Mellette County, South Dakota Genealogy

United States South Dakota Mellette County

Guide to Mellette County, South Dakota ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

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County Courthouse
Mellette County Courthouse S 1st Street; PO Box C; White River, SD 57579 Phone: 605.259.3230 Register of Deeds has birth and death records from 1912, burial records from 1913 and land records; County Treasurer has marriage records from 1912; Clerk Court has divorce, probate and court records from 1911

Mellette County, South Dakota Record Dates

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 * width="84%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" colspan="7" | Beginning Dates for Major County Records
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Birth*
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Marriage
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Death*
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Court
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Land
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Probate
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Census
 * width="12%" align="center" |
 * width="12%" align="center" |1911
 * width="12%" align="center" |
 * width="12%" align="center" |
 * width="12%" align="center" |1907
 * width="12%" align="center" |1912
 * width="12%" align="center" |1910
 * colspan="7"|
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 * width="12%" align="center" |1910
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Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

 * 1909--Mellette County was created 3 June 1909 from Jackson, Meyer, Eliminated 3 Jun. 1909, Pratt, Eliminated 3 Jun. 1909, and Washabaugh Counties, and unorganized territory.
 * County seat: White River
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of North Dakota - shows boundary changes for South Dakota Counties
 * South Dakota Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Populated Places

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Census Records
1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, and 1945 censuses may include unique information: Ethnic Background, Maiden Name, Church Affiliation and Military Service
 * 1905 — at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
 * 1915 — at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
 * 1925 — at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
 * 1935 — at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
 * 1945 — at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images

Church Records
Lutheran


 * Records of the American Lutheran Church, Mellette County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1861 - 1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * 75 years in Mellette County. 1986?. By Ruby Mae Astleford. S.l. : s.n. Online at: ;.
 * Early Dakota days : stories and pictures of pioneers, cowboys (and) Indians. 1962. By Winifred Reutter. White River, South Dakota : [s.n.]. Online at: ;.
 * Mellette County memories, 1911-1961. 1961. By Winifred Reutter. S.l. : s.n. Online at: ;.
 * Mellette County, South Dakota, 1911-1961. 1961. White River, South Dakota : Mellette County Centennial Committee. Online at: ;.
 * Pioneering in the Rosebud. 19--?. By Le Arlie Barry. S.l. : s.n. Online at: ;.

Military Records

 * 1861-1941 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
 South Dakota Newspapers Online South Dakota Newspaper Catalogs
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of South Dakota newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of South Dakota newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some South Dakota newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper.

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1800 – 1985 North Dakota and South Dakota Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Societies
Mellette County Historical Society Corner of Main and State Street DWR 4 White River, SD 57579-0712 Telephone: 605-259-3347 Fax: 605-259-3356

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.