Fillmore County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Fillmore 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 Millard Fillmore, thirteenth President of the United States. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Fillmore County Courthouse 101 Fillmore St Preston, MN 55965 Phone: 507-765-3356 (Court Administration) Phone: 507-765-4701 Fillmore County Website

County Administrator has birth and death records from 1870, marriage records from 1865, divorce and court records from 1885 and probate records from 1858. County Recorder 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:

Biographies

 * Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; Willford, William; and White, Milo; History of Fillmore County, Minnesota; (Chicago: H.C. Cooper, Jr & Co; 1912); Volume two (biographical] online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books.

Census Records
State Census


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

 * FamilySearch Places

Lutheran
 * 1800-1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America at Minnesota Historical Society ($)
 * Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($) has the following information:
 * American Lutheran Church, Rushford
 * American Lutheran Church, Spring Valley
 * Bloomfield Lutheran Church, Ostrander
 * First Lutheran Church, Whalan
 * Greenfield Lutheran Church, Harmony
 * Henrytown Lutheran Church, Canton
 * Highland Prairie Lutheran Church, Peterson
 * Mabel Lutheran Church
 * Ostrander Lutheran Church

Court Records

 * 1853-1901 Miscellaneous records, 1853-1901 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.

Emigration and Immigration

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

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records


 * 1852-1908 Deed records, 1852-1908 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes; then select the camera icon to view images.
 * Pre-1908, U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)

Local Histories

 * Neill, Edward D. and Bryant, Charles S.; History of Fillmore County: including explorers and pioneers of Minnesota and outline history of the state of Minnesota; (Minneapolis: Minnesota Historical Company 1882); Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, HathiTrust.
 * Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; Willford, William; and White, Milo; History of Fillmore County, Minnesota; (Chicago: H.C. Cooper, Jr & Co; 1912); Volume one online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books; Ancestry Database ($)
 * Minnesota Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Minnesota Maps at David Rumsey Map Collections
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Fillmore County municipality and township maps

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 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 collection)
 * 1861-1865, U.S., Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free collection)
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota Civil War Soldiers at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection
 * 1861-1934 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 at Ancestry (free Index)

Civil War service men from Fillmore 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 Fillmore County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry (Mounted Rangers), Companies F and I.
 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Heavy Artillery, Company D.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Company A.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company A.
 * - 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company C.
 * - 5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company B.
 * - 6th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company K.
 * - 7th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company E.
 * - 8th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company D.
 * - 11th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company I.
 * - 15th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company K.
 * - Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Company D.

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1898-1899, U.S., Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at Ancestry (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 ($)
 * 1918-1941 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection.
 * In the Wold War: Fillmore County, Minnesota, (Lanesboro, Minn.: Ola M. Lavang); Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Minnesota Reflections, Internet Archive.

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, 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 Ancestry ($)
 * 1918 Web:, 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.
 * 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 Ancestry — index and 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 ($)
 * 1970-2003 Minnesota Divorce Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)

Family History Centers

 * Austin Minnesota Family History Center
 * Rochester Minnesota Family History Center
 * LaCrosse Wisconsin Family History Center
 * La Crosse Public Library-Archives Department - an affiliate library

Libraries
Fillmore County History Center and Genealogy Library 202 County Rd 8 Fountain MN 55935 507-268-4449 Website Chatfield Public Library 314 S Main St Chatfield, MN 55923 507-867-3480 E-mail:[mailto:chat_dir@selco.info chat_dir@selco.info] Website Harmony Public Library 225 3rd Avenue SW Harmony, MN 55939 507-886-8133 E-mail:[mailto:ssilvers@selco.info ssilvers@selco.info] Website Lanesboro Public Library 202 Parkway Ave S Lanesboro, MN 55949 507-467-2649 Website Mabel Public Library 110 E Newburg Mabel, MN 55954 507-493-5336 E-mail:[mailto:mab_dir@selco.info mab_dir@selco.info] Website Preston Public Library 101 St Paul St NW Preston, MN 55965 507-765-4511 Website Rushford Public Library 101 Mill St N Rushford, MN 55971 507-864-7600 Website Spring Valley Public Library 121 W Jefferson St Spring Valley, MN 55975 507-346-2100 E-mail:[mailto:sv_dir@selco.info sv_dir@selco.info] Website

Museums
Fillmore County Historical Center and Library 202 County Rd 8 Fountain, MN 55935 507-268-4449 Email: [mailto:director@fillmorecountyhistory.org director@fillmorecountyhistory.org] Website Canton Historical Society Mitson House Museum 307 N Main St Canton, MN 55922 Email: [mailto:cantonhist@comcast.net cantonhist@comcast.net] Website Canton Depot Intersection of Main Street and Prairie Avenue PO Box 15 Canton, MN 55922 Website Chatfield Historical Museum & Archives Thurber Community Center, Lower Level 21 Second St SE Chatfield, MN 55923 Website Veterans Memorial Museum Chatfield Public Library, Lower Level 314 S Main St Chatfield, MN 55923 507-867-9094 or 507-867-3756 Website Preston Historical Society Preston Open Air History Museum PO Box 138 Fillmore Street and Root River State Trail Preston, MN 55965 507-765-2559 Email:[mailto:prestonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com prestonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Website Rushford Area Historical Society Museum 401 S Elm St PO Box 98 Rushford, MN 55971-0098 507-864-7560 Email:[mailto:annespartz@yahoo.com nnespartz@yahoo.com] Facebook Spring Valley Community Historical Society Methodist Church Museum 221 W Courtland St Spring Valley, MN 55975 507-346-7659 Website Wykoff Area Historical Society Ed's Museum 100 Gold St S PO Box 182 Wykoff, MN 55990-8710 507-951-5734 Email:[mailto:cjbmeyer@gmail.com cjbmeyer@gmail.com] Website

Societies
Fillmore County Historical Society Museum and Library 202 County Road 8 Fountain, MN 55935 507-268-4449 E-mail:[mailto:director@fillmorecountyhistory.org director@fillmorecountyhistory.org] Website Harmony Area Historical Society PO Box 291 15 2nd Street NW Harmony, MN 55939 507-886-2469 Website Preston Historical Society PO Box 138 Preston MN 55965 E-mail:[mailto:prestonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com prestonhistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Website Rushford Area Historical Society 403 E North St Rushford, MN 55971 507-864-7560 Facebook Spring Valley Community Historical Society 220 W Courtland St Spring Valley MN 55975-1232 507-346-7659 Website

Websites

 * Minnesota Historical Society
 * Fillmore County at USGenWeb Archives
 * Fillmore County MNGenWeb, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Cyndi's List: Fillmore County
 * 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.