Clearwater County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Clearwater 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 Clearwater Lake and Clearwater River. The County is located in the north-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clearwater County Courthouse 213 Main Ave N Bagley, MN 56621 Phone: 218-694-6177 Clearwater County Website County Recorder has birth, marriage, death, land, and military records from 1903. Court Administrator has divorce, probate, court and naturalization 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:

Census Records
State Census


 * 1835-1890, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1905, U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at Ancestry ($)
 * 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 Minnesota, Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Ringborg, Axel; Atlas of Clearwater County, Minnesota (Des Moines: Kenyon Co., 1912); Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Clearwater 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


 * 1861-1865 U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1861-1865, 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 Index)

Spanish-American War
 * 1898-1899, U.S., Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at Ancestry (Free index)
 * 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry (Free collection)

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 ($)
 * 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 ($)
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry ($)

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)
 * Minnesota Historical Society Library holds naturalization records for all 87 counties and the Minnesota Supreme Court.

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: Minnesota, U.S., Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at Ancestry (Free Index)

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

Family History Centers

 * Bemidji Minnesota Family History Center
 * Detroit Lakes Minnesota Family History Center
 * Great River Regional Library - multiple branches - an affiliate library.
 * Park Rapids Minnesota Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries

 * Gale Family Library at the Minnesota Historical Society 345 W Kellogg Blvd St. Paul, MN 55102 Website Facebook
 * Great River Regional Library 740 Clearwater Center Box 335 Clearwater, MN 55320 Phone: 320-558-6001 Website

Museums

 * Clearwater County Historical Society and Museum P.O. Box 241 Bagley, MN 56621 264 1st Street Shevlin, MN 56676 Phone: 218-785-2000 Email: [mailto:cchshist@gvtel.com cchshist@gvtel.com] Website
 * Lake Itasca Region Pioneer Farmers, Inc Minnesota’s Itasca State Park Minnesota Hwy #200 Lake Itasca, MN 56676 Phone: 218-358-0329 Website

Societies

 * Clearwater County Historical Society P.O. Box 241 Bagley, MN 56621 Phone: 218-785-2000 Email: [mailto:cchshist@gvtel.com cchshist@gvtel.com] Website

Websites

 * Clearwater USGenWeb Archives a member of MN USGenWeb Archives an affiliate of USGenWeb Archives.
 * Clearwater County GenWeb, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Minnesota Historical Society
 * Cyndi's List: Clearwater County
 * 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.
 * – 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.