Mower County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Mower 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 John Edward Mower, a member of the territorial legislature. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Mower County Courthouse 201 1st Street NE Austin, MN 55912 Phone: 507-509-7013 Mower County Website Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1870, marriage records from 1865, divorce and court records from 1900 and probate records from 1856. County Recorder has land recorders.

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
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)

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

Local Histories

 * History of Mower County, Minnesota: history of Minnesota... (Mankato, Minnesota: The Free Press Publishing House, 1884) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; The History of Mower County, Minnesota (Chicago, Illinois: H.C. Cooper, 1911) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Google Books; Indexed at Ancestry ($).
 * Mower County History Committee (Minnesota); Mill on the Willow: a History of Mower County, Minnesota (Lake Mills, Iowa: Grahic Publishing Co., Inc., 1984) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Souvenir of Mower County, Minnesota (Austin, Minn.,: The F.H. McCulloch Printing Co., 1915) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Minnesota Maps at David Rumsey Map Collection
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Mower 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; Free index

Civil War Civil War service men from Mower 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 Mower County.
 * 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
 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry (Mounted Rangers), Company M.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Company B.
 * - 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company C.
 * - 4th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company K.
 * - 9th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company C.
 * - Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Company D.

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898  at ; 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, images ($)
 * 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; Free index, images ($)
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry; Free index

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1849-1985 Minnesota, U.S., Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at ; (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 or city, search for surname, limit by date.

Obituaries

 * 1865-2006 at  — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1891-2003 Minnesota, U.S., Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at (Free collection)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801-1925 U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at ; index and images ($)
 * 1801-1999 U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at ; index and images ($)
 * 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

 * Austin Minnesota Family History Center
 * LaCrosse Wisconsin Family History Center
 * Rochester Minnesota Family History Center
 * La Crosse Public Library-Archives Department - an affiliate library.
 * Rochester Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Waseca County Historical Center - an affiliate library.

Libraries

 * Austin Public Library 323 4th Avenue NE Austin, MN 55912 Phone: 507-433-2391 Email: [mailto:ask@aplmn.org ask@aplmn.org] Website
 * Brownsdale Public Library 103 E Main St Brownsdale, MN 55918 Phone: 507-567-9951 Website

Museums

 * Mower County Historical Society Historical sites 1303 6th Avenue SW Austin, MN 55912507-437-6082 Email: [mailto:director@mowercountyhistory.org director@mowercountyhistory.org] Website
 * Hormel Historic Home, Inc. 208 4th Avenue NW Austin, MN 55912 Phone: 507-433-4243 Email: [mailto:holly@hormelhistorichome.org holly@hormelhistorichome.org] Website

Societies

 * Mower County Historical Society P.O. Box 804 1303 6th Avenue SW Austin, MN 55912 Phone: 507-437-6082 Website
 * Mower County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 145 Austin, MN 55912-0145 Phone: 507-437-6082
 * Adams Area Historical Society P.O. Box 145 322 W Main St Adams, MN 55909 Phone: 507-438-6022 Email: [mailto:adamsmnhistory@gmail.com adamsmnhistory@gmail.com] Website

Websites

 * The Mower County MNGenWeb Project, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * USGenWeb Archives for Mower County.
 * PeopleFINDER (Family History) at Minnesota Historical Society
 * Mower County at Cyndi's List
 * 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.
 * – 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.