Hennepin County, Minnesota Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Father Louis Hennepin. The County is located in the east-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Hennepin County Government Center is the courthouse and primary county government administration building for Hennepin County.

Hennepin County Government Center 300 S 6th Street Minneapolis, MN 55487-0001 Phone: 612-348-3000; Fourth Judicial District Court: 612-348-6000; Hennepin County Service Centers: 612-348-8240; Hennepin County Vital Records: 612-348-8919 Hennepin County Website

The Hennepin County Government Center has birth and death records. Contact the Hennepin County Service Centers for more information.

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:

History Timeline

 * 1659 to 15 November 1880 "Principal Events Chronologically Arranged" Chapter LXXXV pages 662-668 in History of Hennepin County and the city of Minneapolis: including the explorers and pioneers ... (Minneapolis: North Star Publishing Company, 1881)
 * 1670 to 23 April 1923 "Chronological Summary" pages 682-687 in History of Minneapolis: Gateway to the Northwest, Vol 1. (Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co, 1923)

Biographies
For guidance and links to biographies in Minnesota, see Minnesota Biography.


 * late 1800s-1990s Minneapolis and Hennepin County Biography Files at Hennepin County Library Special Collections. See sidebar for extensive alphabetical listing.


 * 1849-current |Hennepin|"Minnesota Legislators Past & Present" at the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
 * MNopedia An online site provided by MN Historical Society. Use keyword "hennepin" and category "person".


 * Tales from Pioneers & Soldiers Cemetery is a collection of articles (over 190) written for The Friends of the Cemetery, and published in the Phillips Neighborhood newsletter, The Alley. Biographical sketches available online at Alley Articles and Tales from Pioneers & Soldiers Cemetery.
 * History of the bench and bar of Minnesota, Chapter 6 "Minneapolis and Hennepin County" 1904. Comprehensive biographies.
 * History of Minneapolis: Gateway to the Northwest. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co, 1923. Vol 2 and Vol 3.
 * A history of the Swedish-Americans of Minnesota Vol II Minneapolis comprehensive biographies pp 495-764. Continues in Vol III pp 767-853.
 * Proceedings and Report of the Annual Meetings of the Minnesota Territorial Pioneers, May 11, 1899 and 1900: With an Account of the Building and Dedication of the Log Cabin, the Names of the Builders, the Names of the Officers and Members of the Association, and Biographical Sketches of Territorial Pioneers. 1901. Members are listed by county and includes year of settlement.
 * Progressive Men of Minnesota. Mpls. Journal, 1897. Use keyword hennepin. Comprehensive biographies.
 * Hennepin Bios transcribed from various books and posted by The Hennepin County Minnesota Biographies Project.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * 1865 Minnesota Gazetteer and Business Directory, for 1865: Containing a List of Cities, Villages, and Post Offices in the State; a List of Business Firms; State and County Organizations. Search keyword "Hennepin" for 99 results.  Persons are listed alphabetically under their residence, i.e. St. Anthony - Broad, Elisha manufacturer of edge tools, Hennepin Island, and again listed alphabetically under occupation, i.e. Edge Tool Manufacturer - Broad Elisha, Saint Anthony, Hennepin.
 * 1866-2016 General Mills archives A Golden Valley-based, multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer foods that began as Minneapolis Milling Company. See also "Washburn A Mill Explosion, 1878" at MNopedia
 * 1884 List of Public Notaries in Commission Aug. 1, 1884 at Hennepin County Genealogy Trails.
 * 1884-1997 (bulk 1910-1979) Northrup King Company Records at Minnesota Historical Society's Gale Family Library. A Minneapolis-based company engaged in the wholesale seed and livestock feed business. Collection includes employee information.
 * 1885-2000 Honeywell, Inc: An Inventory of Its Records at Minnesota Historical Society's Gale Family Library. The company began in Minneapolis as a manufacturer of heat-regulating mechanisms called "thermostats" and expanded into the fields of scientific instruments and controls, moving into global markets, and entering into the manufacture of munitions, aerospace, information, and security systems.
 * Businesses and Entrepreneurs at Hennepin County Genealogy Trails. Compilation from multiple sources.

Cemeteries

 * 1860-1926 at FamilySearch-How to Use this Collection; index and images. This is the oldest cemetery in Minneapolis (first burial 1853) and currently referred to as Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery. The Friends of the Cemetery support its preservation; their website includes a burial search and historical articles.
 * 1870-current Fort Snelling National Cemetery at National Cemetery Administration; includes a history of the cemetery and a "Grave Locator" on the right sidebar.
 * 1871-current Lakewood Cemetery is located in Minneapolis and serves a large area. Website includes a search feature to find a burial or grave.
 * Bloomington Cemetery Recorded for GenWeb Tombstone Project 1999 by Pamela Davies at Hennepin County, Minnesota USGenWeb Archives. 1846 records listed.
 * Champlin Cemetery list of burials from records at Hennepin County, Minnesota USGenWeb Archives. Burials after 1904 without headstones are not included.
 * Faith Presbyterian Cemetery, Minnetonka; listing at Hennepin County, Minnesota USGenWeb Archives. 798 records listed.
 * Greenlawn Cemetery, Summit Park Cemetery, and Unitarian Universalist Cemetery all in Wayzata and transcribed by Girl Scout Troop #1241 at Hennepin County, Minnesota USGenWeb Archives.
 * Nigler Cemetery transcription by Boy Scout Troop #579 Osseo American Legion at Hennepin County Genealogy Trails.

