Carver County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Carver 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 he explorer Jonathan Carver, who in 1766–67, traveled from Boston to the Minnesota River, and wintered among the Sioux near the site of New Ulm. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Carver County Courthouse 600 East 4th Street Chaska, MN 55318 Phone: 952-361-1420 Carver County Website Court Administrator has divorce, probate and court records from 1856. County Recorder has birth, marriage, death and 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:

Census Records
State Census
 * 1835-1890 Minnesota, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1905 Minnesota, Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1865 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

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

 * Holcombe, Return Ira, Compendium of history and biography of Carver and Hennepin counties, Minnesota, (Chicago: Henry Taylor & Co., 1915); Digital image at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * Carver County Statehood Centennial Committee, Carver County, today and yesterday: 1858 Minnesota statehood centennial 1958, (1958); Digital image at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Minnesota County History Name Index at Ancestry ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
Civil War Civil War service men from Carver 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 Carver County.
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota, Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota Civil War Soldiers at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 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 collection)


 * -2nd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company I
 * -3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company B.
 * -4th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company A.
 * -5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies D and E.
 * -6th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company G.
 * -9th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies B and H.

Spanish American War
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota, Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at Ancestry (Free Index)

World War I
 * 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 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, Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1872-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1880-1920 Minnesota, Federal Naturalization Records, 1880-1920 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1918 Web: Minnesota, 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 FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1891-2003 Web: Minnesota, Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at Ancestry (Free collection)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801-1925 Minnesota, Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection

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

 * Bloomington Minnesota Family History Center
 * Hutchinson Minnesota Family History Center
 * Minneapolis Minnesota Family History Center
 * Hennepin County Library - multiple branches - an affiliate library.
 * Scott County Historical Society - an affiliate library.

Libraries

 * Carver County Library 4 City Hall Plaza Chaska, MN 55318 Phone: 952-448-9395 Contact form Website

Museums

 * Carver County Historical Society Museum 555 W First St Waconia, MN 55387 Phone: 952-442-4234 Email: [mailto:historical@co.carver.mn.us historical@co.carver.mn.us] Website

Societies

 * Carver County Historical Society 555 W First St Waconia, MN 55387-1203 Phone: 952-442-4234 Website
 * Chaska Historical Society 112 W Fourth St Chaska, MN 55318 Phone: 952-448-6077 Email: [mailto:historical@chaskahistory.org historical@chaskahistory.org] Website
 * Watertown Area Historical Society P.O. Box 836 309 Lewis Ave S Watertown, MN 55388-0836 Website
 * Waconia Heritage Association 213 S Vine St Waconia, MN 55387 Phone: 952-442-2184, ext. 1013 Website

Websites

 * Minnesota Historical Society
 * USGenWeb Archives for Carver County.
 * Carver 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.
 * Carver County at Cyndi's List
 * – 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.