Winona County, Minnesota Genealogy

United States

Minnesota

Winona County

Guide to Winona 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: Winona Organized: Feburary 23, 1854 Parent County(s): Fillmore, Wabasha Neighboring Counties Buffalo (WI)  • Fillmore  • Houston  • La Crosse (WI)  • Olmsted  • Trempealeau (WI)  • Wabasha See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

Maiden Rock

County Information

Description

The County was named for a Dakota legend regarding a woman, referred to as Winona, who was betrothed to marry a warrior whom she did not love. Rather than marry him, she is said to have leapt to her death from a rock now called "Maiden's Rock" on Lake Pepin. This legend is colloquially referred to as the Winona legend. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse

Winona County Courthouse
171 W 3rd Street
Winona, MN 55987
Phone: 507-615-5183
Winona County Website

Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1870 probate records from 1871 and school records 1909-1939.

Winona 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	1854	1870	1854	1853	1871	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

Parent Counties: Created from Fillmore and Wabasha Counties February 23, 1854. County seat: Winona 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
Altura Dakota Elba Goodview La Crescent	Lewiston Minneiska Minnesota City Rollingstone St. Charles	Stockton Utica Winona
Unincorporated communities
Bethany Centerville Clyde Crystal Spring Donehower Dresbach Fremont	Lamoille Nodine Oakridge Pickwick Pine Creek Ridgeway Saratoga	Troy Whitman Wilson Witoka Wyattville
Census-designated places
Homer
Townships
Dresbach Elba Fremont Hart Hillsdale Homer Mount Vernon	New Hartford Norton Pleasant Hill Richmond Rollingstone Saratoga St. Charles	Utica Warren Whitewater Wilson Wiscoy
Ghost towns
Ashton Beaver	Enterprise Grover	Whitewater Falls

Resources

Biographies

• Portrait and biographical record of Winona County, Minnesota; containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county. Lake City Publishers, Chicago, IL 1895. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.
  

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Winona County, Minnesota online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	BillionGraves Find A Grave MN Tombstone Transcription Project MNGenWeb 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	9,208	—
1870	22,319	142.4%
1880	27,107	21.5%
1890	33,797	24.7%
1900	35,686	5.6%
1910	33,398	−6.4%
1920	33,653	0.8%
1930	35,144	4.4%
1940	37,795	7.5%
1950	39,841	5.4%
1960	40,937	2.8%
1970	44,409	8.5%
1980	46,256	4.2%
1990	47,828	3.4%
2000	49,985	4.5%
2010	51,461	3.0%
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
1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)

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 ($)

Online Books

• Foote, C. M. (Charles M.), Henion, J. W. (John W.),and Balliet & Volk (Firm). Plat book of Winona County, Minnesota. C.M. Foote & Co. (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1894. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Minnesota Digital Library.
  

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Winona 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.

• Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn, Whipple, William Jay. The history of Winona County, Minnesota; v. 01 and 02. H.C. Cooper Jr. & Co., Chicago, IL 1913. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 1 and FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 2, Google Books Vol 1
  
• History of Winona and Olmsted Counties: together with biographical matter, ...; (Chicago: H.H.Hill and Company, Publishers, 1883) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Google Books, Internet Archive.
• History of Winona, Olmsted, and Dodge counties together with biographical matter, statistics, etc; (Chicago, Illinois: H.H. Hill, 1884); Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Google Books.
• Bunnell, Dr. L.H., History of Wabasha County, (Chicago: H H Hill Publishers, 1884). Includes information on Winona County. Scroll down to find links to individual chapters. Also available at "The History of Wabasha County".
• Minnesota County History Name Index at Ancestry ($)

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, Winona 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; Free index

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 Winona 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 Winona County.

- 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company A.

- 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies G, I and L.

- 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company K.

- 7th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies B and D.

- 9th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company K

- Brackett's Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Company A.

- Hatch's Independent Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Company B.

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
• 1918-1941 Minnesota, World War I Records, 1918-1941 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection

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
• 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

• Minnesota Newspapers Directory Locations and contact information for Winona County newspapers.
• 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

• 1801-1925 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 Winona 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
• LaCrosse Wisconsin Family History Center
• Rochester Minnesota Family History Center
• Cannon Falls Library - an affiliate library.
• La Crosse Public Library-Archives Department - an affiliate library.
• Rochester Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries

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

Laird Lucas Memorial Library and Archives
160 Johnson St
Winona, MN 55987
Phone: 507-454-2723
Email: archives@winonahistory.org
Website

Winona Public Library
151 West 5th Street
Winona, MN 55987
Phone: 507-452-4582
Website

Fitzgerald Library
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
700 Terrace Heights #26
Winona, MN 55987
Phone: 507-457-1561
Email: wlibrary@smumn.edu
Website

Darrell W. Krueger Library
Winona State University
P.O. Box 5838
175 W Mark St
Winona, MN 55987
Phone: 507-457-5140
Email: library@winona.edu
Website

St. Charles Public Library
125 West 11th Street
St Charles, MN 55972
Phone: 507-932-3227
Email: scill@selco.info
Website

Museums

Polish Cultural Institute and Museum
102 Liberty St
Winona, MN 55987
Phone: 507-454-3431
Email: info@polishmuseumwinona.org
Website

Winona County History Museum
160 Johnson St
Winona, MN 55987
Phone: 507-454-2723
Email: info@winonahistory.org
Website

Societies

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

Winona County Historical Society
160 Johnson St
Winona, MN 55987
Phone: 507-454-2723
Email: info@winonahistory.org
Website

Minnesota City Historical Association
Website

Websites

• Research at Minnesota Historical Society — links to Records and Indexes; See also MHS Wiki Page
• Winona County, a member of MNGenWeb Archives
• Iron Range Research Center
• Winona County, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• Cyndi's List: Winona County
• Minnesota Genealogy Trails
• 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.