Freeborn County, Minnesota Genealogy

United States

Minnesota

Freeborn County

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

Minnesota Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Albert Lea Organized: March 6, 1857 Parent County(s): Blue Earth, Rice Neighboring Counties Dodge  • Faribault  • Mower  • Steele  • Waseca  • Winnebago (IA)  • Worth (IA) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The County was named for William Freeborn, an early Minnesota politician. The County is located in the south-central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Freeborn County Courthouse
411 S Broadway Avenue
Albert Lea, MN 56007
Phone: 507-377-5299
Freeborn County Website

Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1870, marriage and court records from 1857.
County Recorder has land records from 1854.
Probate Office has probate records from 1866.

Freeborn County, Minnesota Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1870	1857	1870	1857	1854	1866	1836
*Statewide registration started for births in 1900 and deaths in 1908. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

1855--Freeborn County was created 20 February 1855 from Blue Earth and Rice Counties. 1857--Fully organized March 6, 1857 County seat: Albert Lea Interactive Map of Minnesota County Formation History (1790-1897) - animated maps illustrating Minnesota county boundary changes Minnesota Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

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:

Cities
Albert Lea Alden Clarks Grove Conger Emmons	Freeborn Geneva Glenville Hartland Hayward	Hollandale Manchester Myrtle Twin Lakes
Unincorporated communities
Armstrong Corning Gordonsville	Mansfield Maple Island Moscow	Oakland Petran
Townships
Albert Lea Alden Bancroft Bath Carlston Freeborn Freeman	Geneva Hartland Hayward London Manchester Mansfield Moscow	Newry Nunda Oakland Pickerel Lake Riceland Shell Rock

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Freeborn County, Minnesota online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	BillionGraves Find A Grave Interment.net MN Tombstone Transcription Project USGenWeb Archives
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	FamilySearch Places Find A Grave
See Minnesota Cemeteries for more information.

 

Census Records

For links to Federal, State, and Territorial censuses, see Minnesota Census.

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	3,367	—
1870	10,578	214.2%
1880	16,069	51.9%
1890	17,962	11.8%
1900	21,838	21.6%
1910	22,282	2.0%
1920	24,692	10.8%
1930	28,741	16.4%
1940	31,780	10.6%
1950	34,517	8.6%
1960	37,891	9.8%
1970	38,064	0.5%
1980	36,329	−4.6%
1990	33,060	−9.0%
2000	32,584	−1.4%
2010	31,255	−4.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

State Census

• 1835-1890 Minnesota, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at Ancestry ($)
• 1849-1905 Minnesota, U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at Ancestry ($)
• 1865 Minnesota State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1875 Minnesota State Census, 1875 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1885 Minnesota State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1905 Minnesota State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Church Records

Most church records are held by individual churches. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information, see Minnesota Church Records.

• FamilySearch Places
  

Lutheran

• The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($) has the following church records:
  • Concordia (Bear Lake) Lutheran Church, Twin Lakes
  • Concordia Lutheran Church, Albert Lea
  • First Lutheran Church, Albert Lea
  • Freeborn Lutheran Church, Clarks Grove
  • Lime Creek Lutheran Church, Emmons
    

• Minnesota Historical Society has a Collection Finding Aid for the following:
  • Lutheran Church in America: An Inventory of Selected Congregational Records of the American Lutheran Church in Minnesota

Emigration and Immigration

• 1912-1956 Minnesota Passenger and Crew Lists, 1912-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Land and Property Records

The county register of deeds keeps land records once the land was transferred to private ownership. Abstracts and indexes for these records are generally available at the county courthouse.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Pre-1908 Minnesota, U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Freeborn County. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Minnesota Local Histories.

• Neill, Edward D.; Bryant, Charles S.; History of Freeborn County: including Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota, ... (Minneapolic: Minnesota Historical Company, 1882) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
• Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; Kellar, Martin V.; History of Freeborn County, Minnesota (Tuscon, Arizona: W.C. Cox & Co., 1974) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
• Minnesota Maps at David Rumsey Map Collection
• Minnesota Department of Transportation, Freeborn County municipality and township maps

Military Records

Mulitple Wars

• 1861-1917 United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 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 Minnesota, U.S., Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry; 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

Civil War service men from Freeborn 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 Freeborn County.

