Minnehaha County, South Dakota Genealogy

Guide to Minnehaha County, South Dakota ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
Its name was derived from the Sioux word Minnehaha, meaning "rapid water," or "waterfall" (often also incorrectly translated as "laughing water"). It is located in the South East corner of the state.

County Courthouse
Minnehaha County Courthouse 415 N Dakota Ave Sioux Falls, SD 57102 Phone: 605.367.4223 Clerk Courts has divorce, probate and court records from 1876; Register of Deeds has marriage records from 1876, birth and death records from 1905 and land records

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

Boundary Changes

 * Parent County: Minnehaha County was created 5 April 1862 from unorganized territory.
 * County seat: Sioux Falls
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of North Dakota - shows boundary changes for South Dakota Counties
 * South Dakota Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Populated Places
The following are locations in the county

Biographies

 * History of Minnehaha County, South Dakota: Containing an Account of its Settlement...and Biographical Sketches. 1899. by Dana Reed Bailey. Sioux Falls, SD: Brown and Saenger Printers. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust — index & images, Ancestry — index & images ($), Google Books

Territory and State Census Records

 * 1836 1836 Wisconsin Territory Census – index only; South Dakota was included in the 1836 Wisconsin Territory Census
 * 1840 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1840 Iowa Territory Census
 * 1850 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1850 Minnesota Territory Census
 * 1860 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1860 Dakota Territory Census
 * 1870 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1870 Dakota Territory Census
 * 1880 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1880 Dakota Territory Census
 * 1885 South Dakota, Territorial Census, 1885 at Ancestry — ($); index and images
 * 1895 South Dakota, State Census, 1895 at Ancestry — ($); index and images
 * 1905 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1915 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1925 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1945 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for the state of South Dakota starting in 1890, although only one page survived. The 1900 Census is the next Federal Census available. For links to Federal census indexes, see South Dakota Census.

Church Records
Online Church Records Lutheran Church
 * 1875-1940 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
 * Records of First Lutheran Church, Colton, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
 * Records of St. Olaf's Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Presbyterian Church List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * 1890 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Heritage Funeral Home in Sioux Falls
 * Kahler-Brende Funeral Home in Dell Rapids
 * Minnehaha Funeral Home in Baltic, Colton, Dell Rapids, and Garretson

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796 - 1907 U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1863 - 1908 U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * Comprehensive History of Minnehaha County, South Dakota 1949. by Charles A Smith. Mitchell, SD: Educator Supply Company. Online at: Ancestry ($).
 * History of Minnehaha County, South Dakota: Containing an Account of its Settlement...and Biographical Sketches. 1899. by Dana Reed Bailey. Sioux Falls, SD: Brown and Saenger Printers. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Ancestry ($).

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of South Dakota - shows boundary changes for South Dakota Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of South Dakota - maps and atlases of South Dakota

Online Collections
These collections are unique to South Dakota. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and South Dakota Military Records. Civil War World War I World War II For further information see South Dakota Military Records.
 * 1861 - 1941 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1940 - 1941 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861 - 1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.
 * 1885 Civil War Veteran's 1885 Census in South Dakota - Index only, Union and Confederate included
 * 1890 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.
 * South Dakota WWI Honor Roll by SDGenWeb - Alphabetical index; List by County
 * WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties for South Dakota - Index only

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1904 - 1928 South Dakota, Federal Naturalization Records, 1904-1928 at Ancestry($) — index and images
 * 1865 - 1972 at FamilySearch — images - How to Use this Collection
 * South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:First Papers — index
 * South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:Second Papers — index
 * Name Index to Naturalization Records from Dakota Territory and South Dakota at National Archives, Kansas City — index

Newspapers
 South Dakota Newspapers Online South Dakota Newspaper Catalogs
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of South Dakota newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of South Dakota newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some South Dakota newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1800–1985 North Dakota and South Dakota Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1873-1885 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1873-1935 (*); at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1873-1935 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records

 * 1879 - 1970 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1879 - 1970 South Dakota, School Records,1879-1970 at Ancestry — images

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

 * 1843 - 1914 at FamilySearch  — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1856 - 1950 South Dakota, Birth Index, 1856-1915 at Ancestry  — index ($)
 * Birth Record Search Site For South Dakota Birth Records With Birth Dates Over 100 Years — index

Marriage

 * 1950 - 2014  — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1905 - 2013 South Dakota, Marriages, 1905-2013 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Death

 * 1879 - 1955 South Dakota, Death Index, 1879-1955 at Ancestry — index($)
 * South Dakota, Deaths and Burials at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Sioux Falls South Dakota FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Little Cornwall On The Prarie 2805 South Fourth Avenue Sioux Falls SD 57105

Societies
Minnehaha County Historical Society c/o Old Courthouse Museum 200 W 6th St Sioux Falls, SD 57104 605-951-9200 E-mail:[mailto:info@minnehahahistory.org info@minnehahahistory.org] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Minnehaha County at Cyndi's List — a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Minnehaha County at Genealogy Trails — volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Minnehaha County at South Dakota USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Minnehaha County at South Dakota USGenWeb Archives — free online data for genealogical research
 * - 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.