Redwood County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Redwood 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 Redwood River. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Redwood County Courthouse 403 S Mill St PO Box 130 Redwood Falls, MN 56283 Phone: 507-637-4018 Redwood County Website

Court Administration has birth, marriage and death records from 1865, divorce records from 1871, probate records from 1877 and court records from 1867. County Recorder has land records.

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:

Biographies

 * Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; The History of Redwood County, Minnesota (Tucson, Arizona : W.C. Cox & Co., 1974) Volume 2 online at Google Books, HathiTrust.

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

Lutheran
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1912-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Pre-1908 Minnesota, U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)

Local Histories

 * Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; The History of Redwood County, Minnesota (Tucson, Arizona : W.C. Cox & Co., 1974) Volume 1 online at FamilySearch Digital Library, FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * Holcombe, Return Ira; Minnesota Valley Historical Society; Sketches, Historical and Descriptive, of the Monuments and Tablets Erected by the Minnesota Valley Historical Society in Renville and Redwood Counties, Minnesota... (Morton, Minnesota. : Minnesota Valley Historical Society, 1902) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books
 * Minnesota Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1861-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Free index, images ($)
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)

Civil War
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry; Free index
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at ; 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

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898  at ; Free index
 * 1898-1899 U.S., Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at ; 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
 * 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; Free index
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry; Free index

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1849-1985 Minnesota, U.S., Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at (Free collection)
 * 1872-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1920 U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1880-1920 at ($)
 * 1918 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Alien Registration Index, 1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)

Newspapers

 * Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub at Minnesota Historical Society; narrow to county or city, search for surname, limit by date.

Obituaries

 * 1865-2006 at  — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1891-2003 Minnesota, U.S., Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at (Free collection)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801-1925 U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at ; index and images ($)
 * 1849-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Three Minnesota counties are not in this collection: Hennepin, Marshall, and St. Louis.

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

 * 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 Family History Center
 * Marshall Minnesota Family History Center
 * Brookings Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Willmar Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Plum Creek Library System Multiple Locations 290 S Lake St P.O. Box 697 Worthington, MN 56187-0697 Phone: 507-376-5803 Email: [mailto:director@plumcreeklibrary.net director@plumcreeklibrary.net] Website

Museums
Redwood County Museum 913 W Bridge Redwood Falls, MN 56283 Phone: 507-641-3329 Website Gilfillan Estate 28263 State Highway 67 Redwood Falls, MN 56283 Phone: 507-430-2686 Website Lucan Historical Society Depot Museum P.O. Box 51 406 1st St Lucan, MN, 56255 Phone: 507-747-2598 Website Belview Depot/School Museum County Rd 7 P.O. Box 159 Belview, MN 56214 Phone: 507-938-4335 Website Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum 330 8th Street Walnut Grove, MN 56180 Phone: 507-859-2358 Email: [mailto:lauramuseum@walnutgrove.org lauramuseum@walnutgrove.org] Website

Societies
Redwood County Historical Society 913 W Bridge Redwood Falls, MN 56283 Phone: 507-641-3329 Website Redwood County Genealogical Society 614 S Minnesota St Redwood Falls, MN 56283 Website Lamberton Area Historical Society 110 2nd Avenue W Lamberton, MN 56152 Phone: 507-752-7086 Email: [mailto:lambertonhotiron@gmail.com lambertonhotiron@gmail.com] Website

Websites

 * Research at Minnesota Historical Society — links to Records and Indexes; See also MHS Wiki Page
 * Iron Range Research Center
 * Redwood County at USGenWeb Archives
 * Redwood County MNGenWeb, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Cyndi's List: Redwood County
 * Minnesota Genealogy Trails
 * – 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.