lutheran
 * Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($) has the following information:
 * Bethany Lutheran Church, Bergen
 * Delafield Evangelical Lutheran Church, Wilder
 * Minnesota Historical Society has a Collection Findng Aid for the following:
 * Evangelical Lutheran Church of 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

 * Rose, Arthur P., An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota (Northern History Publishing Company: Jackson, Minnesota Publishers, 1910) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, HathiTrust.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records

 * 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection
 * 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 Blue Earth 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 Blue Earth County.
 * - Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Company B.

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

 * Mankato Minnesota Family History Center
 * Sioux Falls South Dakota Family History Center
 * Spencer Iowa Family History Center
 * Brookings Public Library - South Dakota - an affiliate library.
 * Waseca County History Center - an affiliate library.

Libraries

 * Jackson County Library 311 3rd Street Jackson, MN 56143 Phone: 507-847-4748 Website

Museums

 * Jackson County Historical Society Museum - Minnesota 307 N Highway 86 Lakefield, MN 56150 Phone: 507-662-5505 Facebook
 * Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce Historical sites 114 3rd Street Jackson, MN 56143 Phone: 507-847-3867 Email: [mailto:chamber@jacksonmn.com chamber@jacksonmn.com] Website

Societies

 * Jackson County Historical Society Jackson/Cottonwood Genealogical Group P.O. Box 238 307 N Highway 86 Lakefield, MN 56150 Phone: 507-662-5505 Facebook

Websites

 * Jackson County, MNGenWeb Project, 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.
 * Jackson County, MNGenWeb Archives 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.