Brown County, South Dakota Genealogy

Guide to Brown County, South Dakota ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The county is named after Alfred Brown, of Hutchinson County, South Dakota, a Dakota Territory legislator in 1879. It is located in the northern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Brown County Courthouse 101 1st Ave SE Aberdeen, SD 57401-4203 Phone: 605.622.2266 Clerk Courts has birth, marriage (some as early as 1892), death, burial, probate and court records; Register of Deeds has land records

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

 * Parent County: Brown County was created 1 October 1879 from Mills (eliminated 1 Oct 1879), Stone (eliminated 1 Oct 1879), and Beadle(old) Counties.
 * County seat: Aberdeen
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of North Dakota - shows boundary changes for South Dakota Counties
 * South Dakota Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Populated Places
The following are locations in the county

Territory and State Census Records

 * 1836 - 1836 Wisconsin Territory Census – index only; South Dakota was included in the 1836 Wisconsin Territory Census
 * 1840 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1840 Iowa Territory Census
 * 1850 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1850 Minnesota Territory Census
 * 1860 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1860 Dakota Territory Census
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1870 Dakota Territory Census
 * 1880 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1880 Dakota Territory Census
 * 1885 - South Dakota, Territorial Census, 1885 at Ancestry — ($); index and images
 * 1895 - South Dakota, State Census, 1895 at Ancestry — ($); index and images
 * 1905 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1915 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1925 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1935 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1945 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for the state of South Dakota starting in 1890, although only one page survived. The 1900 Census is the next Federal Census available. For links to Federal census indexes, see South Dakota Census.

Church Records
Online Church Records Lutheran Church Presbyterian Church List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1875-1940 - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
 * 1701-1970 - U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
 * FamilySearch Places

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1863 - 1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * Bath community, 1881-1981 : our first one hundred years. 1981. By Bath Centennial Book Committee (Bath, South Dakota). [North Dakota?] : Dakota North Plains Press. Online at:;.
 * Brown County history [South Dakota]. 1980. By History Committee of Brown County Museum and Historical Society. [Aberdeen, South Dakota] : Brown County Museum and Historical Society. Online at:;.
 * Early history of Brown County, South Dakota : a literature of the people. 1970. By Brown County Territorial Pioneers Association. Aberdeen, South Dakota : Brown Co. Territorial Pioneers Assoc.. Online at:;.
 * History of the Finnish settlement in Brown and Dickey counties of South and North Dakota, 1881-1955. 1960. By Savo Finnish Historical Society. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. Online at:;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of South Dakota - shows boundary changes for South Dakota Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of South Dakota - maps and atlases of South Dakota

Online Collections
These collections are unique to South Dakota. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and South Dakota Military Records. Civil War World War I World War II For further information see South Dakota Military Records.
 * 1861 - 1941 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1940 - 1941 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861 - 1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.
 * 1885 Civil War Veteran's 1885 Census in South Dakota - Index only, Union and Confederate included
 * 1890 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.
 * South Dakota WWI Honor Roll by SDGenWeb - Alphabetical index; List by County
 * WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties for South Dakota - Index only

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1904 - 1928 South Dakota, Federal Naturalization Records, 1904-1928 at Ancestry($) — index and images
 * 1865 - 1972 at FamilySearch — images - How to Use this Collection
 * South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:First Papers — index
 * South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:Second Papers — index
 * Name Index to Naturalization Records from Dakota Territory and South Dakota at National Archives, Kansas City — index

Newspapers
 South Dakota Newspapers Online South Dakota Newspaper Catalogs
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of South Dakota newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of South Dakota newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some South Dakota newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1800–1985 North Dakota and South Dakota Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

School Records

 * 1879 - 1970 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1879 - 1970 South Dakota, School Records,1879-1970 at Ancestry — 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.

Birth
— index
 * 1843 - 1914 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1856 - 1950 South Dakota, Birth Index, 1856-1915 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * Birth Record Search Site For South Dakota Birth Records With Birth Dates Over 100 Years

Marriage

 * 1950 - 2014 — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1905 - 2013 South Dakota, Marriages, 1905-2013 at Ancestry — index and images ($)

Death

 * 1879 - 1955 South Dakota, Death Index, 1879-1955 at Ancestry — index($)

Family History Centers

 * Aberdeen South Dakota Family History Center

Libraries
K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library 215 Southeast 4th Avenue Aberdeen, SD 57401 605-626-7097 email:[mailto:ampl@sdln.net ampl@sdln.net] Website

Societies
Aberdeen Area Genealogical Society PO Box 493 Aberdeen, SD 57402-0493 Website

Frederick Area Historical Society 412 Main St. PO Box 523 Frederick, SD 57441-0523 (605) 329-2143 Email: [mailto:fahs@nvc.net fahs@nvc.net] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Brown County at Cyndi's List — a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Brown County at Genealogy Trails — volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Brown County at South Dakota USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Brown County at South Dakota USGenWeb Archives — free online data for genealogical research
 * - 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.