Census Records
Territorial and State Census Minnesota Territory and State censuses for Hennepin County [1857-1905] are indexed and have images at Minnesota Historical Society. The site's feature, "Minnesota People Records Search", is excellent for comparing spellings and improving search results.
 * 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 Hennepin County Agriculture, and Industry censuses; Federal Non-Population Census microfilm at Gale Family Library, MN Historical Society.
 * 1870 Federal Census Non-Population Schedules for Agriculture and Industry images online at HeritageQuest (free with a Hennepin County Library card) and Ancestry ($)
 * 1835-1890 Minnesota, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1905 Minnesota, U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1857 Minnesota Territorial Census, 1857 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 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.
 * 1895 Minnesota State Census 1895 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1904 Register of Electors Minneapolis 7th District Ward 9, 1904 at FamilySearch Includes election judges’ signatures, electors, length of time in precinct, and naturalization dates.
 * 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Church Records
Baptist
 * FamilySearch Places

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * 1909-1999 Temple Baptist Church Collection at Hennepin History Museum. Minneapolis.

Congregational

Episcopal
 * 1857-1976 Collection on Plymouth Congregational Church at Hennepin County Library Special Collections; the collection overview includes church history, list of ministers, and founding members; the collection (5 boxes) "documents the life and death of parishioners".


 * Fifty Years of Church Work in the Diocese of Minnesota, 1857-1907. (St. Paul, Minn.: The Diocese, 1937.) See St Anthony Falls Mission in chapter 21, pages 180-208 at HathiTrust.
 * Episcopal Church. Minnesota Diocese. Parish record books. at Minnesota Historical Society's Gale Family Library. The collection includes Eden Prairie: Shepherd of the Prairie Episcopal Mission, Excelsior: Trinity Chapel, Hassan: St. John's Episcopal Church, Minneapolis: All Saints Episcopal Church, Minneapolis: Bishop Whipple Memorial Church, Minneapolis: Christ Episcopal Church Mission, Minneapolis: Grace Episcopal Church, Minneapolis: St. Ansgarius Church, Minneapolis: St. Johannes Episcopal Church, Minneapolis: St. Johannes Episcopal Church, Minneapolis: St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Minneapolis: St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, and Rockford: Breck Memorial Chapel. Parish registers typically include records of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials.

Lutheran
 * Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($) has the following information:
 * Bethany Lutheran Church, Minneapolis
 * Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis
 * Gethsemane Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Minneapolis
 * Immanuel Lutheran Church, Minneapolis
 * Liberty Evangelical Lutheran Church, Minneapolis
 * 1872-1937 Minnesota Historical Society has microfilmed records of Our Savior's Lutheran Church of Hopkins, Oak Grove of Richfield and 20 churches in Minneapolis written in Norwegian prior to 1925, and English thereafter.

Methodist


 * History of Methodism in Minnesota, available online at Internet Archive.
 * Planted United Methodist Roots in Minnesota, 1837-2018 A compilation with brief history of every Methodist congregation past and current in Minnesota. A 658 page pdf; use control F with keyword Hennepin.
 * Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church at 122 West Franklin Avenue, Suite 400 Minneapolis, MN 55404; info@minnesotaumc.org (612) 870-0058. Website.

Presbyterian


 * The history of Westminster Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis, Minnesota: and of the celebration of its fiftieth anniversary, 1857-August-1907, available online at HathiTrust.
 * Name index extracted from Marshall, Albert B. History of the First Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1835-1910. Minneapolis, Minn: Minnesota Print. Co, 1910. Print. Provided by USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1888-2001 Andrew Church and Riverside Church Collection at Hennepin History Museum.

Court Records
The district court has retained files dealing with family matters (including divorce, annulment, adoption, illegitimacy, and change of name), land, city charters, probate court appeals, and trusts, and destroyed many files dealing with miscellaneous money judgments.

