Polk County, Wisconsin Genealogy

Guide to Polk County Wisconsin ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

United States Wisconsin  Polk County



County Courthouse
Polk County Courthouse 100 Polk County Plaza Balsam Lake, WI 54810 Phone: 715.485.9926 Register of Deeds has birth records from 1858, marriage records from 1861, death records from 1866 and land records; Clerk of Circuit Courts has divorce and court records; Registrar in Probate has Probate records

Parent County
1853--Polk County was created 14 March 1853 from St. Croix County. County seat: Balsam Lake

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Wisconsin County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Wisconsin County Boundary Maps" (1790-1961) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
For a list of record loss in Wisconsin Counties see: Wisconsin Counties with Burned Courthouses

Neighboring Counties
Barron •  Burnett  •  Chisago County, Minnesota  •  Dunn  •  St. Croix  •  Washington County, Minnesota



Census
1855 Wisconsin State Census— Free searchable index to the 1855 Wisconsin State Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search This census includes name of head of family, individuals in the household by sex and race, number of deaf and dumb, blind, insane and foreign born.

1885 Wisconsin State Census— Free searchable index to the 1885 Wisconsin State Census can be viewed on the FamilySearch Record Search This census includes name of head of family, individuals in the household by sex and race, number of deaf and dumb, blind, insane and foreign born.

Court Records
POLK COUNTY REGISTER OF DEEDS 100 Polk County Plaza, Suite 160 Balsam Lake, WI 54810

Phone: 715-485-9240 Fax: 715-485-9202

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Wisconsin

Civil War
Civil War service men from Polk 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 Polk County.


 * - 2nd Regiment, Wisconsin Cavalry, Company D


 * - 7th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company G

Probate Records
Online Records


 * 1800 – 1987 Wisconsin Wills and Probate Records 1800-1987 at Ancestry.com — images and index $
 * 1848 – 1948 at FamilySearch — images

Repositories
See also a List of Wisconsin Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Societies
Polk County Historical Society PO Box 41 Balsam Lake WI 54810-0041 Phone: 715-268-8375 Website

Area Research Center - University of Wisconsin - River Falls Chalmer Davee Library University of Wisconsin-River Falls 120 Cascade Avenue River Falls, WI 54022 Phone: 715/425-3567

Osceola Historical Society PO Box 342 Osceola, WI 54020 Phone: 715-294-3530 Website

Birth Records

 * 1826 - 1926 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1820 - 1907 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1826 - 1908 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826-1908 at Ancestry.com — index $

Marriage Records

 * 1836 - 1930 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1973 - 1997 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1973 - 1997 Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997 at Ancestry.com — index/images $

Divorce Records

 * 1965 - 1984 at FamilySearch.org — index

Death Records

 * 1867 - 1907 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1835 - 1968 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1820 - 1907 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1959 - 1997 at FamilySearch.org — index

Websites

 * Polk County, WI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Wisconsin Genealogy Network Group on Facebook