Clay County, Minnesota Genealogy

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 is named after U.S. Speaker of the House Henry Clay (1777-1852), a 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: 218-299-5012 Clay County Website

Birth, marriage, death and land records from 1872, Military records from 1917, Divorce and court records from 1931, and Probate records from 1885

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

 * Turner, John; Semling, C. Knut; History of Clay and Norman counties, Minnesota, their people, industries, ..., (Indianapolis, Indiana: B.F. Bowen & Company, 1918); Volume two online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Alphabetical listing at Historical & Cultural Society of Clay County.
 * Minnesota, Clay County, biography files, 1950's-1980's; Online at FamilySearch Library Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.

Census Records
State Census


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

Emigration and Immigration

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

Funeral Homes

 * Dobmeier Funeral Home - Barnesville
 * Korsmo Funeral Service - Moorhead
 * Wright Funeral Home - Hawley, MN, Moorhead, MN

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1872-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * Pre-1908, U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)

Local Histories

 * Turner, John; Semling, C. Knut; History of Clay and Norman counties, Minnesota, their people, industries, ..., (Indianapolis, Indiana: B.F. Bowen & Company, 1918); Volume one online at FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)
 * Clay County, veteran's record of service card file, 1940

Civil War


 * 1861-1865 U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free collection)
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota, 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 collection)

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota, 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.

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 ($)
 * 1942 - U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1940-Clay County, veteran's record of service card file, 1940

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.
 * 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.

School Records
Online School Indexes and 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 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

 * Detroit Lakes Minnesota Family History Center
 * Fargo North Dakota Family History Center
 * Lake Agassiz Regional Library - Moorhead Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Park Rapids Minnesota Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries

 * Lake Agassiz Regional Library 118 5th Street S Moorhead, MN 56560-2756 Phone: 218-233-3757 or 800-247-0449 Website
 * Fargo Public Libraries Main Library 102 3rd Street N Fargo, ND 58102 Phone: 701-241-1472 Website

Museums

 * The Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center 202 1st Ave N Moorhead, MN 56560 Phone: 218-299-5515 Website
 * Ulen Historical Museum PO Box 403 35 1st St NW Ulen, MN 56585 Phone: 218 596-8121 Email: [mailto:visitor@ulenmuseum.com visitor@ulenmuseum.com] Website

Societies

 * Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County The Hjemkomst Center 202 First Ave N Moorhead, MN 56560 Phone: 218-299-5511 Website
 * Barnesville Heritage Society P.O. Box 126 412 6 Street NE Barnesville, MN 56514 Phone: 218-354-2364
 * Northwest Minnesota Historical Center Minnesota State University 1104 7th Avenue S Moorhead, MN 56563 Phone: 800-593-7246 Website

Websites

 * The Clay County MNGenWeb Project, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * PeopleFINDER (Family History) at Minnesota Historical Society
 * USGenWeb Archives for Clay County.
 * Clay County at Cyndi's List
 * Minnesota Genealogy Trails
 * 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.
 * Historical & Cultural Society of 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.