Kandiyohi County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Kandiyohi 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 language "where the buffalo fish come". The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Kandiyohi County Courthouse 400 Benson Ave SW Willmar, MN 56201-3281 Phone: 320-231-6206 Kandiyohi County Website Clerk District Court has birth, marriage, death, divorce and court records from 1870.

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 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:
 * Atwater Lutheran Church, Grove City
 * Calvary Lutheran Church, Willmar
 * St. John's Lutheran Church, Raymond
 * Trondhjem Lutheran Church, Atwater
 * Minnesota Historical Society has a Collection Finding Aid for the following:
 * Evangelical Lutheran Church in 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

 * Lawson, Victor E.; Tew, Martin E.; Nelson, J. Emil; Illustrated History and Descriptive and Biographical Review of Kandiyohi County, Minnesota (St. Paul, Minn.: The Pioneer Press Manufacturing Departments, 1905) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; Free index, images ($)
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)

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

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
 * 1918-1941 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection
 * 1917-1918 Kandiyohi County War Records Committee. Kandiyohi County in the World War, 1917-1918.Wilmar, Minnesota : Kandiyohi War Records Committee, 1928

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
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry; Free index

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 collection)

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

 * Alexandria Minnesota Family History Center
 * Hutchinson Minnesota Family History Center
 * Great River Regional Library - multiple branches - an affiliate library.
 * Stevens County Historical Society & Museum - an affiliate library.
 * Willmar Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries

 * Pioneerland Library System 410 5th St SW Willmar, MN 56201 Phone: 320-235-6106 Website
 * Wilmar Public Library Heritage Searchers of Kandiyohi County P.O. Box 175 410 SW 5th St Willmar, MN 56201-0175 Genealogical Research Library within Willmar Public Library Website

Museums

 * Kandiyohi County Historical Society Museum 610 NE Hwy 71 Willmar, MN 68201 Phone: 320-235-1881 Email: [mailto:kandhist@msn.com kandhist@msn.com] Website

Societies

 * Kandiyohi County Historical Society 610 Highway 71 NE Willmar, MN 56201-2650 Phone: 320-235-1881 Website
 * Atwater Area Historical Society P.O. Box 258 108 3rd Street N Atwater, MN 56209 Website
 * Heritage Searchers of Kandiyohi County P.O. Box 175 410 SW 5th Street Willmar, MN 56201-0175 Website Genealogical Research Library within Willmar Public Library

Websites

 * Minnesota Historical Society
 * Kandiyoh County at USGenWeb Archives
 * Kandiyohi County MNGenWeb, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Cyndi's List: Kandiyohi County
 * Iron Range Research Center
 * – 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.