Douglas County, Minnesota Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for Stephen Douglas, of Illinois. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Douglas County Courthouse 305 Eighth Ave W Alexandria, MN 56308 Phone: 320-762-3022 Douglas County Website

County Recorder has birth, marriage, and death records from 1890, land records from late 1800s and military records. Clerk of Courts has divorce, probate and court records.

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:

Biographies

 * Larson, Constant. History of Douglas and Grant Counties, Minnesota: their people, industries, and institutions; (Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen &amp; Company, Inc, 1916); Vol 2 (biographical) online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol 1 and 2 online at Ancestry ($).

Census Records
State Census


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

Church Records

 * FamilySearch Places 

Lutheran
 * 1800-1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America at Minnesota Historical Society ($)
 * Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($) has the following information:
 * First English Lutheran Church, Alexandria
 * East Moe Lutheran Church, Garfield
 * Farwell Lutheran Church
 * Our Savior's Lutheran Congregation, Evansville
 * Trysil Lutheran Church, Farwell
 * West Moe Lutheran Church, Garfield

Churches founded in Douglas County between 1860 - 1910

Danish Churches
 * Osakis Township: Danish Lutheran Church (founded 1871)

Finnish Churches
 * Urness Township: Finnish Apostolic Church (founded 1877)
 * Moe Township: St. Paul's Lutheran Church (founded 1902)

German Churches
 * Alexandria Township: St. Mary's Catholic Church (founded 1879); Zion Lutheran Church (founded 1880)
 * Carlos Township: Immanuel Lutheran Church (founded 1874)
 * Belle River Township: St. Nicholas Catholic Church (founded 1870)
 * Ida Township: St. John's Lutheran Church (founded 1910)
 * Brandon Township: St. Ann's Catholic Church (founded 1902)
 * Leaf Valley Township: Ebenezer Lutheran Church (founded 1875)
 * Miltona Township: St. Paul's Lutheran Church (founded 1890)
 * Millerville Township: Trinity Lutheran Church (founded 1892); Church of Seven Dolors Catholic Church (founded 1867)

Norwegian Churches
 * Alexandria Township: First Lutheran Church (founded 1872); Bethesda Lutheran Church (founded 1907)
 * Brandon Township: Chippewa Lutheran Church (founded 1871); Grace Lutheran Church (founded 1881)
 * Evansville Township: Our Savior's Lutheran Church (founded 1869)
 * Moe Township: West Moe Lutheran Church (founded 1867); East Moe Lutheran Church (founded 1886)
 * Urness Township: St. Petri Lutheran Church (founded 1887)
 * Osakis Township: Our Savior's Lutheran Church (founded 1871)
 * Holmes City Township: Trysil Lutheran Church (founded 1870)
 * Solem Township: Solem Lutheran Church (founded 1876)

Swedish Churches
 * Alexandria Township: First Baptist Church (founded 1881); Svea (Calvary) Lutheran Church (founded 1877)
 * Osakis Township: Fahlun Lutheran Church (founded 1871)
 * Holmes City Township: Trinity Lutheran Church (founded 1875); Oscar Lake Lutheran Church (founded 1866); Swedish Baptist Church (founded 1904)
 * Urness Township: Fryksende Lutheran Church (founded 1877)
 * Lund Township: Christian Lake Lutheran Church (founded 1871)
 * Millerville Township (founded ca. 1880)
 * Ida Township: St. Luke's Lutheran Church (founded 1869); Ida Mission Covenant Church (founded 1889)
 * Solem Township: Wennersborg Lutheran Church (founded ca. 1879); Kensington Covenant Church (founded 1875)
 * Evansville Township: Immanuel Lutheran Church (founded 1883); Zionsborg Lutheran Church (founded 1884); Calvary Mission Covenant Church (founded 1887)
 * Spruce Hill Township: Free Mission Covenant Church (founded 1886); Rose City Swedish Baptist Church (founded ca. 1890); Spruce Hill Methodist Church (founded 1890s); Spruce Hill Lutheran Church (founded 1876)

