Ramsey County, Minnesota Genealogy

United States

Minnesota

Ramsey County

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

Minnesota Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: St. Paul Organized: October 27, 1849 Parent County(s): Unorganized territory Neighboring Counties Anoka  • Dakota  • Hennepin  • Washington See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The County was named for Alexander Ramsey, the first governor of the Minnesota Territory. The County is located in the east-central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Ramsey County Courthouse
15 Kellogg Blvd W
St. Paul, MN 55102
Phone: 651-266-8500
Ramsey County Website

Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1870, marriage records from 1850, divorce and court records from 1900, and probate records from 1849.
Historical Society has court records from 1858-1899 and land records.

Ramsey 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	1850	1870	1900	1844	1849	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

1849--Ramsey County was created 27 October 1849 from old St. Croix County in Wisconsin Territory. County seat: St. Paul 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

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
Arden Hills Blaine Falcon Heights Gem Lake Lauderdale Little Canada	Maplewood Mounds View New Brighton North Oaks North St. Paul Roseville	Shoreview St. Anthony Saint Paul Spring Lake Park Vadnais Heights White Bear Lake
Unincorporated communities
Bald Eagle	Bellaire
Townships
White Bear

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Ramsey 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.	%±
1850	2,227	—
1860	12,150	445.6%
1870	23,085	90.0%
1880	45,890	98.8%
1890	139,796	204.6%
1900	170,554	22.0%
1910	223,675	31.1%
1920	244,554	9.3%
1930	286,721	17.2%
1940	309,935	8.1%
1950	355,332	14.6%
1960	422,525	18.9%
1970	476,255	12.7%
1980	459,784	−3.5%
1990	485,765	5.7%
2000	511,035	5.2%
2010	508,640	−0.5%
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
  

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

• St. Paul

Lutheran

• 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)

Directories

• 1856-1922 St. Paul City Directories at St. Paul Public Library
• 1863-1924 St. Paul City Directories 1863-1924 at Fold3 ($)

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 Ramsey 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.; Williams, John Fletcher; History of Ramsey County and the City of St. Paul: including the explorers and pioneers... (Minneapolis, Minnesota: North Star Pub., 1881) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Google Books, Internet Archive.
• Williams, John Fletcher; A History of the City of Saint Paul and of the County of Ramsey, Minnesota (Saint Paul: Published by the Society, 1876) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library; HathiTrust, Google Books.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

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

Military Records

Multiple 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 Ramsey County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are many companies or regiments that were formed from men of Ramsey County.

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

- 1st Battalion, Minnesota Infantry Volunteers, Company A.

- 1st Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies A and F.

- 1st Regiment, Minnesota Heavy Artillery, Companies G and H.

- 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies B, D, F, G, H, I and K.

- 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Company A.

- 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company B.

- 4th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies E, G, and K.

- 5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies D, E, F, and I.

- 6th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies A and G.

- 7th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company H.

- 8th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies H and K.

- 10th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies H and K.

- Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies A and C.

- Hatch's Independent Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies A and D.

- 2nd Minnesota Company Sharpshooters, Second Company only.

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
• 1917-1918 Franklin F. Holbrook, ed. St. Paul and Ramsey County in the war of 1917-1918. St. Paul, Minn. : Ramsey County War Records Commission, 1929

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

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

• 1849-1985 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 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

• 1880-1884 Daily Globe (Saint Paul, Minn.) at Chronicling America
• 1884-1896 St. Paul Daily Globe (Saint Paul, Minn.) at Chronicling America
• 1896-1905 The Saint Paul Globe (Saint Paul, Minn.) at Chronicling America
• 1889-19?? The appeal. (Saint Paul, Minn.) at Chronicling America; African-American newspaper.
• Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub at Minnesota Historical Society; narrow to county or city, 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

• 1801-1999 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
• 1866-1916 Minnesota, Birth and Death Records, 1866-1916 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and some images (collection only covers Minneapolis and St. Paul)
• 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 Ramsey 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

• Minneapolis Minnesota Family History Center
• Oakdale Minnesota Family History Center
• St Paul Minnesota Family History Center
• Minnesota Historical Society - an affiliate library.
• Ramsey County Public Library - multiple branches - an affiliate library.
• University of Minnesota Libraries - multiple branches - an affiliate library.

