Columbia County, Wisconsin Genealogy

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

Description
The County has Portage as its seat and the County was created 1846. The County is located in the south central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Columbia County Courthouse PO Box 177 Portage, WI 53901-0177 Phone: 608-742-9654 Columbia County Website Register of Deeds has land, marriage, death and burial records. Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce and court records. Register in Probate has 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:

Biographies

 * Biographical Index: History Of Columbia County, Wisconsin, 1880 USGenWeb Archives
 * Biographical Index from Columbia County Newspaper WIGenWeb Project

Census Records

 * '''1855 - 1855 Wisconsin State Census This census includes name of head of family; other individuals in the household are identified by sex and race, number of deaf and dumb, blind, insane and foreign born.
 * 1865 - 1865 Wisconsin State Census Name index and images of the 1865 State Census which names the head of household. Most records have been destroyed but schedules exist for the following counties: Dunn, Green, Jackson, Kewaunee, Ozaukee, and Sheboygan.
 * 1875 - 1875 Wisconsin State Census Identifies head of household by name.
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch — index and images. Search indexed census.Identifies by name of head of household.  Other information is statistical and identifies the rest of the household by race, gender and country of birth.
 * 1895 - at FamilySearch — index and images. Identifies head of household by name. Other information is statistical.
 * 1905 - at FamilySearch — Name index and images of population. Enumerates by name all inhabitants.

Church Records
Lutheran
 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Rio, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com. ($)
 * St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Caledonia Early Church Records - WIGenWeb Project

Land and Property Records

 * Columbia County Land Patents Database WIGenWeb Project

Local Histories

 * History Of Columbia County, Wisconsin, 1880 University of Wisconsin
 * Biographical Index:  History Of Columbia County, Wisconsin, Vol. II, 1914 USGenWeb Archives
 * A history of Columbia County, Wisconsin, Volume II Haithi Trust Digital Library

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Wisconsin

Civil War

 * - 2nd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Companies E and G
 * - 3rd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Company E
 * - 7th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Companies A and B
 * - 8th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company D
 * - 10th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company D
 * - 12th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company E

World War I

 * World War I Gold Star List -Casualties, Columbia County, Wisconsin WIGenWeb Project

World War II

 * World War II Casualties - Army & Air Force, Columbia County, Wisconsin WIGenWeb Project
 * World War II Casualties - Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, Columbia County, Wisconsin WIGenWeb Project
 * World War II Army Enlistees, Columbia County (USGenWeb Archives)
 * - Surnames Abraham - Fuller
 * - Surnames Galien - Lytle
 * - Surnames Maass - Ryan
 * - Surnames Salzman - Zunker

Korean War

 * Korean War Casualties, Columbia County, Wisconsin

Newspapers

 * Columbia County Newspaper Resources WIGenWeb Project
 * Biographical Index from Columbia County Newspaper WIGenWeb Project
 * Some early deaths for Columbia County from the Columbus Republican Journal Newspaper. WIGenWeb Project

Obituaries

 * Columbia County Obituaries WIGenWeb Project
 * Four Obituaries Scroll down to obituaries of Daniel Babcock, Phillip Connell, George Marshall, and Mrs. Sophia (Ellithorpe) Rowley. USGenWeb Archives

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1800–1987 Wisconsin Wills and Probate Records 1800-1987 at Ancestry — images and index $
 * 1848–1948 at FamilySearch — images

Vital Records

 * Vital Records from Columbia County Newspapers WIGenWeb Project

Birth

 * 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1826-1908 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826-1908 at Ancestry — index $
 * 1826-1926 at FamilySearch — index
 * Pre-1907 Columbia County Births WIGenWeb Project

Marriage

 * 1836-1911 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1836-1930 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1886-1887 Some early marriages for Columbia County WIGenWeb Project
 * Pre-1907 Columbia County Marriages Incomplete. WIGenWeb Project
 * 1973-1997 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1973-1997 Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997 at Ancestry — index/images $

Death

 * 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1835-1968 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1867-1907 at FamilySearch — index
 * Pre-1920 Columbia County Deaths through 1920 Incomplete. WIGenWeb Project
 * 1959-1997 at FamilySearch — index

Divorce

 * 1965-1984 at FamilySearch — index

Archives

 * Archives - Steenbock Library University of Wisconsin, Madison 425 Steenbock Library 550 Babcock Dr. Madison, WI 53706 Telephone: 608-262-5629 Email

Libraries

 * Archives - Steenbock Library University of Wisconsin, Madison 425 Steenbock Library 550 Babcock Dr. Madison, WI 53706 Telephone: 608-262-5629 Email

Societies

 * Cambria-Friesland Historical Society PO Box 501 Cambria, WI 53923 Phone: 920-348-5787 Facebook
 * Columbia County Historical Society W3988 Hwy 33 Cambria, WI 53923 Phone: 920-348-5516 Website
 * Dells Country Historical Society 1621 E Broadway Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965 Phone: 608-254-8129 Website
 * Lodi Valley Historical Society 173 S Main St Lodi, WI 53555 Phone: 608-592-5910 Website
 * Portage Historical Society PO Box 727 Portage, WI 53901 Phone: 608-742-6663 Website
 * Poynette Area Historical Society W5660 Hall Rd Poynette, WI 53955 Phone: 608-635-2970

Websites

 * Columbia County, WI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Columbia County WIGenWeb
 * Columbia County USGenWeb Archives
 * - 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