Dakota County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Dakota County, Minnesota ancestry, family history, and genealogy 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
Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1870, marriage records from 1857, divorce and court records from 1853.

Parent County
1849--Dakota County was created 27 October 1849 from unorganized territory. County seat: Hastings


 * For a brief history of how Dakota County was named, click here. Then select Dakota County.

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

Cities
Apple Valley | Burnsville | Coates | Eagan | Farmington | Hampton | Hastings | Inver Grove Heights Lakeville | Lilydale | Mendota | Mendota Heights | Miesville | New Trier | Northfield | Randolph Rosemount | South St. Paul | Sunfish Lake | Vermillion | West St. Paul

Townships
Castle Rock | Douglas | Empire Township |Eureka | Greenvale | Hampton | Marshan | Nininger | Ravenna Sciota | Vermillion | Waterford

Neighboring Counties

 * Goodhue
 * Hennepin
 * Pierce County, Wisconsin
 * Ramsey
 * Rice
 * Scott
 * Washington

Cemeteries

 * Dakota County Historical Society  Online cemetery records.

Census

 * Dakota County Historical Society   Searchable Dakota County census databases for the years 1857, 1860, 1865, 1875, 1880, 1885, 1900, 1920, and 1930.
 * Dakota County Historical Society   Mortality censuses for Dakota County for 1870 and 1880.
 * Dakota County Historical Society   Native American censuses for Dakota County for the years 1900 and 1910.

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

Catholic

 * Catholic Church Records for Dakota County   The Dakota Historical Society has microfilmed all the records of all the Catholic Churches in Dakota County.  Use the searchable index to find baptism, marriage and death records.

Lutheran
Christiana Free Lutheran Church, Farmington


 * Records of the Christiana Lutheran Church, Farmington, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Christiana Free Lutheran Church, Lakeville


 * Records of Christiana Free Lutheran Church, Lakeville, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1912 - 1956 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Local Histories

 * Dakota Historical Society   Brief history of Dakota County.

Maps

 * Dakota Historical Society   Interactive map of Dakota Co. townships and villages.  Click on a township and read its brief history.
 * Dakota Historical Society   Interactive map of Dakota County historical sites.  Click on the map to read details of the historical sites.

Civil War
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.

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1872-1962 - at FamilySearch — index

Newspapers

 * Dakota County Newspapers Directory  Links to locations and contact information.

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
 * Dakota County Historical Society -- Online marriage and divorce records.

Death

 * 1850-2001 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Dakota County Historical Society -- Online marriage and divorce records.

Societies and Libraries
Dakota County Historical Society 130 3rd Ave N South St Paul MN 55075-2002 Telephone: 651 552-7548 Website

Dakota County Genealogical Society 130 3rd Ave N South St Paul MN 55075-2002 Website

Dakota City Heritage Village, Inc. Mail: PO Box 73 4008 220th St W Farmington MN 55024-0073 Telephone: 651 460-8050 Website

Farmington Area Historical Society 2890 Pilot Knob Rd, Eagan MN 55121-1146 Telephone: 651 454-4056

Lakeville Area Historical Society 20195 Holyoke Ave City Hall Lakeville, MN 55044 Telephone: 952-469-0373 Website


 * Dakota County Libraries

Family History Centers

 * Lakeville Minnesota Family History Center

Websites

 * Dakota County, MN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Wikipedia for Dakota County
 * Dakota County GenWeb
 * Cyndi's List: Dakota County
 * Cyndi's List: Dakota County