Brown County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Brown 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 Joseph Renshaw Brown, a member of the Governor's Council of Minnesota in 1855. The County is located in the south-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Brown County Courthouse 14 S State St New Ulm, MN 56073 Phone: 507-233-6600 Brown County Website County Recorder has birth and death records from 1870, marriage records from 1857 and land records. Clerk District Court has divorce and probate records from 1856 and court records from 1885. Minnesota Historical Society has naturalization 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 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

 * FamilySearch Places

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

 * Minnesota County History Name Index at Ancestry ($)
 * Minnesota Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com
 * Fritsche, L.A., History of Brown County, Minnesota: its people, industries and institutions ..., (Marceline, Mo.,: Walsworth, 1976); Digital image at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, HathiTrust

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
Civil War

Civil War service men from Brown 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 Brown County.
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota, 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 collection)


 * -1st Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry (Mounted Rangers), Company L.
 * -2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies G and M.
 * -2nd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company G.

Spanish American War
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota, Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at Ancestry (Free Index)

World War I
 * 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 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, 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

 * 1855-1990 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, 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

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
To locate the closest family history center or affiliate library, use the link listed above.

Libraries
Comfrey Area Library 306 Brown St W Comfrey, MN 56019 Website

Hanska Public Library 201 W 2nd Street Hanska, MN 56041 507-439-6248 Website

New Ulm Public Library 17 N Broadway New Ulm, MN 56073 507-359-8331 Website

Dyckman Free Library 200 Main St E Sleepy Eye, MN 56085 507-794-3731 Email:[mailto:@DyckmanFreeLibrary @DyckmanFreeLibrary] Website

Springfield Public Library 120 N Cass Ave Springfield, MN 56087 507-723-3510 Website

Museums
Brown County Historical Society Museum 2 N Broadway New Ulm, MN 56073 507-233-2616 Website

Societies

 * Brown County Historical Society 2 N Broadway St New Ulm, MN 56073-1714 Phone: 507-233-2616 Website
 * Comfrey Area Historical Society P.O. Box 218 Comfrey, MN 56019-0218 Email: [mailto:info@lakesnwoods.com info@lakesnwoods.com] Website
 * Sleepy Eye Area Historical Society 100 Oak St P.O. Box 544 Sleepy Eye, MN 56085 Phone: 507-794-5053 Blog
 * Springfield Area Historical Society P.O. Box 113 11 West Central Street Springfield, MN 56087 Phone: 507-723-6121 or 507-723-5396 Facebook

Websites

 * Brown County MNGenWeb Project, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The 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.
 * USGenWeb Archives for Brown County.
 * Brown County at Cyndi's List
 * Research at Minnesota Historical Society — links to Records and Indexes; See also MHS Wiki Page
 * – 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.