The Minnesota Historical Society has records for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th judicial districts prior to statehood. This includes:
 * Minutes, 1853-1858
 * Judgment books, 1853-1861
 * Judgment docket books, 1853-1857
 * Register of Actions, 1856-1858
 * Civil Case Files, 1853-1858

Directories
Online Directories
 * 1749-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1859-1950 Minneapolis City Directories at Hennepin County Library
 * 1865-1923 Minneapolis City Directories 1865-1923 at fold3 ($)
 * 1867 Merwin's Directory of Minneapolis and St. Anthony at Google Books
 * 1880-1881 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1894 1894 Reference Book of Merchants' Credit Protective Union: 705-6-7 Lumber Exchange, Minneapolis, Minnesota at Google Books
 * 1933-1977 St. Louis Park City Directories at Hennepin County Library
 * 1941-1977 Edina City Directories at Hennepin County Library
 * 1942-1977 Hopkins City Directories at Hennepin County Library

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1850-1970 The Digitizing Immigrant Letters Project Provided by University of Minnesota
 * 1912-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * 1850s-present Upper Midwest Jewish Archives. Includes the everyday lives of families, Jewish-run businesses, religious communities, and advocacy organizations. Materials include books, institutional administrative records, synagogue records, rabbi's papers, family papers, correspondence, personal publications, scrapbooks, moving images, and photographs. Provided by University of Minnesota.
 * 1890s-present Social Welfare History Archives. Social work, immigrant and working class communities, poverty and public health programs, youth and child welfare, unemployment, public assistance, and other social issues. Provided by University of Minnesota.
 * A Heritage Deferred: The German-Americans in Minnesota at Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) Archive. Back pages include an extensive bibliography.
 * 1873-1985 Minnehaha Grange No. 398 at Gale Family Library in 8 boxes; includes membership lists. The Grange is the oldest American agricultural advocacy group with a national scope.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1849-present Federal land conveyance records for the Public Land States (Minnesota) online at US Bureau of Land Management. Online index and images.
 * 1848-1914 Hennepin County Land Records, Deed Records, Grantee Indexes at FamilySearch - images.
 * Pre-1908 Minnesota, Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories
Additional local publications written or provided by local societies are denoted with ♦ on the Society list; see contents.
 * Folsom, William H. C, and E E. Edwards. Fifty Years in the Northwest: With an Introduction and Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents, and Notes. St. Paul: Pioneer Press Co, 1888. Chapter 19 "Hennepin County" pp 497-531. Online at Internet Archive.
 * Holcombe, Return Ira, Compendium of history and biography of Carver and Hennepin counties, Minnesota, (Chicago: Henry Taylor & Co., 1915); Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * Holcombe, Return Ira; Bingham, William H.; Loring, Charles M.; Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota (Chicago: Hanry Taylor & Co., 1914) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Internet Archive.
 * Shutter, Marion D. History of Minneapolis: Gateway to the Northwest. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co, 1923. Vol 1 at HathiTrust
 * Stevens, John. Personal Recollections of Minnesota and Its People and Early History of Minneapolis. With Biographical, Memoranda and Letters to Col. John H. Stevens Selected by Marshal Robinson. 1890. Online at Internet Archive.
 * Warner, George E; Foote, C.M.; Neill, Edward D.; Williams, John Fletcher; History of Hennepin County and the city of Minneapolis: including the explorers and pioneers ... (Minneapolis: North Star Publishing Company, 1881) Online at  FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Internet Archive, Google Books.
 * Zellie, Carole. The Lowry Hill Neighborhood of Minneapolis: Historic Context Study. St. Paul, MN: Landscape Research, 2006. Online pdf (81 pgs) at local site.
 * Minnesota Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com

Maps and Gazetteers
Online maps
 * 1823-2007 Map Collection at Hennepin County Library: the bulk of the collection documents Minneapolis, but Hennepin County suburbs and the entire Twin Cities metropolitan area are often included.
 * 1848-1857 Minnesota Government Land Office Historic Plat Map Retrieval System. These are the first official records of land boundaries in Minnesota.  According to the Bureau of Land Management, surveying defines, retraces or re-establishes the boundaries and subdivisions of Federal Lands of the United States.  It is also the art and science of measuring the land to locate the limits of an owner's interest.  On the sidebar, click download by county and select Hennepin; there are 64 zip files (identified by township and range) to view if downloaded.


