Clay County, South Dakota Genealogy

United States South Dakota Clay County

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

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County Courthouse
Clay County Courthouse 211 W Main Street PO Box 403 Vermillion, SD 57069 Phone: 605.677.2871 Register of Deeds has birth and death records from 1905, marriage records from 1880, land records from 1863 and burial records from 1962; Clerk Court has probate records from 1875, court records from 1866 and divorce records from 1889

Clay County, South Dakota Record Dates

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 * width="84%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" colspan="7" | Beginning Dates for Major County Records
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Birth*
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Marriage
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Death*
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Court
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Land
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Probate
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Census
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 * width="12%" align="center" |1870
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 * width="12%" align="center" |1870
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Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes
1862--Clay County was created 10 April 1862 from unorganized territory. County seat: Vermillion
 * 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

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History Timeline


Additional Information The county is named after U.S. Speaker of the House Henry Clay (1777-1852).

Census Records
1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, and 1945 censuses may include unique information: Ethnic Background, Maiden Name, Church Affiliation and Military Service
 * 1905 — at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
 * 1915 — at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
 * 1925 — at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
 * 1935 — at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
 * 1945 — at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images

Church Records
Lutheran


 * Records of Trinity Lutheran Church, Vermillion, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

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
 * 1861 - 1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * History of Clay County, South Dakota. 1976. By Herbert S. Schell. Vermillion, South Dakota : Clay County Historical Society. Online at:;.
 * Wakonda, S.D. centennial, 1885-1985. 1985. By Warren G Kuhler. Wakonda, South Dakota : Wakonda History Committee. Online at:;.

Probate Records
'''Online Records
 * 1800 – 1985 North Dakota and South Dakota Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Family History Centers

 * Vermillion South Dakota Family History Center

Societies
Clay County Historical Society Inc. 15 Austin St. Vermillion, SD 57069 E-mail: [mailto:claycohistory@yahoo.com claycohistory@yahoo.com] Website

Czech Heritage Preservation Society, Inc. Board of Directors and Officers Box 87 Tabor, SD 57063 Telephone: 605-589-3494 Website We have various old books, including a translation of a history book from the Czech language to English by our society. We have the first local newspaper on microfilm from the time it was started in 1905 until 1950. We also maintain several old log buildings in a park.

Tea Area Historical Society 27371-467th Ave. Lennox, SD 57039 Telephone :605-368-2455 Website Hours: By appointment Finding Aids:Card catalog, typewritten registers/inventories

Timber Lake and Area Historical Society  Timber Lake and Area Museum PO Box 181 Timber Lake, SD 57656 Telephone: 605-865-3553 Fax:605-865-3787 E-mail: [mailto:tlmuseum@sd.value.net tlmuseum@sd.value.net] Website Holdings:Agriculture, genealogy, local history, Native Americans, religion

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.