- 1st Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry (Mounted Rangers), Company H

- 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Company C

- 4th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company F

- 5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company C

- 10th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company E

- 15th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company K

Spanish-American War

• 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry; free index
• 1898-1899 Minnesota, 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 Civilian Draft Registrations, 1917-1918 at Ancestry; free collection
• 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry; free index, images ($)
• 1918-1941 Minnesota, World War I Records, 1918-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1917-1919 C.E. Wood, comp. An Honor roll : containing a pictorial record of the gallant and courageous men from Freeborn County, Minnesota, U.S.A., who served in the Great War, 1917-1918-1919.Albert Lea, Minnesota : Albert Lea Pub. Co, 1919?

World War II

• 1940-1947 Minnesota, World War II Draft Registration Cards,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, images ($)
• 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry; free index, images ($)

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

• 1849-1985 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1853-1956 Minnesota Historical Society has a Collection Finding Aid for naturalization records in the Freeborn County District Court.
• 1872-1962 Minnesota Naturalization Records and Indexes, 1872-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1880-1920 Minnesota, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1880-1920 at Ancestry ($)
• 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 (55 listed) or city (106 listed), search for surname, limit by date.

Obituaries

• 1865-2006 Minnesota, 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 collection)

Probate Records

Probate records may include wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. They may include the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, etc. See Minnesota Probate Records for additional information.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1801-1925 Minnesota, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
• 1849-1985 Minnesota Will Records, 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 United States Social Security Death Index 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.

Tax Records

Since Minnesota tax records include only persons who owned taxable property, many residents were not included. Still they complement land records and can be used in place of missing censuses or the years between censuses. There may also be gaps. For more information, see the wiki page Minnesota Taxation.

Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.

A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also Minnesota Vital Records.

Birth

• 1840-1980 Minnesota, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1840-1980 at Ancestry ($)
• 1900-1934 Minnesota People Records Search - Births at Minnesota Historical Society - free index, images ($)
• 1900-1934 Minnesota, Birth Index, 1900-1934 at MyHeritage; index ($)
• 1935-2000 Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1935-2000 at Ancestry ($)

Marriage

• 1850-2019 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Marriages from the Minnesota Official Marriage System, 1850-2019 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1860-1949 Minnesota, County Marriages, 1860-1949 at FamilySearch — 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 Minnesota, County Deaths, 1850-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
• 1887-2001 Minnesota Deaths, 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 Minnesota, U.S., Death Index, 1908-2017 at Ancestry ($)

Divorce

• 1970-1995 Minnesota, U.S., Divorce Index, 1970-1995 at Ancestry ($)
• 1970-2003 Minnesota Divorce Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Freeborn County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Minnesota Archives and Libraries.

Family History Centers

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
• FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Austin Minnesota Family History Center
• Faribault Minnesota Family History Center
• Rochester Minnesota Family History Center
• Rochester Public Library - an affiliate library
• Waseca County Historical Center - an affiliate library.

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Freeborn County. For state-wide library facilities, see Minnesota Archives and Libraries.

Albert Lea Public Library
211 E Clark St
Albert Lea, MN 56007
Phone: 507-377-4350
Email: alpl.library@gmail.com
Website

Wells Public Library
54 1st Street SW
Wells, MN 56097
Phone: 507-553-3702
Email: tflnotices@tds.lib.mn.us
Website

Freeborn County Historical Museum and Library
1031 Bridge Ave
Albert Lea, MN 56007
Phone: 507-373-8003
Website

Museums

Freeborn County Historical Museum and Library
1031 Bridge Ave
Albert Lea, MN 56007
Phone: 507-373-8003
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Freeborn County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Minnesota Societies.

Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library, and Village
P.O. Box 403
1031 Bridge Ave
Albert Lea, MN 56007
Email: fchm.8003@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Alden Community Historical Society
P.O. Box 323
Alden, MN 56009
Website

Hollandale Area Historical Society
P.O. Box 184
Hollandale, MN 56045-0184
Phone: 507-889-4491

Clarks Grove Area Heritage Society
P.O. Box 188
Clarks Grove, MN 56016-0188
Facebook

Southern Minnesota Historical Center
Mankato State University
Mankato, MN 56001
Phone: 507-389-1029
Email: archives@mnsu.edu
Website

Websites

• Freeborn County MNGenWeb Project, a member of MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of USGenWeb Project.
• Minnesota Historical Society — links to Records and Indexes; See also MHS Wiki Page
• Iron Range Research Center - The Iron Range Research Center contains one of the largest collections of genealogical and localhistory 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.
• Freeborn County USGenWeb Archives, a member of MN USGenWeb Archives, an affiliate of USGenWebArchives.
• FamilySearch Catalog – 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.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

The collection is free on this subscription website.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.