Chisago County, Minnesota Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for the Chisago Lake. The County is located in the east-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Chisago County Courthouse 313 N Main St Center City, MN 55012 Phone: 651-213-7010 Chisago County Website Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1870, marriage records from 1852, court records from 1880 and divorce records. Probate Judge has probate records. Register of Deeds has land records.

Populated Places
 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

 * Easton, Augustus B.; History of the Saint Croix Valley; (Chicago: H.C. Cooper, Jr. & Co., 1909); Volume two (biographical) online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, HathiTrust.

Census Records
State Census


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

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

Local Histories

 * Easton, Augustus B.; History of the Saint Croix Valley; (Chicago: H.C. Cooper, Jr. & Co., 1909); Volume one (historical) online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, HathiTrust.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Minnesota Maps at David Rumsey Map Collections
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns - How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Chisago 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 Civil War service men from Chisago 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 Chisago County.
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (Free Collection)
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota, 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)


 * -1st Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry (Mounted Rangers), Company M.
 * -1st Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company C.
 * -7th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company C.

Spanish-American War
 * 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 Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1918-1941 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index and images.
 * The Chisago County War History Committee; Chisago County, Minnesota in the World War; (The Chisago County War History Committee, 1920); Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.

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

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

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801-1925, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry ($)
 * 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 ($)
 * 1970-2003 Minnesota Divorce Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)

Family History Centers

 * North Branch Minnesota Family History Center
 * Pine City Minnesota Family History Center
 * Princeton Minnesota Family History Center
 * Great River Regional Library - multiple branches - an affiliate library.
 * Ramsey County Public Library - White Bear Lake - an affiliate library.

Libraries

 * Central Minnesota Historical Center St Cloud University, Archives 720 4th Avenue S St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498 Phone: 320-308-4753 Email: [mailto:archives@stcloudstate.edu archives@stcloudstate.edu] Website
 * Chisago Lakes Area Library 11754 302nd St Chisago City, MN 55013 Phone: 651-257-2817 Website
 * Chisago Lakes Area Library North Branch Area Library 6355 379th St North Branch, MN 55056 Phone: 651-674-8443 Website
 * Rush City Public Library 240 W Fourth St Rush City, MN 55069 Phone: 320-358-3948 Website
 * Taylors Falls Public Library 473 Bench St Taylors Falls, MN 55084 Phone: 651-465-6905 Website
 * Wyoming Area Giese Memorial Library 26855 Forest Blvd Wyoming, MN 55092 Phone: 651-462-9001 Website

Museums

 * Chisago County Historical Society Museum P.O. Box 146 12785 & 12795 Lake Blvd Lindstrom, MN 55045 Phone: 651-257-5310 Email: [mailto:chisagohistory@frontiernet.net chisagohistory@frontiernet.net] Website
 * The North Chisago History Museum 350 S Eliot Ave Rush City, MN55069 Phone: 320-438-9468 Email: [mailto:nchs-lwh@earthlink.net nchs-lwh@earthlink.net] Website
 * Amador Heritage Center Maple Street and CSAH #12 Amador Township, MN 168 N Lake St Forest Lake, MN 55025 Phone: 651-269-3580 Email: [mailto:lin.strong269@gmail.com lin.strong269@gmail.com] Website

Societies

 * Chisago County Historical Society P.O. Box 146 13100 3rd Ave N Lindstrom, MN 55045-0146 Phone: 651-257-5310 Website
 * Chisago County Genealogical Group P.O. Box 360 Center City, MN 55012
 * North Chisago Historical Society P.O. Box 556 51533 Forest Blvd Rush City, MN 55069 Email: [mailto:nchs-lwh@earthlink.net nchs-lwh@earthlink.net] Website
 * Center City Historical Society P.O. Box 366 313 N Main St Center City, MN 55012 Phone: 651-257-6691
 * Lindstrom Historical Society Ki-Chi-Saga Park 29061 Glader Blvd P.O. Box 12 Lindstrom, MN 55045 Phone: 651-257-2519 or 651-464-3594 Email: [mailto:neilcar@frontier.com neilcar@frontier.com] Facebook
 * Taylors Falls Historical Society 331 Government St PO Box 333 Taylors Falls, MN 55084 Phone: 651-329-09855 or 651-465-3125 Website

Websites

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