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

Description
The County was named for the American statesman Henry Clay, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clay County Courthouse 807 11th Street North Moorhead, MN 56560 Phone: 218-299-5002 (Administration) Phone: 218-299-5031 Clay County Website County Recorder has:
 * Birth, marriage, death and land records from 1872
 * Military records from 1917

Court Administration has:
 * Divorce and court records from 1931
 * Probate records from 1885

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 Minnesota, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1905 Minnesota, Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1865 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


 * FamilySearch Places

Emigration and Immigration

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

Land and Property Records

 * 1872-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection

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

Local Histories

 * Biographies of Clay and Norman County, Minnesota 1918Online biographical sketches of Clay and Norman county residents taken from the book A History of Clay and Norman Counties, Minnesota Vol. 2, pub. by B. F. Bowen and Co.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Maps at David Rumsey Map Collections

Military Records
Online Civil War Indexes and Records
 * 1861-1865 U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota, Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota Civil War Soldiers at Ancestry ($)
 * 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection

Spanish-American War''
 * 1861-1934 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)

World War I''
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota, Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at Ancestry (Free index)
 * 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
 * 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 ($)
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry ($)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1849-1985 Web: Minnesota, Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1872-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1880-1920 Minnesota, Federal Naturalization Records, 1880-1920 at Ancestry ($)
 * 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 FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1865-2006 at FamilySearch — 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 Minnesota, Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection - Three Minnesota counties are not in this collection: Hennepin, Marshall, and St. Louis.

School Records
Online Records
 * 1909-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

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 Minnesota, Births and Christenings Index, 1840-1980 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1900-1934 Minnesota People Records Search select Birth Records (1900-1934, at Minnesota Historical Society — Index only, search by name, date, a related surname, or county.
 * 1900-1934 Minnesota, Birth Index, 1900-1934 at MyHeritage($) — index
 * 1935-2000 Minnesota, Birth Index, 1935-2000 at Ancestry ($)

Marriage

 * 1850-2019 WEB: Minnesota, Marriages from the Minnesota Official Marriage System, 1850-2019 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1860 1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1885-present Minnesota Official Marriage System at mn.gov — search by county, name or date, and request copy.
 * 1970-2003 Minnesota Marriage Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archive ($)
 * 1976-2003 Minnesota, Marriages, 1976-2003 at MyHeritage($) — 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, Death Index, 1904-2001 at MyHeritage($) — index

Libraries
Northwest Minnesota Historical Center Minnesota State University 1104 7th Avenue South Moorhead, MN 56563 Phone: 800-593-7246
 * Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County The Hjemkomst Center 202 First Avenue North Moorhead, MN 56560 Phone: 218-299-5511 Website
 * Barnesville Heritage Society PO Box 126 412 6 St NE Barnesville, MN 56514 Phone: 218-354-2364
 * Ulen Historical Museum PO Box 182 Ulen MN 56585 Phone: 218 596-8121
 * Red River Valley Genealogical Society PO Box 9284 112 N University Drive, Suite L116 Fargo, ND 58106 Phone: 701-239-4129 Website

Websites

 * Clay County GenWeb
 * Cyndi's List: Clay County
 * – 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.