 * Hennepin County historic and current section maps: coverage of Section Map information within Hennepin County. Each Section Map provides links to pdf documents for: Current 1/2 & 1/8 Parcel Maps, Historic Parcel Maps, and Section Sheets.
 * 1850-2020 Hennepin County chart of plat map and county atlas holdings at John R. Borchert Map Library; includes online links if available. Also access digitized maps directly (sidebar "counties beginning with H).
 * 1856 City of St. Anthony and Minneapolis at Minnesota Digital Library; important reference to accompany historical texts on development of the city.
 * 1874 T.A. Andreas: Hennepin County in Minnesota State Atlas at David Rumsey Map Collections
 * 1879 Panoramic view of the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota at Library of Congress. Identifies 124 locations (schools, churches, public buildings, and businesses) in sharp magnification.
 * 1885 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota online at Library of Congress. Sanborn maps were originally created to help insure particular properties against fire. They are detailed maps showing the footprint and construction materials of residences, industrial sites, and commercial buildings.  Property boundaries, building use, house and block numbers, as well as names and widths of streets are notated in these maps. Additional years online are 1889 1912 Vol. 5, 1912 - Dec 1950
 * 1887 Map of Ramsey and Washington counties : with adjacent portions of Anoka, Dakota & Hennepin counties, Minnesota, and parts of St. Croix & Pierce counties, Minnesota at Library of Congress. This map includes the names of property owners in Brooklyn, Champlin, Crystal, Golden Valley, St. Louis Park, Richfield, and Bloomington; also large land holders in Minneapolis. Houses and public buildings are marked; roads, railroads, and boundaries are clear. The map magnifies sharply.
 * 1891 Bird's eye view of Minneapolis at Library of Congress. Identifies 53 major locations in sharp magnification.
 * 1892 Minneapolis Plat Book at Minnesota University libraries.
 * 1898 P. M. Dahl Plat Book of Hennepin County; colored maps compiled and drawn from official records and actual surveys; includes index and patrons' directory. The digitized maps are interactive and transcribed by Minnesota Historical Society and posted in Minnesota Digital Library.
 * 1903 Minneapolis Plat Book. at Minnesota University libraries.
 * 1900, 1906, 1918, 1928 Hudson's dictionary of Minneapolis and vicinity; a handbook for strangers and residents at Internet Archive.
 * 1910-1955 Hennepin County map of racial covenants with an animated timeline and zoom features at Minnesota University libraries.
 * 1910-1940 Minneapolis “Mapping Prejudice” pdf maps (to download) of racial covenants for each decade at Minnesota University libraries.
 * 1912-1951 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map Vol. 6a. 73 images. Includes Crystal Bay, Deephaven Station, Edina, Excelsior, Glen Lake, Grove Land, Hopkins, Linwood, Long Lake, Minnetonka Beach, Minnetonka Mills, Morningside, Mound, Navarre, Saint Louis Park. Spring Park, Tonka Bay, Wayzata, and Williston Park at Library of Congress.
 * 1913 P. O. Westby Atlas of Hennepin County Minnesota. Includes comprehensive index to Additions at Library of Congress.  For individual 1913 plats of cities and towns, select the name of the city or town of interest:


 * 1921 Hudson's Map Of Minneapolis at Minnesota Digital Library. Map with parkland and streetcar lines illustrated; also includes an index to streets.
 * 1933 and 1944 Hennepin County Maps by the county highway department detailing the types of surfaces of the major roads.
 * 1952 Historical Sites and Progressive Growth of Minneapolis, Minnesota at Minnesota Digital Library. A very unique map showing historical sites and the growth of the city. Facts about the historical sites and valuable dates are listed on the edges of the map.
 * Current: FamilySearch Places Reference for 83 Cities and Towns (current to October 2021) in Hennepin County that includes a location map with latitude and longitude, research links, and alternative names. See also How to Use FS Places.
 * Current: Minnesota Department of Transportation, Hennepin County municipality and township maps

Military Records
circa 1860-circa 1945 Service Record Cards (typed) from Minnesota Adjutant General microfilmed at Minnesota History Center with a portion digitized and online. Cards are in alphabetical order of surnames within each military grouping. Each digitized reel was scanned into one pdf file. All digitized reels are accessed on one webpage (a finding aid) that requires extensive scrolling. Images are not text searchable. The following service records are online:


 * 1861-1865+ All Minnesota Civil War Soldiers.
 * 1890s-1918 Minnesota National Guard Soldiers prior to WWI digitized up to the name of John Glasgow.
 * 1899-1903 All Minnesota Spanish American War Soldiers in the Army, Navy, and Marines; also citations for awards given in 1920s.
 * 1914-1919 Minnesotans who enlisted in military service in a different country (Foreign Service); biographical information. Notation of "soldier plots" in Lakewood: A-24 and B-24, St. Mary’s: Block 3 Section 9, Crystal Lake: Block I Section 21, and Hillside: Lot I and Lot 2 Section Section D.
 * 1917-1919 All Minnesota WWI Soldiers in the Navy and Marines.
 * 1917-1919 Nurses in WWI. Notation: 778 enlisted from Minnesota and 300 served overseas. Service cards document specific locations of service.
 * 1927-1940 All Minnesota Soldiers in the Naval Militia.

The following Service Record Cards have not yet been digitized but are available to view at Minnesota History Center: Home Guard, National Guard, Contract Surgeons, Cemetery Burials, Army in World War I, Minnesota State Guard, World War II, and Mexican Border Conflict.

