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Guide to Aurora County, South Dakota ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
Aurora County is in the southeastern part of South Dakota. It was named for Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn.

County Courthouse
Aurora County Courthouse 401 S Main Street PO Box 366; Plankinton, SD 57368 Phone: 605.942.7165 Clerk Court has divorce, probate, court records from 1879; Register of Deeds has birth, marriage (some as early as 1883), death and burial records; County Assessor has land records

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

Boundary Changes

 * Parent County: Aurora County was created 1 October 1879 from Cragin County. Cragin eliminated 1 Oct. 1879.
 * County seat: Plankinton
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of North Dakota - shows boundary changes for South Dakota Counties
 * South Dakota Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

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
Before South Dakota was a state in 1889, parts of South Dakota were included in the as Iowa Territory, the  as Minnesota Territory, the,  and the  as Dakota Territory.

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for the state of South Dakota starting in 1890, although only one page survived. The 1900 Census is the next Federal Census available. Before South Dakota was a state in 1889, parts of South Dakota were included in the 1836 Iowa Territory census ($) (also known as Wisconsin Territory), as Iowa Territory,  as Minnesota Territory, and the ,  and the   as Dakota Territory.
 * Federal Census links

Territory and State Census Records
State censuses were taken at the state-level and territorial censuses were taken by the federal government. See South Dakota Census for more information about censuses taken in South Dakota.

Church Records
Online Church Records Dutch Reformed Church Lutheran Church Presbyterian Church List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1915-1948 - U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Pleasant Valley Christian Reformed Church Baptism Records; 1915-1948
 * 1875-1940 - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
 * 1701-1970 - U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
 * FamilySearch Places

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - ($) index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1863 - 1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of South Dakota - shows boundary changes for South Dakota Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of South Dakota - maps and atlases of South Dakota

Online Collections
These collections are unique to South Dakota. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and South Dakota Military Records. Civil War World War I World War II For further information see South Dakota Military Records.
 * 1861 - 1941 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1940 - 1941 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861 - 1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.
 * 1885 Civil War Veteran's 1885 Census in South Dakota - Index only, Union and Confederate included
 * 1890 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.
 * South Dakota WWI Honor Roll by SDGenWeb - Alphabetical index; List by County
 * WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties for South Dakota - Index only

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1904 - 1928 South Dakota, Federal Naturalization Records, 1904-1928 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1865 - 1972 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:First Papers — index
 * South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:Second Papers — index
 * Name Index to Naturalization Records from Dakota Territory and South Dakota at National Archives, Kansas City — index

Newspapers
 South Dakota Newspapers Online South Dakota Newspaper Catalogs
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of South Dakota newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of South Dakota newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some South Dakota newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper.

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1800 – 1985 North Dakota and South Dakota Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

School Records

 * 1879 - 1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1879 - 1970 South Dakota, School Records,1879-1970 at Ancestry — 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.

Birth

 * 1843 - 1914 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1856 - 1950 South Dakota, Birth Index, 1856-1915 at Ancestry — index ($)
 * Birth Record Search Site For South Dakota Birth Records With Birth Dates Over 100 Years — index

Marriage

 * 1950 - 2016 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1905 - 2013 South Dakota, Marriages, 1905-2013 at Ancestry — index and images ($)

Death

 * 1879 - 1955 South Dakota, Death Index, 1879-1955 at Ancestry — index($)

Societies
Aurora County Historical Society PO Box 632 Plankinton, SD 57368 E-mail:[mailto:lodgesd@aol.com lodgesd@aol.com] Website

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.