Jefferson County, Wisconsin Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Jefferson County, New York. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Jefferson County Courthouse 320 S Main Street Jefferson, WI 53549-1718 Phone: 920-674-7140 County Website Register of Deeds has birth and marriage records from 1850, death records from 1840 and land records from 1838. Clerk of Circuit Courts has divorce records from 1851 and court records from 1843. Register in Probate has probate records from 1840.

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:


 * Jefferson County Populated Places WIGenWeb Project

Biographies

 * Biographical index: 1879 History of Jefferson Co., WI USGenWeb Archives
 * Biographical index: Jefferson Co.-Wisconsin and It's People,Vol. II, 1917 USGenWeb Archives.
 * Links to Ten Biographies WIGenWeb Project
 * Links to Five Biographies USGenWeb Archives

Census Records

 * 1855 - 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. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1865 - 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. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1875 - Identifies head of household by name. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1885 - — 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. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1895 - — index and images. Identifies head of household by name. Other information is statistical. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1905 - — Name index and images of population. Enumerates by name all inhabitants. - How to Use this Collection

Church Records

 * List of Jefferson County Churches

Lutheran List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Johnson Creek, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
 * FamilySearch Places

Land and Property Records

 * Jefferson County, Wisconsin land ownership map, 1900
 * Wisconsin Land Patents Database, Jefferson County (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Surnames A-C
 * Surnames D-G
 * Surnames H-K
 * Surnames L-O
 * Surnames P-S
 * Surnames T-Z

Local Histories

 * Index to names in the History of Jefferson County, Wisconsin : illustrated, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879 map
 * The History of Jefferson County, Wisconsin : containing a history of Jefferson County ... ; also History of Wisconsin Viewable

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Wisconsin

Civil War

 * - 1st Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Companies E, I and L
 * - 3rd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Companies D, E and K
 * - 11th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company C
 * - 13th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Companies H and I

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization records, 1877-1949, Jefferson County, Wisconsin Viewable

Newspapers
For Dodge and Jefferson counties, order newspaper clippings from Dodge/Jefferson Counties Genealogical Society

Obituaries

 * List of Jefferson County Obituaries WIGenWeb project
 * Selected Jefferson County Obituaries USGenWeb Archives

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1800–1987 Wisconsin Wills and Probate Records 1800-1987 at Ancestry — images and index $
 * 1848–1948  at FamilySearch — images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1851-1949 Jefferson County, Wisconsin Index to Wills 1851-1949

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

 * 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1826-1908 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826-1908 at Ancestry — index $
 * 1826-1926 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
 * Births, Partial, Jefferson County USGenWeb Archives

Marriage

 * 1836-1911 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1836-1930 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
 * 1973-1997 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1973-1997 Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997 at Ancestry — index/images $


 * Jefferson County, Wisconsin bride &amp; groom index This has a groom and then a bride index; marriage date is included in index. Contents: [vol. 1]. Vol. A, 1833 (2), 1840-1846 (384), 1851-1855 (10) -- [v. 2]. Vol. B, 1846-1848 -- [v. 3]. Vol. C, 1848-1856 -- [v. 4]. Vol. E, 1852-1867 -- [v. 5]. Vol. F, 1848-1868. Vols. 1-3 bound together as 1 vol.; vols. 4-5 bound together also.

Death

 * 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1835-1968 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1851-1949 Jefferson County, Wisconsin index to wills 1851 - 1949
 * 1867-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
 * 1959-1997 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Divorce

 * 1965-1984 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Archives

 * Special Collections, Area Research Center, University Archives Anderson Library, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater 800 West Main Street P.O. Box 900 Whitewater, WI 53190-0900 Telephone: 262-472-5520 Email: [mailto:archives@uww.edu archives@uww.edu] Website

Libraries

 * Anderson Library, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater Special Collections, Area Research Center, University Archives 800 West Main Street P.O. Box 900 Whitewater, WI 53190-0900 Telephone: 262-472-5520 Email: [mailto:archives@uww.edu archives@uww.edu] Website

Societies

 * Bark River Woods Historical Society W4080 St Rd 106 Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-9681 Phone: 920-563-4773
 * Concord Historical Society, Inc. PO Box 561 Watertown, WI 53094 Website
 * Palmyra Historical Society Main & Third Streets PO Box 265 Palmyra, WI 53156-0265 Phone: 262-495-4245 or 262-495-2412 Website
 * Other Historical Societies

Websites

 * Jefferson County, WI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Jefferson County, WIGenWeb project
 * Jefferson County, USGenWeb Archives
 * - 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