Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Genealogy

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

Description
The County has Milwaukee as its seat and the County was created 1935. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Milwaukee County Courthouse 901 N 9th Street Milwaukee, WI 53233 Phone: 414-278-4987 Milwaukee County Website Register of Deeds has birth, marriage, death records, and land records from 1835. Register in Probate has probate records from 1838.

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

 * Biography Records USGenWeb Archives

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.

Federal Census
 * 1850 - 1850 Federal Census for Milwaukee County
 * 1860 - 1860 Federal Census for Milwaukee County, City of Milwaukee, Ward 2
 * 1860 - 1860 Federal Census for Milwaukee County, City of Milwaukee, Ward 3
 * 1860 - 1860 Federal Census for Milwaukee County, City of Milwaukee, Ward 9
 * 1870 - 1870 Federal Census for Milwaukee County, City of Milwaukee, Ward 1
 * Links to Milwaukee County Census Records by Township

Church Records

 * Milwaukee Wisconsin Church Records

Lutheran Ascension Lutheran Church


 * Records of Ascension Lutheran Church, Milwaukee County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Milwaukee County


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

Our Savior's Lutheran Church


 * Records of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Milwaukee County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Directories

 * Fold3.com has Milwaukee City Directories 1861-1892 (3 yrs. missing) available online. The collection is part of Fold3.com's "premium content" which requires a subscription to view, or can be viewed for free at a family history center.


 * Milwaukee Wisonsin City Directories

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Germans Important records to search for German research: Archives, Libraries, and Museums; Biographies; Church Records; Cemetery Records; Court Records; Histories; Immigration/emigration/migration; Maps; Newspapers; Societies

Volga Germans had many settlements in nearby Racine county. To find out more about Volga Germans click here. This site gives resources to help you with your Volga German research. including several links, two of which do not work, and two of which are in Russian. Family Search has a another collection - United States, Obituaries, American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1899-2012. The Milwaukee Historical Society has many useful records that may help you in your German or other nationality research.

The record types available here are:

Land and Property Records

 * Wisconsin Land Patents Database, Milwalukee County WIGenWeb Project

Local Histories

 * Milwaukee Wisconsin History

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Wisconsin
 * Milwaukee Wisonsin City Maps

Military Records

 * Milwaukee County Military Personnel Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library

Civil War

 * - 2nd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Companies H and I
 * - 3rd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Companies D, H, K and M
 * - 5th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia Cavalry (Union), Company G
 * - 5th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Companies B and C
 * - 5th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry Reorganized, Company A
 * - 6th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Companies B and C
 * - 9th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Companies A, C, E, G, H, I and K
 * - 9th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry Reorganized, Companies A, B, C, and D
 * - 13th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Companies E and K


 * GAR Wolcott Post 1892 Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library

Spanish-American War

 * Wisconsin in the Spanish American War Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library

World War I

 * World War I Army Casualties, Milwaukee County USGen Web Archives
 * Milwaukee County World War I Military Personnel Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library

World War II

 * World War II Army Enlistees, Milwaukee County USGenWeb Archives
 * WWII Military Inductees Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library
 * Milwaukee County World War II Awards Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library
 * Milwaukee County World War II Wounded and Missing in Action Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library
 * Milwaukee County World War II Jewish Military Personnel Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library
 * Milwaukee County World War II Casualties Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library

Korean War

 * Milwaukee County Korea War Casualties Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library

Vietnamese War

 * Milwaukee County Vietnam Casualties Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Wisconsin, Milwaukee naturalization index, 1848-1990 Viewable
 * Archives and Area Research Center, Milwaukee University of Wisconsin

Newspapers

 * Milwaukee County Newspapers USGenWeb Archives

Obituaries
The following obituary indices are available through the Milwaukee Public Library. See Genealogy Obituary Resources to learn more.


 * Milwaukee Journal Newspaper Index, 1915-1917
 * Milwaukee's German Newspapers: an Index of Death Notices and Related Items
 * Wisconsin Necrology, 1846-1944
 * Index to Deaths Reported in the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, 1921-1996
 * Death Notices/Obits, 1930s (?) - June, 30, 1992: Surname Index
 * Obituaries, Milwaukee Journal/Milwaukee Sentinel, 1958-1988
 * Milwaukee Area Necrology, 1992-1998
 * Milwaukee Sentinel Card Index, 1837 - 1879
 * Milwaukee Sentinel Card Index, 1880-1890
 * Italian Times
 * The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle


 * USGenWeb Archives has selected Obituaries. Scroll down on the page to see links to names. There is also a link to Freidens Church Records.

Probate Records
Online Records


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

Birth

 * 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1826-1908 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826-1908 at Ancestry — index $
 * 1826-1926 at FamilySearch — index
 * Milwaukee County Family Pages Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library

Marriage
Indices available through Milwaukee County Library: Visit the library's site linked above to see a complete list of marriage records.
 * Marriage Certificates for Milwaukee County for the years 1822-1876
 * Marriage Records for Milwaukee County for the years 1836-1911


 * 1836-1930 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1973-1997 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1973-1997 Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997 at Ancestry — index/images $
 * Milwaukee County Family Pages Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library

Death

 * Milwaukee Wisconsin Vital Records Milwaukee
 * 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1835-1968 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1867-1907 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1959-1997 at FamilySearch — index

Divorce

 * 1965-1984 at FamilySearch — index

Archives

 * Area Research Center - University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, Division of Archives and Special Collections Golda Meir Library, Room W250 2311 East Hartford Avenue PO Box 604 Milwaukee, WI 53201-0604 Phone: 414-229-5402 Email: [mailto:askarch@uwm.edu askarch@uwm.edu] Website

Libraries

 * Milwaukee Public Library 814 W. Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53233 Phone: 414-286-3000 Website
 * Golda Meir Library - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Area Research Center, Milwaukee, Division of Archives and Special Collections Golda Meir Library, Room W250 2311 East Hartford Avenue PO Box 604 Milwaukee, WI 53201-0604 Phone: 414-229-5402 Email: [mailto:askarch@uwm.edu askarch@uwm.edu] Website

Museums

 * Wisconsin Black Historical Society Museum 2620 West Center Street Milwaukee, WI 53206 Website

Societies

 * Milwaukee County Historical Society 910 N. Old World Third Street Milwaukee, WI 53203 Phone: 414–273–8288 Website
 * Milwaukee County Genealogical Society PO.Box 27326 Milwaukee, WI 53227-0326 Website
 * Wisconsin State Old Cemetery Society 6100 W. Mequon Road Mequon, WI 53092-1951 Website
 * Milwaukee Metropolitan Historians Assn 2588 N Prospect Ave Milwaukee, WI 53211 Phone: 414-964-8361

Websites

 * Milwaukee County, WI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Milwaukee County Genealogy (Wisconsin Genealogy)
 * Milwaukee County Historical Society
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Milwaukee County Online Genealogy and Family History Library with WIGenWeb project
 * Archives and Area Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
 * - 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