Lake County, Minnesota Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
County Register has birth records from 1898, marriage and death from 1891, divorce and court records from 1892. Probate Judge has probate records. City Clerk has burial records.

Parent County

 * 1855--Lake County was created 20 February 1855 from Itasca County. The names were changed in 1855 to Newton and St. Louis. Names were changed again in 1856 with St. Louis becoming Lake and Newton becoming St. Louis.

County seat: Two Harbors


 * For a brief history of how Lake County was named, clickhere, then select Lake County.

Record Loss
1904 Courthouse destroyed by fire; however, most county records were rescued.

Cities
Beaver Bay | Silver Bay | Two Harbors

Townships
Beaver Bay Township | Crystal Bay Township | Fall Lake Township | Silver Creek Township | Stony River Township

Unincorporated Communities
Castle Danger | East Beaver Bay | Finland | Illgen City | Isabella | Knife River | Larsmont | Lax Lake | Little Marais | Murphy City

Unorganized
Lake No. 1 | Lake No. 2

Neighboring Counties

 * Cook
 * St. Louis

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

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

Societies and Libraries
Lake County Historical Society PO Box 128 520 South Ave Two Harbors MN, Telephone: 218-834-4898 Website

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Web Sites

 * Lake County, MN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)