Freeborn County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Freeborn 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 William Freeborn, an early Minnesota politician. The County is located in the south central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Details: Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1870, marriage and court records from 1857. County Recorder has land records from 1854. Probate Office has probate records from 1866.

Parent County

 * 1855--Freeborn County was created 20 February 1855 from Blue Earth and Rice Counties.

County seat: Albert Lea


 * For a brief history of how Freeborn County was named, click here. Then select Freeborn 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

 * Dodge
 * Faribault
 * Mower
 * Steele
 * Waseca
 * Winnebago County, Iowa
 * Worth County, Iowa

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

Lutheran
Concordia (Bear Lake) Lutheran Church, Twin Lakes


 * Records of the Concordia (Bear Lake) Lutheran Church, Twin Lakes, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Concordia Lutheran Church, Albert Lea


 * Records of the Concordia Lutheran Church, Albert Lea, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

First Lutheran Church, Albert Leas


 * Records of First Lutheran Church, Albert Leas, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Freeborn Lutheran Church, Clarks Grove


 * Records of Freeborn Lutheran Church, Clarks Grove, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Lime Creek Lutheran Church, Emmons

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Records of Lime Creek Lutheran Church, Emmons, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
 * FamilySearch Places

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1912 - 1956 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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


 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry (Mounted Rangers), Company H
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Company C
 * - 4th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company F
 * - 5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company C
 * - 10th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company E
 * - 15th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company K

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1872-1962 - at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization Records

 * Naturalization records in the Freeborn County District Court. Click here.

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

 * 1850-2019 WEB: Minnesota, Marriages from the Minnesota Official Marriage System, 1850-2019 at Ancestry($) — index
 * 1860 - 1949 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1976-2003 Minnesota, Marriages, 1976-2003 at MyHeritage($) — index

Death

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

Societies and Libraries
Freeborn County Genealogical Society PO Box 403 1033 Bridge Avenue Albert Lea 56007 Website

Freeborn County Historical Society 1031 Bridge Avenue Albert Lea 56007 Website

Alden Community Historical Society PO Box 323 Alden, MN 56009

Hollandale Area Historical Society PO Box 184 Hollandale MN 56045-0184 Telephone: 507-889-4491

Southern Minnesota Historical Center Mankato State University Mankato, MN 56001 Website

Clarks Grove Area Heritage Society Po Box 188 Clarks Grove, Minnesota 56016-0188


 * Freeborn County Historical Museum Information about records in the historical library, lists of cemeteries, a county history and more.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

 * Freeborn County, MN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)