Jefferson County, Wisconsin Genealogy

Guide to Jefferson County Wisconsin ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

United States Wisconsin  Jefferson County



County Courthouse
Jefferson County Courthouse 320 S Main Street Jefferson, WI 53549-1718 Phone. 920.674.7140 Register of Deeds has birth and marriage records from 1850, death record from 1840 and land records from 1838; Clerk of Circuit Courts has divorce records from 1851 and court records from 1843; Register in Probate has probate records from 1840

Historical Facts

 * Index to names in the History of Jefferson County, Wisconsin : illustrated, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879 map
 * The History of Jefferson County, Wisconsin : containing a history of Jefferson County ... ; also History of Wisconsin Viewable

Parent County
1836--Jefferson County was created 7 December 1836 from Milwaukee County. County seat: Jefferson

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.

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

Neighboring Counties
Dane •  Dodge  •  Rock  •  Walworth  •  Waukesha

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 History and Records

 * List of Jefferson County Churches

Lutheran

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

Land and Property

 * Jefferson County, Wisconsin land ownership map, 1900

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Wisconsin

Civil War
Civil War service men from Jefferson County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are many companies or regiments that were formed from men of Jefferson County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Companies E, I and L
 * - 3rd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Companies D, E and K
 * - 11th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company C
 * - 13th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Companies H and I

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization records, 1877-1949, Jefferson County, Wisconsin Viewable

Newspapers
For Dodge and Jefferson counties, order newspaper clippings from Dodge/Jefferson Counties Genealogical Society

Obituaries

 * List of Jefferson County Obituaries WIGenWeb project

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1800–1987 - Wisconsin Wills and Probate Records 1800-1987 at Ancestry.com — images and index $
 * 1848–1948 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1851-1949 - Jefferson County, Wisconsin Index to Wills 1851-1949

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

Societies
Bark River Woods Historical Society W4080 St Rd 106 Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-9681 Phone: 920-563-4773

Concord Historical Society, Inc. P.O. Box 561 Watertown, WI 53094 Website

Palmyra Historical Society Main & Third Streets, PO Box 265 Palmyra, WI 53156-0265 (262) 495-4245, 495-2412 Website

Other Historical Societies

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

 * Jefferson County, Wisconsin bride &amp; groom index This has a groom and then a bride index and although this is an index the marriage date is given. Contents: [vol. 1]. Vol. A, 1833 (2), 1840-1846 (384), 1851-1855 (10) -- [v. 2]. Vol. B, 1846-1848 -- [v. 3]. Vol. C, 1848-1856 -- [v. 4]. Vol. E, 1852-1867 -- [v. 5]. Vol. F, 1848-1868. Vols. 1-3 bound together as 1 vol.; vols. 4-5 bound together also.
 * 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

 * 1851 - 1949 Jefferson County, Wisconsin index to wills 1851 - 1949
 * 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

 * Jefferson County, WI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Jefferson County WIGenWeb project
 * Jefferson County WIGenWeb project