Vernon County, Wisconsin Genealogy

Guide to Vernon County Wisconsin ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
Vernon County Courthouse 400 Courthouse Square Street Viroqua, WI 54665 Phone:. 608.637.5380 Register of Deeds has birth, marriage, death and land records; Clerk Circuit Court has divorce and court records; Register in Probate has probate records

Parent County
1862 - Vernon County was created 22 March 1862 by the renaming of Bad Ax County. County seat: Viroqua

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Wisconsin County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Wisconsin County Boundary Maps" (1790-1961) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

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

Neighboring Counties
Allamakee County, Iowa •  Crawford  •  Houston County, Minnesota  •  Juneau  •  La Crosse  •  Monroe  •  Richland  •  Sauk

Cemeteries

 * Tombstone Photograph Pages, Vernon County USGenWeb Archives
 * In the town of Forest is the Mount Tabor Cemetery. Even though the cemetery is listed under the town of Forest, Wisconsin, google maps places the cemetery in Hillsboro, Wisconsin. A common surname in this cemetery is Cox.

Census

 * 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.

Church History and Records

 * List of Vernon County Churches WIGenWeb project

Lutheran

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

Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups

 * Vernon County's Ethnic Heritage WIGenWeb project

History

 * Early Residents of Vernon County, Wisconsin (A-M) USGenWeb Archives
 * Early Residents of Vernon County, Wisconsin (N-Z) USGenWeb Archives
 * Pioneer Families WIGenWeb project
 * Pioneers in 1892 WIGenWeb project
 * Vernon County Pioneers WIGenWeb project

Land and Property

 * Wisconsin Land Patents Database:  Vernon County - Surnames A-B USGenWeb Archives
 * Wisconsin Land Patents Database:  Vernon County - Surnames C-D USGenWeb Archives
 * Wisconsin Land Patents Database:  Vernon County - Surnames E-G USGenWeb Archives
 * Wisconsin Land Patents Database:  Vernon County - Surnames H USGenWeb Archives
 * Wisconsin Land Patents Database:  Vernon County - Surnames I-K USGenWeb Archives
 * Wisconsin Land Patents Database:  Vernon County - Surnames L-M USGenWeb Archives
 * Wisconsin Land Patents Database:  Vernon County - Surnames N-O USGenWeb Archives
 * Wisconsin Land Patents Database:  Vernon County - Surnames P-R USGenWeb Archives
 * Wisconsin Land Patents Database:  Vernon County - Surnames S USGenWeb Archives
 * Wisconsin Land Patents Database:  Vernon County - Surnames T-Z USGenWeb Archives

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Wisconsin
 * Family Maps of Vernon County, Wisconsin (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Civil War
Civil War service men from Vernon 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 Vernon County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Company H
 * - 6th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company I


 * - 7th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company H
 * - 8th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company F
 * - 12th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company I
 * - 13th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company B


 * - 14th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company H, with men from the town of Forest, which is found in Fond du Lac County, Richland County, St. Croix County or Vernon County

World War II

 * Vernon County WI Army Enlistees AALGAARD - GARROW USGenWeb Archives
 * Vernon County WI Army Enlistees GEARY - LUNDE USGenWeb Archives
 * Vernon County WI Army Enlistees MACAULAY - SATHER USGenWeb Archives
 * Vernon County WI Army Enlistees SCHALDACH - ZUBE USGenWeb Archives

Newspapers

 * Vernon County Newspapers WIGenWeb project

Probate Records
Online Records


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

Repositories
See also a List of Wisconsin Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Societies

 * The Vernon County Historical Society (VCHS) is the officially recognized county organization for the preservation of Vernon County's historical heritage. A genealogical class is held on the 2nd Thursday of the month. Check the online schedule for date and time.


 * The Westby Area Historical Society (WAHS) meets on the first Monday of each month at 1:30 p.m. at the Thoreson House. Winter meetings are held at the Halvorson Apartments.

The first settlers arrived in Vernon County, Wisconsin in the 1840s, and many of their descendants are still in the area. Others have carried their heritage to the ends of the country and beyond. Our goal is to collect and preserve their stories, family artifacts and other memorabilia, and to educate future generations in the heritage of this community.

Birth Records

 * 1826 - 1926 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1820 - 1907 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1826 - 1908 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826-1908 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriage Records

 * 1836 - 1930 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1973 - 1997 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1973 - 1997 Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997 at Ancestry.com — index/images $

Divorce Records

 * 1965 - 1984 at FamilySearch.org — index

Death Records

 * 1867 - 1907 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1835 - 1968 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1820 - 1907 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1959 - 1997 at FamilySearch.org — index

Websites

 * Vernon County, WI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Vernon County WIGenWeb project
 * Vernon County Archives WIGenWeb Archives Project
 * Vernon County Archives WIGenWeb Archives Project