Barron County, Wisconsin Genealogy

Guide to Barron County Wisconsin genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

United States Wisconsin  Barron County



Historical Facts
1869 - Barron County was created 4 March 1869 by the renaming of Dallas County. County seat: Barron

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Wisconsin County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Wisconsin County Boundary Maps" (1790-1961) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Township Organization


 * Barron County embraces twenty-five Government survey township, divided into twenty-three political towns. Each of the political towns coincides witha Government survey township, except Maple Grove, Chetek, Dallas and Dovre, which occupy one and a half Government survey township.
 * Barron Township occupies Township 34, Range 12. The entire county originally embraced but one town, called Dallas. Feb. 6, 1869, the county board ordered that the name of the town should be changed to Barron.
 * Chetek Township occupies Township 33, Range 10; and the east half of Township 33, Range 11. The town was created March 30, 1874. It then consisted of Township 32, Range 11; and all of the east half of Township 33, Range 11, lying south and west of Lake Chetek.
 * Sumner Township occupies Township 34, Range 10. The town was created March 30, 1874, and then consisted of the north half of Township 33, Range 10; Township 34, Range 10; the west half of Township 35, Range 10; all that part of Township 33, Range 11, lying north and east of Lake Chetek; and Sections 23, 24, 25, 26, 36, in Township 34, Range 11.
 * Stanfold Township occupies Township 35, Range 12. The town was created March 30 1874. It then embaraced Township 36, Ranges 10 and 11; the west half of Township 35, Range 10; the eastern third of Township 35, Range 11.
 * Prairie Farm Township occupies Township 32, Range 13. The town was created March 30, 1874. It then embraced Townships 32 and 33, Range 13; and Townships 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, Range 14.
 * Dallas Township occupies Township 32, Range 12. Originally the whole county was known as Dallas. The name was changed to Barron on Feb. 6, 1869, and then there was no Dallas Township until March 30, 1874, when the present Dallas Township was created with its present boundaries.
 * Lakeland Township occupies Township 36, Range 13. It was created Dec. 30 1975, and embraced Townships 34, 35 and 36, Range 14; Township 35, Range 13; and Sections 31, 32, 33 and 34 in Township 36, Range 13. It will be seen that the town as thus created embraced but four sections of the present township. The first town meeting was ordered held at the home of R. H. Clothier, in Section 18, Township 35, Range13. Jan. 1, 1880, the name of the town was changed to Cumberland. for some years there was no Lakeland Township. Nov. 10, 1901, a new Lakeland Township was created, embracing Township 36, Ranges 13 and 14.
 * Rice Lake Township occupies Township 35, Range 11. Then town was created March 30, 1874. It embraced the western two-thirds of Township 35, Range 11; all of Township 35 and 36, Range 12; Township 36, Range 13; and all of Township 34, Range 11, except Sections 23, 24, 25, 26, 35 and 36. The first town meeting was ordered held in the court house. The name of the town was changed to Stanley by a vote of the county board, on May 11, 1882. then 1895, the voters of Township 35, Range 11, expressed themselves favorable to a separation from the then town of Stanfold, and the county board confirmed the act Nov. 10, 1896.
 * Prairie Farm Township occupies Township 32, Range 13. The town was created March 30, 1874. It then embraced Townships 32 and 33, Range 13; and Townships 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, Range 14.
 * Dallas Township occupies Township 32, Range 12. Originally the whole county was known as Dallas. The name was changed to Barron on Feb. 6, 1869, and then there was no Dallas Township until March 30, 1874.
 * Lakeland Township occupies Township 36, Range 13. It was created Dec. 30, 1875, and embraced Townships 34, 35 and 36, Range 14; Township 35, Range 13; and Sections 31, 32, 33 and 34 in Township 36, Range 13.It will be seen that the town as thus created embraced but four sections of the present township. The first town meeting was ordered held at the home of R. H. Clothier, in Section 18, Township 35, Range 13. Jan 1, 1880, the name of the Township. Nov. 10, 1901, a new Lakeland Township was created, embracing Township 36, Ranges 13 and 14.
 * Cedar Lake Township occupies Township 36, Range 10. It was created March 21, 1876, and then embraced Townships 35 and 36, Range 10.
 * Maple Grove Township occupies Township 33, Range 12; and the west half of Township 33, Range 11. It was created with its present boundaries, March 22, 1876.
 * Clinton Township occupies Township 34, Range 13. It was created March 22, 1876, and then embraced the north half of Township 33, Range 13, and all of Township 34, Range 13.
 * Turtle Lake Township occupies Township 33, Range 14. It was created May 9, 1879, and occupied Townships 33 and 34, Range 14.
 * Dovre Township occupies Township 32, Range 10; and the east half of Township 32, Range 11. It was created Nov. 13, 1879, and embraced Township 32, Range 10; and all of Township 32, Range 11, east of the Menomonie (Red Cedar) River.
 * Vance Creek Township occupies Township 32, Range 14. It was created Jan. 3, 1882, with its present area.
 * Stanley Township embraces Township 34, Range 11. The name came into existence May 11, 1882, when the board ordered that the old town of Rice Lake, created March 30, 1874, should henceforth be known as Stanley. Later another Rice Lake Township was created.
 * Oak Grove Township occupies Township 36, Range 11. it was created Nov. 11, 1884, to take effect March 31, 1885. It embraced Township 36, Range 11 and 12.
 * Almena Township embraces Township 34, Range 14. It was set off from Turtle Lake on Nov. 8, 1899.
 * Bear Lake Township embraces Township 36, Range 12. It was created from Oak Grove Township, Nov. 12, 1901.
 * Crystal Lake Township embraces Township 35, Range 14. The county duly created the new township on Nov. 12, 1902.
 * Doyle Township embraces Township 35, Range 10, west. The new town of Doyle, named for John J. Doyle, a pioneer, was accordingly created by the county board on Nov. 12, 1903.
 * Arland Township embraces Township 33, Range 13. It was set off from Clinton and Prairie Farm by the county board on Nov. 16, 1904.
 * Maple Plain Township embraces Township 36, Range 14. It was set off from Lakeland by the county board on Nov. 15, 1906.