Civil War
 * War Record of Hennepin County — Taken From the Adjutant General's Report, After the Same Had Been Carefully Scrutinized and Corrected By Resident Members of the Several Companies. Chapter 35 pages 188-211 in History of Hennepin County and the city of Minneapolis.....
 * Descriptive Book of Members of the Grand Army of the Republic, Hennepin County, Minnesota at Minnesota Digital Library
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars, 1861-1865 Minnesota Legislature, Pioneer Press. St. Paul, 1890. Volumes I and 2; online at Internet Archives
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry; Free index
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota, U.S., Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry; Free index
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota Civil War Soldiers at Ancestry; Free index
 * 1861-1934 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 at Ancestry; Free index
 * 1883 Pensioners on the Roll transcribed by Vicki Bryan for Hennepin County Genealogy Trails. Includes:
 * 1887-1983 Minnesota Veterans Home in Minneapolis - An Inventory of Residents' Records at Minnesota Historical Society's Gale Family Library Some access restrictions.
 * 1890 Vets Home Census contributed by Martin W. Johnson for Hennepin County Genealogy Trails. Consists of soldiers' names and their military company.

Civil War service men from Hennepin County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that included men of Hennepin County.
 * - 1st Battalion, Minnesota Infantry Volunteers, Companies A, B.
 * - 1st Battery, Minnesota Light Artillery
 * - 1st Minnesota Company Sharpshooters
 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry (Mounted Rangers), Companies A, C, F, G, K, M.
 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Heavy Artillery, Companies A, B, C, H.
 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies D, E, F, I, K. See also Holcombe, R I, Jasper N. Searles, and Mathew F. Taylor, History of the First Regiment Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, 1861-1864. With Maps and Illustrations. 1916. Online at Internet Archive.
 * - 2nd Battery, Minnesota Light Artillery
 * - 2nd Minnesota Company Sharpshooters
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies A, D, F, I, L.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K.
 * - 3rd Battery, Minnesota Light Artillery
 * - 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies A, B, F. G, H, I
 * - 4th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K.
 * - 5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies D, E, F, G, I, K.
 * - 6th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, I, K.
 * - 7th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry
 * - 8th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies A, E, H, K.
 * - 9th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies A, B, C, I, K.
 * - 10th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company K.
 * - 11th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies F, G.
 * - Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies A, B, C, D.
 * - Hatch's Independent Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F.

Spanish-American War


 * 1898-1974 Company B Last Man Club and the 13th Minnesota Regimental Association Collection at Hennepin History Museum. An organization of Spanish-American War Veterans that first met as a club on December 4, 1926 in Minneapolis, and continued until 1963.
 * 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; Free index, images ($)
 * 1918-1939 World War I soldiers' photographs posted online in a finding aid at Minnesota Historical Society. Photos are in alphabetical order by surname; includes location of hometown but does not include a connected service record.
 * 1918-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1915-1925 Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, A.R. Patterson Post no. 7, membership applications, Minneapolis, Minnesota at FamilySearch
 * World War I Casualties collected and organized by Susan Duff-Erkel for Hennepin County Genealogy Trails. Includes hometown and place of burial.

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; Free index, images ($)
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry; Free index, images ($)
 * World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing, State of Minnesota. War Dept June 1946. Total for Hennepin County: 1340. See pages 7-14 online at FamilySearch Books.

Korean War


 * Korean War Casualties transcribed by Curt Wiebusch for Hennepin County Genealogy Trails. Includes:

Vietnam War


 * Vietnam War Casualties transcribed by Curt Wiebusch for Hennepin County Genealogy Trails. Includes:

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 Minnesota, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1880-1920 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1918 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Alien Registration Index, 1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)

Newspapers

 * Historical Newspapers serving Hennepin County online at  Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub (Minnesota Historical Society).
 * Historical Newspaper Collection serving Hennepin County - Minnesota Historical Society's Gale Family Library
 * Minnesota Newspapers at Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
 * 1867-2021 Star Tribune (Minneapolis - St. Paul) Archive at Newspapers.com ($) by Ancestry

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
 * 2001-current StarTribune Obituaries directly from the publisher.

Other Records

 * 1904 Register of Electors in Northeast Minneapolis, Hennepin County; 54 images of approximately 400 names; includes addresses, nativity, length of residency in US, MN, and District, and date of papers and court.
 * Minnesota Federation of Women's Clubs, scrapbook 1920s-1940s at Hennepin County Library Special Collections. Occupational, religious, social and legal clubs represented.
 * 1887-1976 A History of Hennepin County Medical Center, Minnesota Medicine Jan/Feb 1980. Part 1 pp. 17-24. Part 2 pp.97-106. Chronology, history, and photos.
 * National Register of Historic Places listings in Hennepin County, Minnesota at Wikipedia.

Periodicals

 * Hennepin History, a magazine of Hennepin History Museum; all back issues (1942-2021) online at Hennepin County Library Digital Collections.
 * Minnesota Genealogist a quarterly publication of Minnesota Genealogical Society; all back issues except the most recent year (1969- 2020) are online at Minnesota Genealogical Society.
 * Periodical Source Index: Hennepin County, Minnesota Search PERSI is the premier subject index for genealogy and local history periodicals, and is produced by the staff of The Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801-1925 Minnesota, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

School Records

 * 1888-1967 The Gopher student yearbooks for the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) at University of Minnesota
 * 1890-1987 Hennepin County Yearbook Collection at Hennepin County Library Digital Collection includes yearbooks of Elementary Schools, Middle Schools, High Schools, and Only Private Schools. View the complete list of print and digital yearbooks.
 * 1916-2010 Augsburgian student yearbooks for Augsburg College in Minneapolis.
 * 1926-2006 The Scroll student yearbooks for the Northwestern Bible and Missionary School /Northwestern College.

