Stearns County, Minnesota Genealogy

United States Minnesota  Stearns County

County Courthouse
Stearns County Courthouse ;705 Courthouse Sq; St. Cloud, MN 56303 Phone: 320.656.3855 Court Adminostratpr 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.

Populated Places
Cities: Avon | Sartell | Spring Hill | St. Cloud | St. Joseph

Neighboring Counties

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

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

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.
 * - Hatch's Independent Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Company E.

Newspapers
All newspapers are 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)

Societies and Libraries

 * Stearns History Museum Archives
 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * St Cloud Minnesota Family History Center

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Web Sites

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