Wabasha County, Minnesota Genealogy

Guide to Wabasha 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 three successive chiefs of Mississippi bands of Dakota Indians. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Wabasha County Courthouse 625 Jefferson Avenue Wabasha, MN 55981 Phone: 651-412-8627 Wabasha County Website County Recorder has birth and death records from 1870, marriage records from 1865 and land records from 1855. Court Administration has divorce, probate and court records from 1858. Veterans Service Office has military records.

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:

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

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 ($)

Local Histories

 * Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn. History of Wabasha County, Minnesota H.C. Cooper & Co. Winona, MN, 1920.  Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * History of Wabasha County, together with biographical matter, statistics, etc : also a history of Winona County H.H. Hill Publishing Co., 1884  Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Minnesota Maps at David Rumsey Map Collection
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Minnesota Department of Transportation, Wabasha 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 Wabasha County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Wabasha 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
 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company I.
 * - 1st Regiment, Minnesota Heavy Artillery, Company G.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company C.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies A and M.
 * - 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies G and I.
 * - 5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies G and H.
 * - 8th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company G.
 * - 9th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company K
 * - 10th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company C.

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 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 ($)
 * 1970-2003 Minnesota Divorce Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)

Archives

 * Inventory of the county archives of Minnesota, no. 79, Wabasha County (Wabasha). St. Paul, MN 1939. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Libraries
The Wabasha Library 168 Alleghany Ave Wabasha, MN 651-565-3927 Website Lake City Public Library 201 S High St Lake City, MN 55041 651-345-4013 Website Plainview Public Library 345 1st Avenue NW Plainview, MN 55964 507-534-3425 Website

Museums
Wabasha County Historical Society Museum PO Box 255 70537 206th Avenue Reads Landing, MN 55968 Email: [mailto:info@wabashacountyhistory.org info@wabashacountyhistory.org] Website Lake City Historical Society Museum PO Box 246 205 W Center St Lake City, MN 55041 612-889-0942 Email: [mailto:donals@embarqmail.com donals@embarqmail.com] Website Plainview Area History Center Museum Route 1, Box 209 40 4th Street SW Watkins House Museum 140 3rd Street NW Plainview, MN 55964 507-534-4173 or 507-534-2670 Email: [mailto:plainviewmnhistory@gmail.com plainviewmnhistory@gmail.com] Website

Societies

 * Wabasha County Historical Society P.O. Box 255 Lake City, MN 55041 Phone: 877-525-3248 Email: [mailto:info@wabashacountyhistory.org info@wabashacountyhistory.org] Website
 * Lake City Historical Society P.O. Box 246 205 W Center St Lake City, MN 55041 Phone: 612-889-0942 Email: [mailto:donals@embarqmail.com donals@embarqmail.com] Website
 * Plainview Area History Center Route 1, Box 209 40 4th Street SW Plainview, MN 55964 Phone: 507-534-4173 Email: [mailto:plainviewmnhistory@gmail.com plainviewmnhistory@gmail.com] Website

Websites

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