Stearns County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Stearns 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 Charles Thomas Stearns who was a member of the Territorial Council. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Court Administrator has divorce, probate and court records. County Recorder has land records. License Center has birth, marriage and death records.

Parent County

 * 1855--Stearns County was created 20 February 1855 from Cass, Nicollet, Pierce (Eliminated 20 Feb 1862), and Sibley Counties.
 * County seat: St. Cloud
 * For a brief history of Stearns County's name, click here, then select Stearns 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

 * Benton
 * Douglas
 * Kandiyohi
 * Meeker
 * Morrison
 * Pope
 * Sherburne
 * Todd
 * Wright

Census
State Census


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

Church
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1912 - 1956 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Funeral Homes

 * Benson Funeral Home - St. Cloud
 * Daniel Funeral Homes - Clearwater, St. Cloud, St. Joseph, Sartell, Paynesville
 * Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Service - Freeport, Grey Eagle, Melrose, Sauk Center
 * Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home - Milaca
 * Whispering Pines Funeral & Cremation Service - Walker
 * Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Homes - Avon, Becker, Big Lake, Clear Lake, Eden Valley, Long Prairie, Princeton, St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids

Local Histories

 * William Bell Mitchell, History of Stearns County, Minnesota. Chicago : H.C. Cooper, Jr., 1915
 * Newton Horace Winchell, History of the Upper Mississippi Valley. Minneapolis: Minnesota Historical Co., 1881

Maps

 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

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


 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry (Mounted Rangers), Company D.
 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies D and E.
 * - 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company I.
 * - 4th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies D and G.
 * - 7th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company I.
 * - 9th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company G
 * - Hatch's Independent Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Company E.

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1872-1962 - at FamilySearch — index

Newspapers
Newspapers available on microfilm at Stearns History Museum:
 * St. Cloud Times, 1861-2011 (weekly and daily)
 * Der Nordstern, 17 Feb 1876 - 27 Aug 1931 (1886 is missing)

Minnesota Historical Society - Digital Newspapers at MNHS.

Obituaries

 * 1865 - 2006 - at FamilySearch— index and images

Probate
Online Probate 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
 * 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
Albany Historical Society Box 25 Albany, MN 56307

Stearns County Historical Society Stearns History Museum 235 33rd Ave S Saint Cloud MN 56301-3752 Telephone: 320-253-8424 Website

Paynesville Historical Society PO Box 35 Paynesville MN 56362 Telephone: 320-243-7547

Kimball Area Historical Society PO Box 100 Kimball MN 55353-0100 Telephone: 320-398-5250 or 1-800-252-2521

Melrose Area Historical Society 518 E 2nd St S Melrose MN 56352-1414 Telephone: 320-256-4996 or 320 256-3933 Website

Sauk Centre Area Historical Society 430 Main St S Sauk Centre MN 56378-1509 Telephone: 320-351-8777


 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * St Cloud Minnesota Family History Center

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

 * Stearns History Museum Archives
 * Stearns County, MN Genealogy Forum (GenForum)