Otter Tail County, Minnesota Genealogy

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

Minnesota Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for Otter Tail Lake and Otter Tail River. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clerk Deeds Court has:
 * Birth and death records from 1870
 * Marriage records from 1869
 * Divorce records from 1897
 * Probate and court records from 1872

Parent County

 * 1858--Otter Tail County was created 18 March 1858 from Cass and Pembina (Old) Counties County seat: Fergus Falls
 * For a brief history of Otter Tail County's name, click here, then select Otter Tail County.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

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:

Neighboring Counties

 * Becker
 * Clay
 * Douglas
 * Grant
 * Todd
 * Wadena
 * Wilkin

Census
State Census
 * 1865 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1885 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1905 - at FamilySearch — index and images

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church Ward and Branch Records


 * Fergus Falls

Lutheran
Aurdal Lutheran Church, Underwood


 * Records of the Aurdal Lutheran Church, Underwood, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Fergus Falls


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

Grace Lutheran Church, Erhard


 * Records of the Grace Lutheran Church, Erhard, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

North Immanuel Lutheran Church, Pelican Rapids


 * Records of the North Immanuel Lutheran Church, Pelican Rapids, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

South Immanuel Lutheran Church, Rothsay


 * Records of the South Immanuel Lutheran Church, Rothsay, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Trifoldinghed Lutheran Church


 * Records of the Trifoldinghed Lutheran Church, Otter Tail County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Trinity Lutheran Church, Pelican Rapids


 * Records of the Trinity Lutheran Church, Pelican Rapids, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

United Norwegian Lutheran Church, Underwood

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

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1912 - 1956 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Local Histories

 * John W. Mason, ed. History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota : its people, industries and institutions, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families. Indianapolis : B. F. Bowen, 1916
 * Tweton, Jerome D. The New Deal: At the Grass Roots. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1988. Print.

Maps

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Military
Military History:

Listing of individuals from this county for these wars:


 * World War 1
 * World War II
 * Korean War
 * Vietnam War

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1872-1962 - at FamilySearch — index

Obituaries

 * 1865 - 2006 - at FamilySearch— index and images

Probate
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801 - 1999 Minnesota Wills and Probate Records 1801-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Birth

 * 1900-1934 Minnesota, Birth Index, 1900-1934 at MyHeritage($) — index
 * 1900-1934 Minnesota Births, 1900-1934 at Minnesota Historical Society - free index, images ($)

Marriage

 * 1850-2019 WEB: Minnesota, Marriages from the Minnesota Official Marriage System, 1850-2019 at Ancestry($) — index
 * 1860 - 1949 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1976-2003 Minnesota, Marriages, 1976-2003 at MyHeritage($) — index

Death

 * 1850-2001 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1887-2001 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Online Minnesota Death Records & Indexes
 * 1904-2001 Minnesota, Death Index, 1904-2001 at MyHeritage($) — index
 * 1904-2001 Minnesota Deaths, 1904-2001 at Minnesota Historical Society - free index, images ($)

Societies and Libraries
Otter Tail County Genealogical Society 1110 W. Lincoln Avenue Fergus Falls, MN 56537 Telephone: 218-736-6038 E-mail:[mailto:otchs@prtel.com otchs@prtel.com] Website

Northwest Minnesota Historical Center Livingston Lord Library Moorhead State University Moorhead, MN 56560

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

Websites

 * Otter Tail County, MN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Otter Tail County Genealogy (Minnesota Genealogy)
 * Otter Tail County Genealogy (Minnesota Genealogy)