Isanti County, Minnesota Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for the Dakota word meaning "knife" and refers to the Santee tribe. The County is located in the east-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Isanti County Courthouse 555 18th Ave SW Cambridge, MN 55008 Phone: 763-689-3859 Isanti County Website Clerk District Court has birth records from 1869, marriage records from 1871, death records from 1873, burial records 1900-1908 and 1941-1979, divorce and court records from 1872 and probate records from 1892. County Recorder has land records.

Boundary Changes

 * 1857--Isanti County was created 13 February 1857 from Ramsey County and fully organized 25 Feb 1871
 * County seat: Cambridge
 * Interactive Map of Minnesota County Formation History (1790-1897) - animated maps illustrating Minnesota county boundary changes
 * Minnesota Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Populated Places
 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:

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

Emigration and Immigration

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

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Pre-1908 Minnesota, Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Maps at David Rumsey Map Collection
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Isanti County municipality and township maps

Military Records

 * 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Free index, images ($)
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)

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

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry; 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 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at Ancestry (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 (55 listed) or city (106 listed), search for surname, limit by date.

Obituaries

 * 1865-2006 at  — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1891-2003 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at Ancestry (Free collection)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801-1925 U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at ; index & images, ($)
 * 1849-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Three Minnesota counties are not in this collection: Hennepin, Marshall, and St. Louis.

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.

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

Family History Centers

 * North Branch Minnesota Family History Center
 * Pine City Minnesota Family History Center
 * Princeton Minnesota Family History Center
 * Great River Regional Library - Becker (and other locations) - an affiliate library.
 * Sherburne History Center - an affiliate library.

Libraries
East Central Regional Library 111 Dellwood St N Cambridge, MN 55008 Phone: 763-689-7390 Website St. Cloud State University Archives James W. Miller Learning Resources Building 314 St. Cloud University St. Cloud, MN 56301 Phone: 320-308-4753 Email: [mailto:archives@stcloudstate.edu archives@stcloudstate.edu] Website

Museums
Isanti County Historical Society Museum 33525 Flanders St NE Cambridge, MN 55008 Phone: 763-689-4229 Email: [mailto:director@isanticountyhistory.org director@isanticountyhistory.org] Website

Societies
Isanti County Historical Society P.O. Box 525 33525 Flanders St NE Cambridge, MN 55008 Phone: 763-689-4229 Email: [mailto:director@isanticountyhistory.org director@isanticountyhistory.org] Website

Websites

 * Research at Minnesota Historical Society — links to Records and Indexes; See also MHS Wiki Page
 * Iron Range Research Center The Iron Range Research Center contains one of the largest collections of genealogical and local history research materials in the Upper Midwest and includes census, naturalization records, passenger arrival records, mining company newsletters, and a survey of Women in Industry taken in 1919, among many others.
 * Isanti County MNGenWeb Project,a member of MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of USGenWeb Project.
 * Isanti County, a member of MN USGenWeb Archives, an affiliate of 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.