Winona County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Winona 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 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.

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

 * 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.

Census Records
State Census
 * 1835-1890 U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at ($)
 * 1849-1905 U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at ($)
 * 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 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($)

Emigration and Immigration

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

Land and Property Records
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

 * 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

 * Minnesota Maps at David Rumsey Map Collection
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Winona County municipality and township maps

Military Records
Multiple Wars
 * 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 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.
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry; Free index
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at ; 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
 * - 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 ; Free index


 * 1898-1899 U.S., Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at ; 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 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; 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 Minnesota, U.S., Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at (Free collection)
 * 1872-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1880-1920 U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1880-1920 at ($)
 * 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 at  — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1891-2003 Minnesota, U.S., Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at (Free collection)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801-1925 U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at ; 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

 * 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
Laird Lucas Memorial Library and Archives 160 Johnson St Winona, MN 55987 Phone: 507-454-2723 Email: [mailto:archives@winonahistory.org 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: [mailto:wlibrary@smumn.edu 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: [mailto:library@winona.edu library@winona.edu] Website St. Charles Public Library 125 West 11th Street St Charles, MN 55972 Phone: 507-932-3227 Email: [mailto:scill@selco.info scill@selco.info] Website

Museums
Polish Cultural Institute and Museum 102 Liberty St Winona, MN 55987 Phone: 507-454-3431 Email: [mailto:info@polishmuseumwinona.org info@polishmuseumwinona.org] Website Winona County History Museum 160 Johnson St Winona, MN 55987 Phone: 507-454-2723 Email: [mailto:info@winonahistory.org info@winonahistory.org] Website

Societies

 * Winona County Historical Society 160 Johnson St Winona, MN 55987 Phone: 507-454-2723 Email: [mailto:info@winonahistory.org info@winonahistory.org] 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
 * – 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.