Neighboring Counties
Burnett • Chippewa • Dunn • Polk • Rusk • St. Croix • Sawyer • Washburn



Record Loss
For a list of record loss in Wisconsin Counties see: Wisconsin Counties with Burned Courthouses

Originial Death Books at Barron County Deeds Office Death Vol.: C, Number of pages are unknown, Vol. E, Number of pages are unknown. Books were taken home by someone and never returned. It is unknown to when this had taken place.

Cemeteries

 * Barron County Cemeteries
 * Wayside Cemetery Index
 * Listing of Cemeteries and Sextons in Barron County

Census Records

 * Barron County Census Records WIGenWeb project

State Census

 * 1855 Wisconsin State Census 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.
 * 1865 Wisconsin State Census 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.
 * 1875 Wisconsin State Census Identifies head of household by name.
 * 1885 Wisconsin State Census 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.
 * 1895 Wisconsin State Census Index and images. Identifies head of household by name. Other information is statistical.
 * 1905 Wisconsin State Census Name index and images of population. Enumerates by name all inhabitants.

Church Records
Directory of Churches in Barron WI

Barron County Churches Part of the Wisconsin GenWeb Project

Lutheran
The Norwegian Lutheran Church in Barron County Part of the Wisconsin GenWeb Project.


 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Barron County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Dovre Lutheran Church


 * Records of Dovre Lutheran Church in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Maps



 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Wisconsin
 * Family Maps of Barron County, Wisconsin (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Newspapers
Barron County News-Shield: established in 1876

Barron County News: established in 1900

Newspapers on film available: 6 Oct 1876 - May 2009

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1800 – 1987 Wisconsin Wills and Probate Records 1800-1987 at Ancestry.com — images and index $
 * 1848 – 1948 at FamilySearch — images

Repositories
See also a List of Wisconsin Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Courthouse
Barron County Register of Deeds Room 2500 330 E. LaSalle Avenue Barron, WI 54812 Phone: 715-537-6211 Fax: 715-537-6817

Libraries
Barron Public Library 10 North 3rd St Barron, WI 54812 phone 715-537-3881 This site has links to genealogy information.

Societies
Barron County Historical Society 1870 13 1/2 Ave Cameron 54822-9511 Website

Blue Hills Genealogical Society-Barron County, Inc. established in 2002 P.O. Box 383 Cameron, Wi 54822 Website

Area Research Center - University of Wisconsin Stout, Library Learning Center University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI 54751 Phone: 715/232-2300 Website

Family History Centers

 * Barron Wisconsin Family History Center

Vital Records
Barron County Clerk 330 E La Salle Avenue Barron, WI 54812-1591 Phone. 715.537.6200 Register  of Deeds has birth, marriage, death and land records; Register in Probate has probate records; Clerk of Courts has court records

Barron County database: Index to birth, marriages, death, and divorce records from local newspapers and covers the years 1900-1950.

Birth Records

 * 1826 - 1926 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1820 - 1907 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1826 - 1908 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826-1908 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriage Records

 * 1836 - 1930 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1973 - 1997 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1973 - 1997 Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997 at Ancestry.com — index/images $

Divorce Records

 * 1965 - 1984 at FamilySearch.org — index

Death Records

 * 1867 - 1907 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1835 - 1968 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1820 - 1907 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1959 - 1997 at FamilySearch.org — index

Web Sites

 * Barron County, WI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Barron County GenWeb
 * Barron County GenWeb