Minneapolis


 * Minneapolis Public Schools Collection at Hennepin County Library Special Collections. The overview includes an informative history; the collection is composed of 102 boxes--each with an online inventory list,  plus 2 oversized map boxes.
 * 1915-1969 Bisbila student yearbook for the University High School (Minneapolis) at University of Minnesota.
 * 1876-1984 Central High School Collection at Hennepin History Museum; the first high school in Minneapolis. It existed under three names: Union School (1860-1863), Washington School (circa 1867-1878), and Central High School (1878-1982).
 * 1915-2004 St. Andrew’s School of Nursing and its Alumnae Association Collection at Hennepin History Museum. Includes membership lists.
 * 1908-2012 University of Minnesota Directories (Students / Staff) at University of Minnesota
 * 1873-1991 University of Minnesota Commencement Programs at University of Minnesota

Rural Areas


 * 1850-1950 Myers, Pamela J. Classroom Voices: Students' Memories : Grade Schools and Mound Consolidated High School, District #85, Mound, Mn, 1850s-1950. Minneapolis, MN: Syren Book Co, 2009. Print. Available at Westonka Museum and online store.
 * 1910 -1960 The Senior and The Agrarian yearbooks for the School of Agriculture (St. Paul) University of Minnesota. The "Farm School"; beginning age was 15; use a surname or a hometown in search feature.
 * 1924-1940 Minnesota School for the Blind. Superintendent reports include names of staff, students, awards. Use keyword "hennepin". Available at Internet Archive.

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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

 * 1860-1895 Hennepin County. Auditor. Tax Lists at FamilySearch. Browse images; first images list contents of rolls: town and year.

Birth

 * 1840-1980 Minnesota, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1840-1980 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1900-1934 Minnesota People Records Search - Births at Minnesota Historical Society - online index, images ($); also microfilm SAM 448 at The Gale Family Library.
 * 1870-1887 Hennepin County Birth Registers images online at FamilySearch. Each book has towns listed in alphabetical order and births chronologically in each town.
 * 1888-1904 Hennepin County Birth Registers images online at FamilySearch. Each book has towns listed in alphabetical order and births chronologically in each town.
 * 1905-1909 Hennepin County Birth Registers images online at FamilySearch. Each book has towns listed in alphabetical order and births chronologically in each town.
 * 1900-1934 Minnesota, Birth Index, 1900-1934 at MyHeritage; index ($)
 * 1935-2000 Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1935-2000 at Ancestry ($)

Marriage

 * 1850-2019 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Marriages from the Minnesota Official Marriage System, 1850-2019 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1853-1918 Hennepin County Marriages, images online at FamilySearch. Locate a record on the index images. Note the year, book and page to find the Marriage Licenses
 * 1860-1949 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1871-1883 Hennepin County Marriage Affidavits, images online at FamilySearch.
 * 1883-1917 Hennepin County Marriage Applications, images online at FamilySearch.
 * 1853-1996 Minnesota Official Marriage System at MOMS.mn.gov; search by county, name or date, and request copy ($); also microfilm SAM 447 at The Gale Family Library.
 * 1970-2003 Minnesota Marriage Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)
 * 1976-2003 Minnesota, Marriages, 1976-2003 at MyHeritage; index ($)
 * 1997-current Minnesota Official Marriage System at MOMS.mn.gov; search by county, name or date, and request copy ($).

Death

 * 1850-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1866-1916 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and some images (collection only covers Minneapolis and St. Paul)
 * 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 Minnesota, U.S., Death Index, 1908-2017 at Ancestry ($)

Divorce

 * 1970-1995 Minnesota, U.S., Divorce Index, 1970-1995 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1970-2003 Minnesota Divorce Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Bloomington Minnesota FamilySearch Center
 * Minneapolis Minnesota FamilySearch Center
 * St Paul Minnesota FamilySearch Center
 * Hennepin County Library - multiple locations - an affiliate library.
 * Minnesota Historical Society (Gale Family Library) - an affiliate library.
 * University of Minnesota Libraries - multiple locations - an affiliate library.

Libraries
American Swedish Institute 2600 Park Ave Minneapolis, MN 55407 Phone: 612-871-4907 Email: [mailto:info@asimn.org info@asimn.org] Website Facebook
 * ASI’s library, archives, and object collections support the work of the museum as well as provide resources for scholarly research into Swedish and Swedish-American culture and history.