Yankee and British Churches
 * Alexandria Township: First Methodist Church (founded 1879); Emmanuel Episcopal Church (founded 1868); United Methodist Church (founded 1867); Congregational Church (founded 1867)
 * Ida Township: First Presbyterian Church of Garfield (founded ca. 1900)
 * Carlos Township: Carlos Presbyterian Church (founded ca. 1900)
 * Hudson Township: Free Methodist Church (founded ca. 1891); Forada Presbyterian Church (founded ca.1898)

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1912-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Genealogies

 * Douglas County, Minnesota family files at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
 * Minnesota, Douglas County, family files, 1700-2007 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
 * Pottle, Beverly Campbell and Pottle, Norman; Some ancestors and descendants of George J. and Anna Edna (Johnson) Olson: Iowa-Minnesota; Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1860-1876 Minnesota, Douglas County land transactions, 1860-1876 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
 * Pre-1908, U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)
 * Thomas O Nelson Co.; Plat book of Douglas County, Minnesota: containing plats of each township, a county road map, rural directory of farmers, and a summer resort directory; (Fergus Falls, Minnesota: Thomas O. Nelson Co., 1950); Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Local Histories

 * Douglas County Album of the Ages; (Douglas County Historical Society: Taylor Publishing Co., 1982); Online at FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Larson, Constant. History of Douglas and Grant Counties, Minnesota: their people, industries, and institutions; (Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen &amp; Company, Inc, 1916); Vol 1 (historical) online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Vol 1 and 2 online at Ancestry ($).
 * Minnesota Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Douglas County, MN map at David Rumsey Map Collections
 * Family Maps of Douglas County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Douglas County municipality and township maps

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry (Free Index).

Civil War


 * 1861-1934 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1861-1865 U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1861-1865, U.S., Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1861-1865 Minnesota Civil War Soldiers at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection

Spanish-American War
 * 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1898-1899, 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 ($)
 * 1918-1941 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection.

World War II
 * 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 ($)
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry ($)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1849-1985 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at Ancestry (Free Collection)
 * 1872-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1880-1920, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1880-1920 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1918 Web:, 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

 * 1860-1990 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 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 Index)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801-1925, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 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 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.

Birth

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

Marriage

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

Divorce

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

Family History Centers

 * Alexandria Minnesota Family History Center
 * St Cloud Minnesota Family History Center
 * Great River Regional Library - multiple branches - an affiliate library.
 * Stevens County Historical Society & Museum - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Douglas County Library 720 Filmore St Alexandria, MN 56308 Phone: 320-762-3014 Email: [mailto:library@douglascountylibrary.org library@douglascountylibrary.org] Website

Museums
Runestone Museum Foundation 206 Broadway St Alexandria, MN 56308 Phone: 320-763-3160 Email: [mailto:director@runestonemuseum.org director@runestonemuseum.org] Website Legacy of the Lakes Museum P.O. Box 1216 205 3rd Ave W Alexandria, MN 56308 Phone: 320-759-1114 Email: [mailto:museum@legacyofthelakes.org museum@legacyofthelakes.org] Website

Societies

 * Douglas County Historical Society 1219 Nokomis St Alexandria, MN 56308-3712 Phone: 320-762-0382 Email: [mailto:historic@dchsmn.org historic@dchsmn.org] Website
 * Douglas County Genealogical Guild 1219 Nokomis St Alexandria, MN 56308-3712 Phone: 320-762-0382 Website
 * Evansville Historical Foundation PO Box 337 304 S Gran St Evansville, MN 56326 Phone: 218-948-2010 Email: [mailto:ehf@gctel.com ehf@gctel.com] Website
 * Osakis Area Heritage Center PO Box 8 11 E Main St Osakis, MN 56360 Phone: 320-859-3777 Email: [mailto:osakis@midwestinfo.com osakis@midwestinfo.com] Website
 * West Central Minnesota Historical Research Center University of Minnesota–Morris 600 E 4th Street Morris, MN 5626 Phone: 888-866-3382 or 320-589-6035 Email: [mailto:grosssj@morris.umn.edu grosssj@morris.umn.edu] Website

Websites

 * Minnesota Historical Society
 * Douglas County USGW Archives, a member of MN USGenWeb Archives, an affiliate of USGenWebArchives.
 * Douglas County GenWeb, a member of MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of USGenWeb Project.
 * Range Research Center The IronRange 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
 * Cyndi's List: Douglas County
 * – 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.