Dakota County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Dakota 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 the Dakota people. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Dakota County Courthouse 1590 Highway 55 Hastings, MN 55033 Phone: 651-437-3191 Dakota County Website Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1870, marriage records from 1857, divorce and court records from 1853

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 Minnesota, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1905 Minnesota, U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at Ancestry ($)
 * 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.
 * Dakota County Census Index at Dakota County Historical Society — Indexed years -1857, 1860, 1865, 1875, 1880, 1885, 1900, 1920; Native American Census for 1900 and 1910; Registrations for 1918.

Church Records

 * FamilySearch Places

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, U.S., 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.
 * Neill, Edward D.; Williams, John Fletcher; History of Dakota County and the city of Hastings: including the explorers and pioneers of Minnesota, ...; (Tucson, Arizona: W.C. Cox & Co., 1974); Online at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images, HatiTrust, Google Books.
 * Minnesota County History Name Index at Ancestry ($)
 * Dakota County Historical Society, various local historical topics.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Dakota County Maps at Dakota County Historical Society — Interactive maps of towns and villages; history and early landowners.
 * Dakota County, Minnesota Map at David Rumsey Map Collections
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Dakota County municipality and township maps

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 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 collections)
 * 1861-1865, U.S., Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free collection)
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota Civil War Soldiers at Ancestry (free collections)
 * 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection
 * 1861-1934 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 at Ancestry (free collections)

Civil War service men from Dakota 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 Dakota County.


 * -1st Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry (Mounted Rangers), Companies A and G.
 * -1st Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company H.
 * -2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies F and H.
 * -3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies B and F.
 * -4th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company C.
 * -5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company G.
 * -6th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company A.
 * -7th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company F.
 * -8th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies F and K.
 * -10th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company H.
 * -Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Company D.
 * -Hatch's Independent Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies C and F.

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1898-1899, U.S., Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at Ancestry (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 ($)
 * 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 ($)
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry ($)

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 Ancestry ($)
 * 1918 Web:, U.S., Alien Registration Index, 1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)

Newspapers

 * Dakota County Newspapers Directory. Links to locations and contact information.
 * 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 FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1891-2003 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at Ancestry (Free Index)
 * Online Obituaries at Dakota County Historical Society

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801-1925, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry — 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.

Tax Records

 * 1880-1901 - Dakota County Minnesota, County Auditor; Minnesota, Dakota County, tax records, 1880-1901; Online at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.

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

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

Libraries

 * Dakota County Library Phone: 651-450-2900 Email: [mailto:askalibrarian@co.dakota.mn.us askalibrarian@co.dakota.mn.us] Website
 * Multiple locations


 * Minnesota Genealogical Society Hoffman Research Library 1385 Mendota Heights Road, Suite 100 Mendota Heights, MN 55120-1367 Phone: 651-330-9312 Website

Museums

 * Lawshe Memorial Museum 130 Third Ave N South St Paul, MN 55075 Phone: 651-437-3191 or 800-247-1056 Website
 * Dakota City Heritage Village Museum P.O. Box 73 4008 220th Street W Farmington, MN 55024-0073 Phone: 651-460-8050 Website

Societies

 * Czechoslovak Genealogical Society and International Library PO Box 16225 St Paul, MN 55116-9225 Phone: 561-964-2322 Website
 * Dakota County Historical Society 130 3rd Avenue N South St Paul, MN 55075-2002 Phone: 651-552-7548 Website Facebook
 * Eagan Historical Society Eagan City Hall 3830 Pilot Knob Rd Eagan, MN 55122 Phone: 651-675-5038 Email: [mailto:HistoricalSociety@cityofeagan.com HistoricalSociety@cityofeagan.com] Website
 * Farmington Area Historical Society 2890 Pilot Knob Rd Eagan, MN 55121 Phone: 651-454-4056
 * Hastings Area Historical Society Pioneer Room at Hastings City Hall 101 E 4th Street Hastings, MN 55033 Phone: 651-480-2367 Email: [mailto:csmith@hastingsmn.gov csmith@hastingsmn.gov] Facebook
 * Lakeville Area Historical Society Lakeville Heritage Center 20110 Holyoke Ave Lakeville, MN 55044 Phone: 952-985-4680 Email: [mailto:lahs1995@gmail.com lahs1995@gmail.com] Website
 * Rosemount Area Historical Society 13885 S Robert Trail Rosemount, MN 55068 Phone: 651-423-4603 or 952-255-8545 Email: [mailto:rosemounthistory@charter.net rosemounthistory@charter.net] Website

Websites

 * The Dakota County MNGenWeb Project, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * PeopleFINDER (Family History) at Minnesota Historical Society
 * USGenWeb Archives for Dakota County.
 * Dakota County Historical Society
 * Dakota County at Cyndi's List
 * Minnesota Genealogy Trails
 * 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.
 * – 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.