Center for Human Resources and Labor Studies Carlson School of Management 321 19th Ave S, Ste 3-300 Minneapolis, MN 55455 Phone: 612-624-2500 Email: [mailto:chrls@umn.edu chrls@umn.edu] Website Facebook Gale Family Library Minnesota History Center 345 W Kellogg Blvd St. Paul, MN 55102 Phone: 651-259-3300 Email: [mailto:reference@mnhs.org reference@mnhs.org] Website Facebook Immigration History Research Center (IHRC) University of Minnesota 311 Elmer L. Andersen Library 222 21st Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55455 Phone: 612-625-4800 Email: [mailto:ihrc@umn.edu ihrc@umn.edu] Website Facebook James K. Hosmer Special Collections Hennepin County Library System Minneapolis Central Library 300 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55401 Phone: 612-543-8200 Email: [mailto:specialcoll@hclib.org specialcoll@hclib.org] Website
 * Serving at 42 library locations

University of Minnesota Libraries Libraries Central Administration Office 499 Wilson Library 309 19th Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55455 Website Facebook
 * Reference page for locations and services.

Museums
Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Museum 305 Water St Excelsior, MN 55331 Phone: 952-221-4766 Website Hennepin History Museum 2303 3rd Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55404-3505 Phone: 612-870-1329 Email: [mailto:info@hennepinhistory.org info@hennepinhistory.org] Website Facebook
 * Includes Research Library and Archival Collections.

Hennepin Medical History Center Lower level, HCMC Blue Building 915 S 8th St Minneapolis, MN 55415 Phone: 612-873-6090 Website Historic Fort Snelling 200 Tower Ave St. Paul, MN 55111 Phone: 612-726-1171 Email: [mailto:ftsnelling@mnhs.org ftsnelling@mnhs.org] Website Facebook Hmong Cultural Center Museum and Library 375 University Ave, Ste 204 Saint Paul, MN 55103 Phone: 651-917-9937 Email: [mailto:txong@hmongcc.org txong@hmongcc.org] Website Facebook John H. Stevens House and Museum 4901 Minnehaha Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55417 Phone: 612-722-2220 Email: [mailto:info@johnhstevenshouse.org info@johnhstevenshouse.org] Facebook Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (MAAMG) 1256 Penn Ave N, Fourth Floor Minneapolis, MN 55411 Email: [mailto:info@maahmg.org info@maahmg.org] Website Facebook Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum Camp Ripley 15000 Hwy 115 Little Falls, MN 56345 Phone: 320-616-6050 Email: [mailto:connect@mnmilitarymuseum.org connect@mnmilitarymuseum.org] Website Facebook
 * Includes 15,000 circulating books, manuscripts, and pamphlets with an online catalog.

Norway House 913 E Franklin Ave Minneapolis, MN 55404 Phone: 612-871-2211 Email: [mailto:info@norwayhouse.org info@norwayhouse.org] Website Facebook Somali Museum of Minnesota 1516 E Lake St, Ste 011 Minneapolis, MN 55407 Phone: 612-234-1625 Email: [mailto:info@somalimuseum.org info@somalimuseum.org] Website Facebook Westonka Museum Mound Centennial Building, Levels 4 and 5 5341 Maywood Rd Mound, MN 55364 Phone: 952-472-9800 Email: [mailto:westonkahistoricalsociety.org westonkahistoricalsociety.org] Facebook WHCPA Pioneer Museum and Research Facility 1953 W Wayzata Blvd PO Box 332 Long Lake, MN 55356 Phone: 952-473-6557 Email: [mailto:WHCPA.museum@gmail.com WHCPA.museum@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Societies
♦ Denotes society has online archives and local publications available.

Brooklyn Historical Society ♦ 5600 85th Ave Brooklyn Park, MN 55443 Phone: 763-392-5356 Email: [mailto:brooklynswebmaster@gmail.com brooklynswebmaster@gmail.com] Website Facebook
 * Serves Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park.

Champlin Historical Society Champlin City Hall 11955 Champlin Dr Champlin, MN 55316 Facebook City of Minnetonka Historical Society ♦ 13209 McGinty Rd E Minnetonka, MN 55305 Mailing Address: c/o City of Minnetonka 14600 Minnetonka Blvd Minnetonka, MN 55345 Phone: 952-930-3962 Email: [mailto:minnetonkahistoricalsociety@gmail.com minnetonkahistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Website Facebook Deephaven Historical Society 20225 Cottagewood Rd Deephaven, MN 55331 Website Facebook Eden Prairie Historical Society Eden Prairie City Center 8080 Mitchell Rd Eden Prairie, MN 55344 Phone: 952-949-8580 Website Facebook Edina Historical Society ♦ 4711 W 70th St Edina, MN 55435 Phone: 612-928-4577 Email: [mailto:museum@edinahistoricalsociety.org museum@edinahistoricalsociety.org] Website Facebook Excelsior-Lake Minnetonka Historical Society ♦ 261 School Ave, Lower Level, Ste 102 PO Box 305 Excelsior, MN 55331 Phone: 952-221-4766 Email: [mailto:info@elmhs.org info@elmhs.org] Website Facebook
 * Archives at Old Excelsior Public School Building.

