Otter Tail County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail Lake and Otter Tail River. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Otter Tail County Courthouse 121 W Junis Ave Fergus Falls, MN 56537 Phone: 218-560-7045 Otter Tail County Website Clerk Deeds Court has birth and death records from 1870; marriage records from 1869; divorce records from 1897; probate and court records from 1872.

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

 * Mason, John W., ed.; History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota: its people, industries and institutions, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families (Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen, 1916) Volume 2 online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive.

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

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church Ward and Branch Records
 * Fergus Falls

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.

Funeral Homes

 * Belmont Karvonen Funeral Home, Karvonen Funeral & Cremation Service, Karvonen & Son Funeral Home - Henning, New York Mills, Wadena
 * Furey Funeral Home - Vergas
 * Glende-Nilson Funeral Home - Battle Lake, Fergus Falls
 * Larson Funeral Home - Pelican Rapids
 * Lind Family Funeral Home - Parkers Prairie
 * Markham Funeral Home - Parkers Prairie
 * Olson Funeral Home - Fergus Falls
 * Schoeneberger Funeral Home - Perham

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

 * Mason, John W., ed.; History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota: its people, industries and institutions, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families (Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen, 1916) Volume 1 online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Indexed at Ancestry ($).
 * Historical Album and Centennail Book, Perham, Minnesota; 1871-1971; Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * Minnesota Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Otter Tail 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 Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry; Free index
 * 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Civilian Draft Registrations, 1917-1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1918-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * 1917-1919 - Victor George Lundeen. Otter Tail County, Minnesota in the World War : an illustrated historical record of the people from Otter Tail County, Minnesota, who participated in the world war, both at home and abroad, in the years 1917, 1918, and 1919. Fergus Falls, Minnesota : Lundeen Pub. Co., c1919. FHL 977.689 M2L

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 ($)
 * 1970-2003 Minnesota Divorce Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)

Family History Centers

 * Alexandria Minnesota Family History Center
 * Detroit Lakes Minnesota Family History Center
 * Fargo North Dakota Family History Center
 * Wahpeton North Dakota Family History Center
 * Great River Regional Library - multiple branches - an affiliate library.
 * Park Rapids Minnesota Library - an affiliate library.
 * Stevens County Historical Society & Museum - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Viking Library System 1915 Fir Ave W Fergus Falls, MN 5653 Phone: 218-739-5286 Website Otter Tail County Historical Society Library 1110 Lincoln Ave W Fergus Falls, MN 56537 Phone: 218-736-6038 Email: [mailto:otchs@prtel.com otchs@prtel.com] Website Fergus Falls Public Library 205 E Hampden Ave Fergus Falls, MN 56537 Phone: 218-739-9387 Email: [mailto:library@ffpubliclibrary.org library@ffpubliclibrary.org] Website

Museums
Otter Tail County Historical Society 1110 Lincoln Ave W Fergus Falls, MN 56537 Phone: 218-736-6038 Email: [mailto:otchs@prtel.com otchs@prtel.com] Website  History Museum of East Otter Tail County 230 1st Avenue N Perham, MN 56573 Phone: 218-346-7676 Email: [mailto:museum@eot.com museum@eot.com] Website In Their Own Words Veterans Museum 805 W Main Perham, MN 56573 Phone: 218-346-7678 Email: [mailto:info@itowmuseum.org info@itowmuseum.org] Website Finn Creek Open Air Museum 55442 340th Street New York Mills, MN 56567 Phone: 218-385-2233 Website

Societies
Otter Tail County Genealogical Society 1110 W Lincoln Ave Fergus Falls, MN 56537 Phone: 218-736-6038 Email: [mailto:otchs@prtel.com otchs@prtel.com] Website

Websites

 * Otter Tail County Genealogy at ldsgenealogy.com
 * Research at Minnesota Historical Society — links to Records and Indexes; See also MHS Wiki Page
 * Otter Tail County at MNGenWeb Archives, affiliated with USGenWeb.
 * Otter Tail County at MNGenWeb Project, affiliated with USGenWeb Project.
 * Iron Range Research Center
 * – 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.