Wright County, Minnesota Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for a New York politician, Silas Wright. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Wright County Courthouse 10 2nd Street NW Buffalo, Mn 55313 Phone: 763-682-7539 Wright County Website License Bureau has birth and death records from 1871 and marriage records from 1866. Court Administrator has divorce and court records from 1870 and probate records. Register of Deeds has land 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:

Biographies

 * Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn of the Wright County Historical Society. History of Wright County, Minnesota; V. 01 and V. 02. H. C. Cooper Jr & Co, Chicago, IL 1915. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 1 - Historical, Internet Archive; and FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 2 - Biographical

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

Directories

 * History and Business Directory of Wright County : Classif(i)ed by Towns : Containing a Correct and Concise History of Each Town and Village in the County, Together with a Classified List of All Business Houses, Statistics of Population, Wealth, Increase, Crops, etc. By Gray, George. Monticello, Minn. : Geo. Gray, 1867. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1912-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Genealogies

 * Hoar, Alfred Wyman. Lineage and family records of Alfred Wyman Hoar and his wife Josephine Jackson with notes on the early history of Wright County, Minnesota. (Eagle Print. Co., 1898). Digital version at Internet Archive; indexed at Ancestry ($).

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

 * Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn of the Wright County Historical Society. History of Wright County, Minnesota; V. 01 and V. 02. H. C. Cooper Jr & Co, Chicago, IL 1915. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 1 - Historical, Internet Archive; and FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 2 - Biographical
 * French, C. A., Lamson, Frank Bailey. Condensed history of Wright County, Minnesota, 1851-1935.  Eagle Printing Co, Delano, MN, 1935.  Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Maps and Gazetteers

 * David Rumsey Map Collection
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Wright 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
 * 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

Civil War service men from Wright 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 Wright County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company D.
 * - 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company A.
 * - 8th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company E.
 * - 9th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company B.
 * - Hatch's Independent Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Company E.

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
 * 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
 * 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 Minnesota, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1855-1925 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1866-1982 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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 ($)
 * 1970-2003 Minnesota Divorce Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Buffalo Minnesota FamilySearch Center
 * Minneapolis Minnesota FamilySearch Center
 * Great River Regional Library - multiple locations - an affiliate library.
 * Wright County Historical Society - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Buffalo Public Library Great River Regional Library 18 NW Lake Blvd Buffalo, MN 55313 Phone: 763-682-2753 Email: [mailto:buffalolibrary@grrl.lib.mn.us buffalolibrary@grrl.lib.mn.us] Website Facebook Wright County Heritage Center Research Library 2001 Hwy 25 N PO Box 304 Buffalo, MN 55313 Phone: 763-682-7323 Email: [mailto:info@wrighthistory.org info@wrighthistory.org] Website Facebook

Museums
Cokato Museum 175 4th St SW PO Box 686 Cokato, MN 55321-0686 Phone: 320-286-2427 Email: [mailto:info@cokatomuseum.org info@cokatomuseum.org] Website Facebook Wright County Historical Society Museum 2001 Hwy 25 N Buffalo, MN 55313 Phone: 763-682-7323 Email: [mailto:info@wrighthistory.org info@wrighthistory.org] Website Facebook

Societies
Cokato Finnish American Historical Society 2016 County Rd 3 SW Cokato, MN 55321-4408 Phone: 320-286-2833 Email: [mailto:mpokor56@gmail.com mpokor56@gmail.com] Website Facebook Cokato Historical Society 175 4th St W Cokato, MN Phone: 320-286-2427 Email: [mailto:info@cokatomuseum.org info@cokatomuseum.org] Website Delano-Franklin Township Area Historical Society 140 Bridge Ave E Delano, MN 55328 Phone: 763-257-2963 Email: [mailto:kworkman1949@gmail.com kworkman1949@gmail.com] Website Facebook Hanover Historical Society of Minnesota 1010 River Rd NE PO Box 13 Hanover, MN 55341 Phone: 612-470-2182 Email: [mailto:info@hanoverhistoricalsociety.org info@hanoverhistoricalsociety.org] Website Facebook Minnesota Pioneer Park 725 Pioneer Park Trail Annandale, MN 55302 Phone: 320-274-8489 Email: [mailto:pioneerp@lakedalelink.net pioneerp@lakedalelink.net] Website Facebook Rockford Area Historical Society 8131 Bridge St PO Box 186 Rockford, MN 55373-0186 Phone: 763-477-5383 Email: [mailto:rockfordmnhistory@gmail.com rockfordmnhistory@gmail.com] Website Facebook St. Michael Historical Society 11800 Town Center Dr NE St Michael, MN 55376 Phone: 763-416-7967 Email: [mailto:info@saintmichaelhistory.org info@saintmichaelhistory.org] Website Facebook Wright County Historical Society 2001 Hwy 25 N PO Box 304 Buffalo, MN 55313 Phone: 763-682-7323 Email: [mailto:info@wrighthistory.org info@wrighthistory.org] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Wright County, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Research at Minnesota Historical Society — links to Records and Indexes; See also MHS Wiki Page
 * Iron Range Research Center
 * Wright County, a member of MNGenWeb Archives
 * Cyndi's List: Wright County
 * Minnesota Genealogy Trails
 * – 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.