Houston County, Minnesota Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Sam Houston, who was president of Texas before its annexation by the United States and afterward was a senator from that state. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Houston County Courthouse 304 S Marshall St Caledonia, MN 55921 Phone: 507-724-7002 Houston County Website Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1870, marriage records from 1854, court records from 1856 and divorce records. Probate Judge has probate records. Register of Deeds has land records.

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
Lutheran Immanuel Lutheran Church, Caledonia
 * FamilySearch Places
 * Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($) has the following information:
 * Immanuel Lutheran Church, Caledonia
 * Trinity Lutheran Church, Spring Grove
 * Minnesota Historical Society has a Collection Finding Aid for the following:
 * Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: An Inventory of Selected Congregational Records of the American Lutheran Church in Minnesota

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 ($)

Local Histories

 * Neill, Edward D.; Bryant, Charles S.; History of Houston County: including explorers and pioneers ... (Minneapolis: Minnesota Historical Company, 1882) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, HathiTrust.
 * Palmquist, Anita Lee; Second subject and name index to History of Houston County, Minnesota, 1882 Online at FamilySearch Digital Library
 * History of Houston County at FamilySearch Catalog; scroll to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images; also available online at Internet Archive
 * Minnesota Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 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

Civil War service men from Houston 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 Houston County.
 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry (Mounted Rangers), Companies A and G.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies A and D.
 * - 6th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company K.
 * - 10th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company F.
 * - 11th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company K.

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, images ($)
 * 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 images ($)
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry; Free index, images ($)

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 index

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * LaCrosse Wisconsin FamilySearch Center
 * Rochester Minnesota FamilySearch Center
 * La Crosse Public Library-Archives Department - an affiliate library.
 * Rochester Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Houston Public Library 202 E Cedar P.O. Box 37 Houston, MN 55943 Phone: 507-896-7323 Website Caledonia Public Library 231 E Main St Caledonia, MN Phone: 507-725-2671 Website Hokah Public Library 57 Main St P.O. Box 503 Hokah, MN 55941 Phone: 507-894-2665 Website LaCrosse Public Library 800 Main St La Crosse, WI 54601 Phone: 608-789-7100 Email: [mailto:circdesk@lacrosselibrary.org circdesk@lacrosselibrary.org] Website

Museums
Houston County Historical Society Museum 104 History Lane Caledonia, MN 55921 Phone: 507-725-3884 Email: [mailto:hchs@acegroup.cc hchs@acegroup.cc] Website

Societies
Houston County Historical Society 104 History Ln Caledonia, MN 55921-1746 Phone: 507-725-3884 Email: [mailto:hchs@acegroup.cc hchs@acegroup.cc] Website La Crescent Area Historical Society 328 S Third St P.O. Box 193 La Crescent, MN 55947 Phone: 507-895-1857 Email: [mailto:lahs1857@gmail.com lahs1857@gmail.com] Website

Websites

 * Research Resources at Norwegian Ridge
 * Research at Minnesota Historical Society — links to Records and Indexes; See also MHS Wiki Page
 * MN USGenWeb Archives, an affiliate of USGenWebArchives.
 * Houston, MNGenWeb Project,a member of MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of USGenWeb Project.
 * 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.
 * – 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.