Libraries

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

Ramsey County Library
Multiple Locations
4560 N Victoria St
Shoreview, MN 55126
Phone: 651-724-6006
Email: jill.boldenow@co.ramsey.mn.us
Website

Saint Paul Public Library
90 West 4th Street
Saint Paul, MN 55102
Phone: 651-266-7000
Email: therese.scherbel@ci.stpaul.mn.us
Website

RCHS Mary Livingston Griggs and
Mary Griggs Burke Research Center
75 W 5th Street
Saint Paul, MN 55102
Phone: 651-222-0701
Email: info@rchs.com
Website

Museums

Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life
2097 Larpenteur Ave W
Falcon Heights, MN 55113
Phone: 651-646-8629
Email: gibbs@rchs.com
Website

North Saint Paul Historical Society Museum
2666 7th Avenue
North Saint Paul, MN 55109
Phone: 651-747-2432
Email: nsphistorical@gmail.com
Website

White Bear Lake Area Historical Society
P.O. Box 10543
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Phone: 651-407-5327
Email: goffice@whitebearhistory.org
Website

Societies

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

Hamline-Midway History Group
721 Snelling Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55104
Email: sjbnab@aol.comg

Hill Farm Historical Society
100 Village Center Dr, Suite 240
North Oaks, MN 55127
Phone: 651-482-9934
Email: Paul.Dickson@comcast.net
Website

Historic Saint Paul
318 Landmark Center
75 West 5th Street
Saint Paul, MN 55102
Phone: 651-222-3049
Email: info@historicsaintpaul.org
Website

Little Canada Historical Society
515 E Little Canada Rd
City Hall
Little Canada, MN 55117
Phone: 651-766-4044
Email: littlecanadahs@gmail.com
Website

Maplewood Area Historical Society
2170 E County Rd D
Maplewood, MN 55109
Phone: 651-748-8645
Email: info@maplewoodhistoricalsociety.org
Website

Maritime Heritage Minnesota
1214 St Paul Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55116
Phone: 651-261-2265 or 651-202-8811
Email: mhm@maritimeheritagemn.org
Website

Minnesota Historical Society
345 W. Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55102
Phone: 651-259-3000 or 1-800-657-3773
Website

New Brighton Area Historical Society
PO Box 120624
1500 Old Highway 8
New Brighton, MN 55112
Email: nbahs@me.com
Website

North Saint Paul Historical Society
2666 E 7th Avenue
North Saint Paul, MN 55109
Phone: 651-779-6402
Email: nsphistorical@gmail.com
Website

Ramsey County Historical Society
323 Landmark Center
75 W Fifth St
Saint Paul, MN 55102
Phone: 651-222-0701
Email: info@rchs.com
Website

Roseville Historical Society
Roseville City Hall
2660 Civic Center Dr
Roseville, MN 55113
Phone: 651-792-7440
Email: rhsmn1977@yahoo.com
Website

Saint Paul Police Historical Society
367 Grove St
Saint Paul, MN 55101
Phone: 651-266-5573
Website

Shoreview Historical Society
4305 Parkview Ct
Vadnais Heights, MN 55127
Phone: 651-303-4667
Email: pam.videen@gmail.com
Website

Vadnais Heights Historical Commission
800 E County Rd E
Vadnais Heights, MN 55127-7117
Phone: 651-204-6000
Email: kkeefe@cityvadnaisheights.com

White Bear Lake Area Historical Society
PO Box 10543
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Phone: 651-407-5327
Email: office@whitebearhistory.org
Website

Websites

• Ramsey County Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
• Research at Minnesota Historical Society — links to Records and Indexes; See also MHS Wiki Page
• Ramsey County, MN, a member of MN USGenWeb Archives, an affiliate of USGenWeb Archives.
• Ramsey County, MN, a member of MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of USGenWeb Project.
• 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.
• 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.