Cook County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Cook 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 Michael Cook, Territorial and State Senator. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Cook County Courthouse 411 West 2nd Street Grand Marais, MN 55604 Phone: 218-387-3610 Cook County Website County Recorder has birth and death records from 1900, marriage records from 1901, land records from 1886, and military records from 1919. Court Administrator has divorce, court and probate records.

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 Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1905, U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at Ancestry ($)
 * 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

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, U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Cook County municipality and township maps

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 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 collection)
 * 1861-1865, U.S., 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)

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1898-1899, U.S., Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at Ancestry (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 ($)
 * 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry ($)
 * 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, 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 Ancestry ($)
 * 1918 Web:, 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 FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1891-2003 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at Ancestry (Free Index)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801-1925, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry — 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

 * Duluth Minnesota Family History Center
 * Virginia Minnesota Family History Center

Libraries

 * Grand Marais Public Library 104 2nd Avenue W P.O. Box 280 Grand Marais, MN 55604 Phone: 218-387-1140 Email: [mailto:gmlib@alslib.info gmlib@alslib.info] Website

Museums

 * North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum Tofte Historical Society P.O. Box 2312 7136 Highway 61 Tofte, MN 55615-2312 Phone: 218-663-7050 Website
 * Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center 28 Moose Pond Dr Grand Marais, MN 55604 Phone: 218-388-915 Email: [mailto:info@gunflinttrailhistoricalsociety.org info@gunflinttrailhistoricalsociety.org] Website
 * Grand Portage Ojibwe and the North West Company National Park Service P.O. Box 426 Grand Portage, MN 55605 Phone: 218-475-0123 Website
 * Cook County Historical Society P.O. Box 1293 Grand Marais, MN 55604 Phone: 218-734-4792 Email: [mailto:katie@cookcountyhistory.org katie@cookcountyhistory.org] Website
 * Cross River Heritage Center 7932 West Highway 61 P.O. Box 337 Schroeder, MN 55613 Phone: 218-663-7706 Website

Societies

 * Cook County Historical Society P.O. Box 1293 Grand Marais, MN 55604 Phone: 218-734-4792 Email: [mailto:katie@cookcountyhistory.org katie@cookcountyhistory.org] Website
 * North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum Tofte Historical Society P.O. Box 2312 7136 Highway 61 Tofte, MN 55615-2312 Phone: 218-663-7050 Email: [mailto:nscfm@boreal.org nscfm@boreal.org] Website
 * Cross River Heritage Center Schroeder Area Historical Society P.O. Box 337 7932 West Highway 61 Schroeder, MN 55613 Phone: 218-663-7706 Website

Websites

 * The Cook County MNGenWeb Project, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * MN USGenWeb Archives at USGenWeb Archives
 * PeopleFINDER (Family History) at Minnesota Historical Society
 * Minnesota Genealogy Trails
 * 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.
 * Cook 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.