Traverse County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Traverse County, Minnesota ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Minnesota Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for Lake Traverse. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clerk District Court has birth, marriage, death, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1881.

Parent County
1862--Traverse County was created 20 February 1862 from Pierce (Eliminated 20 Feb 1862) County and unorganized territory. County seat: Wheaton


 * For a brief history of how Traverse County was named, click here, then select Traverse County.

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

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:

Neighboring Counties

 * Big Stone
 * Grant
 * Richland County, North Dakota
 * Roberts County, South Dakota
 * Stevens
 * Wilkin

Census
State Census
 * 1865 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1905 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1912 - 1956 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Local Histories

 * Wheaton, Minnesota: Centennial History, 1887-1987. Wheaton, MN: Gazette Oublishing Co., 1987. Print.

Maps

 * 1874 Map of Big Stone, Grant, Stevens, and Traverse counties

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1872-1962 - at FamilySearch — index

==== Newspapers ====


 * The Wheaton Gazette (May 1925-Current; Weekly)
 * Wheaton Gazette-Reporter (1889 [?]-April 1925; Weekly)
 * Wheaton Gazette (March 1885-1889 [?]; Weekly)
 * Browns Valley Reporter (May 1880-1889 [?]; Weekly)
 * The Valley News (April 1926-Current; Weekly)
 * The Traverse County Star (1922 [?]-1924[?]; Weekly)
 * Traverse County Traveler (April 1916-November 1918; Weekly)
 * Weekly Footprints (June 1903-Mar 1916; Weekly)
 * The Footprints (September 1894-June 1903; Weekly)
 * Browns Valley Footprints (1890 [?]-September 1894; Weekly)
 * Browns Valley Inter-Lake Tribune (February 1902-March 1936; Weekly)
 * Inter-Lake Tribune (1894 [?]-February 1902; Weekly)
 * Inter-Lake Tribune and Traverse County Times (1891 [?]-1894[?]; Weekly)
 * The Dumont Journal (May 1902-[?]; Weekly)
 * The Weekly Call (1902 [?]-[?]; Weekly)
 * The Browns Valley Courier (1891 [?]; Weekly)

Obituaries

 * 1865 - 2006 - at FamilySearch— index and images

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1801 - 1999 Minnesota Wills and Probate Records 1801-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Marriage

 * 1860 - 1949 at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * 1850-2001 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1887-2001 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Societies and Libraries
Traverse County Historical Society 1201 Broadway Wheaton, MN 56296

Traverse-des-sioux Genealogical Society 815 Nicollet Ave North Mankato 56001

Traverse County Historical Society 601 1st Avenue South (mailing address) Corner of Broadway Avenue and Trail Street (museum address) Wheaton, MN 56296 Telephone: 320-563-8520

Browns Valley Historical Society PO Box 13 Browns Valley, MN 56219 Telephone: 320-695-2312

Wheaton Community Library 901 1st Avenue North Wheaton, MN 56296 Telephone: 320-563-8487 Fax: 320-563-8815

Browns Valley Public Library PO Box 307 15 3rd Street South Browns Valley, MN 56219 Telephone: 320-695-2318 Fax: 320-695-2125

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

 * Traverse County, MN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Traverse County GenWeb
 * Traverse County GenWeb