Becker County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Becker 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 George Loomis Becker. Becker was one of three men elected to congress when Minnesota became a state, but since Minnesota could only send two, Becker elected to stay behind, and he was promised to have a county named after him. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Becker County Courthouse 931 Lake Ave Detroit Lakes, MN 56502 Phone: 218-846-7304 Becker County Website County Recorder has birth, marriage and death records from 1871, divorce, probate and court records from 1940.

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

 * Wilcox, Alvin H., A pioneer history of Becker County, Minnesota: including a brief account of its natural history ...,(Saint Paul, Minnesota: Pioneer Press Co. (Minnesota), 1907). Digital image at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, HathiTrust; Indexed at Ancestry ($).

Census Records
State Census
 * 1835-1890 Minnesota, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1905 Minnesota, Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1865 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

Emigration and Immigration

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

Funeral Homes

 * 1903-1991 Minnesota, Becker County, funeral records, 1903-1991 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.

Genealogies

 * 1880-2005 Minnesota, Becker County, family files and scrapbooks, 1880-2005 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Pre-1908 Minnesota, Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)

Local Histories

 * Minnesota County History Name Index at Ancestry ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Cities and Towns - How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Becker County municipality and township maps.

Military Records
Civil War


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

Spanish-American War
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)
 * 1898-1899 Minnesota, Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at Ancestry (Free Index)

World War I
 * 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)
 * 1918-1941 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection.
 * 1917-1918 Daniel Nelson, comp and published by. An honor roll : containing a pictorial record of the men and women from Becker County, Minnesota, U.S.A., who served in the great war : 1917--1918--1919.Detroit, Minnesota : D. Nelson, 1919?

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 ($)
 * 1940-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry ($)

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

 * 1865-2006 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1891-2003 Web: Minnesota, Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at Ancestry (Free collection)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1801-1925 Minnesota, Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection

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
 * Bemidji Minnesota Family History Center
 * Detroit Lakes Minnesota Family History Center
 * Fargo North Dakota Family History Center
 * Lake Agassiz Regional Library - Moorhead Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Park Rapids Minnesota Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Detroit Lakes Library 1000 Washington Ave Detroit Lakes, MN 56501 Phone: 218-847-2168 Website

Museums
Becker County Historical Society & Museum 714 Summit Ave P.O. Box 622 Detroit Lakes, MN 56502 Phone: 218-847-2938 Website

Societies

 * Becker County Historical Society & Museum  714 Summit Ave P.O. Box 622 Detroit Lakes, MN 56501 Phone: 218-847-2938 Email: [mailto:info@beckercountyhistory.org info@beckercountyhistory.org] Website

Websites

 * The Becker County MNGenWeb Project, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Minnesota Historical Society
 * 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.
 * USGenWeb Archives for Becker County.
 * Cyndi's List: Becker 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.