Cottonwood County, Minnesota Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for the Cottonwood River. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Cottonwood County Courthouse 900 3rd Avenue Windom, MN 56101 Phone: 507-831-4551 Cottonwood County Website Clerk District Court has birth, marriage, death, divorce and court records from 1871.

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

Genealogies

 * 1850s-1990s Cottonwood County, Minnesota, family histories ca. 1850s-1990s at FamilySearch Catalog Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes and select the camera icon to view images.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Pre-1908, U.S., 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

 * Brown, John A.; History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties, Minnesota; (Indianapolis, Indiana: B.F. Bowen & Company, Inc., 1916); Volume 1 online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive; Volume 2 online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Volume 1 and 2 at Ancestry ($).

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Cottonwood County, Minnesota Map at David Rumsey Map Collections
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Cottonwood County municipality and township maps

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (free collection)
 * 1861-1865, 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, 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 ($)
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry ($)

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

 * 1850-1990 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, U.S., Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at Ancestry (Free Index)

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
 * 1872-1985 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1883-1981 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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 ($)
 * 1970-2003 Minnesota Divorce Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Mankato Minnesota FamilySearch Center
 * Spencer Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Brookings Public Library - South Dakota - an affiliate library.
 * Waseca County History Center - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Marshall-Lyon County Library Cottonwood Branch 86 W Main St Cottonwood, MN 56229 Phone: 507-423-6488 Email: [mailto:library@marshalllyonlibrary.org library@marshalllyonlibrary.org] Website McFarland Library BA 299, Southwest Minnesota State University 1501 State St Marshall, MN 56258 Phone: 507-537-7278 Email: [mailto:askref@smsu.edu askref@smsu.edu] Website Facebook Windom Public Library 904 4th Ave Windom, MN 56101 Phone: 507-831-6131 Email: [mailto:nancy.sajban@gmail.com nancy.sajban@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Societies
Cottonwood County Historical Society 812 4th Ave Windom, MN 56101 Phone: 507-831-1134 Email: [mailto:cchs@windomnet.com cchs@windomnet.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * PeopleFINDER (Family History) at Minnesota Historical Society
 * Cottonwood County GenWeb, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project
 * Cottonwood County USGenWeb Archives
 * Cottonwood 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.
 * – 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.