Ramsey County, Minnesota Genealogy

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

Minnesota Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for Alexander Ramsey (W), the first governor of the Minnesota Territory. The County is located in the east central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1870, marriage records from 1850, divorce and court records from 1900 and probate records from 1849. Historical Society has court records 1858-1899 and land records.

Parent County
1849--Ramsey County was created 27 October 1849 from old St. Croix County in Wisconsin Territory. County seat: St. Paul


 * For a brief history of how Ramsey County was named, click here, then select Ramsey County.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

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:

Neighboring Counties

 * Anoka
 * Dakota
 * Hennepin
 * Washington

Census
State Census
 * 1865 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1905 - at FamilySearch — index and images

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Ward and Branch Records


 * St. Paul

Lutheran
Ramsey County


 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, St. Paul, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

St. Mathew's Lutheran Church


 * Records of the St. Mathew's Lutheran Church, Ramsey County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1912 - 1956 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Directories

 * Fold3.com ($) has Minneapolis City Directories 1865-1923 (4 yrs. missing) available online.
 * Fold3.com ($) has St. Paul City Directories 1863-1924 (4 yrs. missing) available online.
 * Genealogy From Periodicals
 * Jones, Andrew Forsyth. The French Family of Sunderland and the USA. History of the family of Joseph and Mary Ann French with description of their son Joseph French born 1847, Gateshead, and his wife Frances Ann Samuel, born Sunderland, July 1846. Photo included on their golden wedding. The family of Joseph and Frances and all but one of their children emigrate to USA in 1887, and settle in St Paul, Minnesota, and after 5 years move onto San Francisco. Photo of Andrew Forsyth, and Elizabeth nee French in 1903. Other surnames mentioned: Bennett, Forsyth, Douce, Winks, Lundgren. Article dated 1846-1954, and is found in the Northumberland &amp; Durham Family History Society Journal. vol. 32,no.2pages 48-49. Family History Library Ref. 942.8 B2jo vol. 32.no.2.(summer 2007)

Civil War
Civil War service men from Ramsey County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are many companies or regiments that were formed from men of Ramsey County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry (Mounted Rangers), Company G.
 * - 1st Battalion, Minnesota Infantry Volunteers, Company A.
 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies A and F.
 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Heavy Artillery, Companies G and H.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies B, D, F, G, H, I and K.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Company A.
 * - 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company B.
 * - 4th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies E, G, and K.
 * - 5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies D, E, F, and I.
 * - 6th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies A and G.
 * - 7th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company H.
 * - 8th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies H and K.
 * - 10th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies H and K.
 * - Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies A and C.
 * - Hatch's Independent Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies A and D.
 * - 2nd Minnesota Company Sharpshooters, Second Company only.

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1872-1962 - at FamilySearch — index

Newspapers
The appeal. : (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19?? African-American newspaper. More than 1,500 issues between 1889 and 1922 have been digitized and are fully searchable on-line at the Library of Congress, Chronicling America website.

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

Death

 * 1850-2001 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1887-2001 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Societies and Libraries
Ramsey County 1485 E 7th Street St. Paul 55106

Ramsey County Historical Society 323 Landmark Center 75 West Fifth Street Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 Telephone: 651-222-0701 Website

Little Canada Historical Society 515 Little Canada Rd E Little Canada MN 55117-1633 Telephone: 651-766-4044 Website

Family History Centers
St Paul Minnesota Family History Center

Websites

 * Ramsey County, MN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Ramsey County Genealogy (Minnesota Genealogy)
 * Ramsey County Genealogy (Minnesota Genealogy)