Golden Valley Historical Society 6731 Golden Valley Rd Golden Valley, MN 55427 Phone: 763-308-5059 Email: [mailto:gvhistoricalsociety@gmail.com gvhistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Website Facebook Greenfield Historical Society Hennepin County, MN Phone: 763-498-7328 Email: [mailto:rajendro@q.com rajendro@q.com] Website Hanover Historical Society ♦ 1010 River Rd NE Hanover, MN 55341 Phone: 612-470-2182‬ Email: [mailto:info@hanoverhistoricalsociety.org info@hanoverhistoricalsociety.org] Website Hopkins Historical Society ♦ Hopkins Activity Center 33 14th Ave N Mailing address: 1010 1st St S Hopkins, MN 55343 Phone: 952-548-6480 Email: [mailto:info@hopkinshistory.org info@hopkinshistory.org] Website Facebook Maple Grove Historical Preservation Society ♦ 9030 Forestview Ln N Maple Grove, MN 55369 Phone: 763-494-5983 Website Facebook North Hennepin Pioneer Society PO Box 391 Hanover, MN 55341 Phone: 763-286-0877 Website
 * Serves Burschville area and School District #107.

Plymouth Historical Society ♦ 3605 Fernbrook Lane N Mailing Address: 3400 Plymouth Blvd Plymouth, MN 55447-1448 Phone: 763-509-5282 Email: [mailto:info@plymouthmnhistoricalsociety.org info@plymouthmnhistoricalsociety.org] Website Richfield Historical Society ♦ History Center and Museum 6901 Lyndale Ave S Richfield, MN 55423 Phone: 612-798-6140 Email: [mailto:richfieldhistory@gmail.com richfieldhistory@gmail.com] Website Facebook Robbinsdale Historical Society ♦ 4915 42nd Ave N Robbinsdale, MN 55422 Phone: 763-260-1183 Email: [mailto:admin@robbinsdale.org admin@robbinsdale.org] Website Facebook Rockford Area Historical Society ♦  8131 Bridge St PO Box 186 Rockford, MN 55373 Phone: 763-477-5383 Email: [mailto:rockfordmnhistory@gmail.com rockfordmnhistory@gmail.com] Website Facebook St. Bonifacius Minnesota Historical Society ♦ PO Box 774 St. Bonifacius, MN 55375 Phone: 952-938-3601 Email: [mailto:maloney8pm@aol.com maloney8pm@aol.com] Website St. Louis Park Historical Society ♦ 3546 Dakota Ave, Ste C Mailing Address: 3700 Monterey Dr St Louis Park, MN 55416-4902 Phone: 612-465-9288 Email: [mailto:slphistory@gmail.com slphistory@gmail.com] Website Facebook Wayzata Historical Society ♦ 402 E Lake St Wayzata, MN 55391 Phone: 952-473-3631 Email: [mailto:info@wayzatahistoricalsociety.org info@wayzatahistoricalsociety.org] Website Facebook
 * Serves Wayzata and the Lake Minnetonka area.

Western Hennepin County Pioneer Association (WHCPA)♦ 1953 W Wayzata Blvd Long Lake, MN 55356 Phone: 952-473-6557 Email: [mailto:WHCPA.museum@gmail.com WHCPA.museum@gmail.com] Website Facebook
 * Archives include family files (with online search), area newspapers, family genealogy books, and yearbooks. Serving the communities of Long Lake, Wayzata, Orono, Minnetonka, Medina, Independence, Maple Plain, Armstrong, Plymouth, Stubbs Bay, Corcoran and Crystal Bay.

Westonka Historical Society ♦ Mound Centennial Building, Chamber Room 5341 Maywood Rd Mound, MN 55364 Phone: 952-472-9800 Email: [mailto:info@westonkahistoricalsociety.org info@westonkahistoricalsociety.org] Facebook
 * Serves Minnetonka Beach, Minnetrista, Mound, Orono, and Spring Lake.

Websites

 * The Hennepin County MNGenWeb Project, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * USGenWeb Archives for Hennepin County.
 * Hennepin County, Minnesota Genealogy Trails
 * Hennepin County Resource Page at Ancestry ($)
 * Cyndi's List: Hennepin County
 * Hennepin County MN Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
 * Minnesota Historical Society
 * Iron Range Research Center
 * – 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.

Research Guides

 * The Historyapolis Project: Research Guide to Minneapolis History. 2014. Online pdf (468 pgs) at Augsburg College.
 * How-to Search Archival Collection Guides ("finding aids") and navigate ArchivesSpace for University of Minnesota Libraries Archives and Special Collections
 * 22 LibGuides for Family History at Gale Family Library, MN Historical Society.