Door County, Wisconsin Genealogy
Guide to Door County, Wisconsin ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for the Door Peninsula. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Door County Courthouse
421 Nebraska Street
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235-2204
Phone: 920-746-2200
Door County Website
Register of Deeds has birth, marriage, divorce, and land records from 1850.
Clerk of Court has divorce records from 1900 and court records from 1860.
Register in Probate has probate records from 1863.[3]
Door County, Wisconsin Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Marriage | Court | Land | Probate | Census | ||
| 1850 | 1850 | 1850 | 1860 | 1850 | 1863 | 1820 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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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. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[6]
| Cities | ||
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| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
Places with their included locations
- Washington Island includes Detroit Harbor.
- Liberty Grove (Town of) includes Villages of Gills Rock, Ellison Bay, and Sister Bay; old towns/areas of Rowleys Bay, Appleport, Hedgehog Harbor, North Bay, and North Port.
- Baileys Harbor includes Peninsula Center
- Gibraltor (Town of) includes Villages: Ephraim, Juddville, Fish Creek, Horseshoe (Eagle), and Chamber Islands.
- Jacksonport includes West Jacksonport.
- Egg Harbor includes the Villages of Egg Harbor and Carlsville.
- Sevastopol including Villages of Valmy, Institute, and Whitefish Bay.
- Sturgeon Bay
- Gardner includes Little Sturgeon Bay
- Forestville includes Village of Forestville, Carnot, and Maplewood.
- Nasawaupee, includes Idlewild.
- Union includes Shoemaker Point and Namur.
- Brussels includes Rosiere and Kohlberg.
- Clay Banks includes Vignes and Salona.
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Index: History of Door County, Wisconsin, Together With Biographies Of Nearly Seven Hundred Families, Mention Of 4,000 Persons, Published in 1881 USGenWeb Archives
- History of Door County, Wisconsin: The County Beautiful, by Hjalmar R. Holand, Volumes 1 and 2 USGenWeb Archives
- Biographical Index: History of Door County, published in 1881 USGenWeb Archives
- Biographical Index: History of Door County, Wisconsin, The County Beautiful, Vol II, published in 1917 USGenWeb Archives
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 2,948 | — |
| 1870 | 4,919 | 66.9% |
| 1880 | 11,645 | 136.7% |
| 1890 | 15,082 | 29.5% |
| 1900 | 17,583 | 16.6% |
| 1910 | 18,711 | 6.4% |
| 1920 | 19,073 | 1.9% |
| 1930 | 18,182 | −4.7% |
| 1940 | 19,095 | 5.0% |
| 1950 | 20,870 | 9.3% |
| 1960 | 20,685 | −0.9% |
| 1970 | 20,106 | −2.8% |
| 1980 | 25,029 | 24.5% |
| 1990 | 25,690 | 2.6% |
| 2000 | 27,961 | 8.8% |
| 2010 | 27,785 | −0.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Door census records online, see: Wisconsin Census.
State Census
- 1855 - Wisconsin State Census, 1855 This census includes name of head of family; other individuals in the household are identified by sex and race, number of deaf and dumb, blind, insane and foreign born. - How to Use this Collection
- 1865 - Wisconsin State Census, 1865 Name index and images of the 1865 State Census which names the head of household. Most records have been destroyed but schedules exist for the following counties: Dunn, Green, Jackson, Kewaunee, Ozaukee, and Sheboygan. - How to Use this Collection
- 1875 - Wisconsin State Census, 1875 Identifies head of household by name. - How to Use this Collection
- 1885 - Wisconsin State Census, 1885 — index and images. Search indexed census.Identifies by name of head of household. Other information is statistical and identifies the rest of the household by race, gender and country of birth. - How to Use this Collection
- 1895 - Wisconsin State Census, 1895 — index and images. Identifies head of household by name. Other information is statistical. - How to Use this Collection
- 1905 - Wisconsin State Census, 1905 — Name index and images of population. Enumerates by name all inhabitants. - How to Use this Collection
Federal Census
- 1860 - Census, Door County (partial) WIGenWeb Project
- 1870 - Census, Door County (complete) WIGenWeb Project
- 1870 - 1870 Census, Door County, with images USGenWeb Archives
- 1880 - 1880 Census, Door County (complete) WIGenWeb Project
- 1910 - 1910 Census, Door County Index (complete) Peninsula Genealogical Society
- 1920 - 1920 Census, Door County (complete) WIGenWeb Project
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Wisconsin denominations, view the Wisconsin Church Records wiki page.
Lutheran
- Records of Bay View Lutheran Church, Sturgeon Bay, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
- Tanum Forest Evangelical Lutheran Church, Clay Banks, has Evangelical Lutheran Church records for immigrants from Norway, Family History Library microfilm 1769859. History of this church's establishment was published in the Door County Advocate on 3 March 1862.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- Circuit Court case files, 1895-1987 at Archives and Area Research Center
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Norwegians
- Immigration to Door County, WI. - Birth, immigration, marriage, death etc found in the digitized parish registers of Norway.
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Door County WI Funeral Homes -Peninsula Genealogical Society
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Family Histories at Door County Library, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin-Surname Index (partial) - Peninsula Genealogical Society website
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Wisconsin Land and Property for additional information about early Wisconsin land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
- Door County Land Information Portal - click on map and find past and current land information.
- The State of Wisconsin Collection Plat Maps 1899, 1900, 1914, and 1923 - Use "volume" forward feature to go to later years.
- Wisconsin Land Patents Database, Door County (USGenWeb Archives)
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Door County Civil Towns - Peninsula Genealogical Society Door County Plat Maps - University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Service men in Door served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Door:
- Door County, Civil War Gold Star List WIGenWeb Project
- 1883 list of Pensioners or dependents, Door Co., WI USGenWeb Archives
World War I[edit | edit source]
- Door County, World War I Gold Star List WIGenWeb Project
- Door County Army Casualties USGenWeb Archives
World War II[edit | edit source]
- Local men & women who served in the armed forces during WWII from Door County, WI. WIGenWeb Project
- Door County, World War II Gold Star List WIGenWeb Project
- Door County, Army Enlistees, Surnames Abrahamson-Ludwikoski USGenWeb Archives
- Door County Army Enlistees, Surnames Maccomber, Zwicky USGenWeb Archives
Korean War[edit | edit source]
- Door County, Korean War Gold Star List WIGenWeb Project
Vietnam War[edit | edit source]
- Door County, Vietnam War Gold Star List WIGenWeb Project
Operation Iraqi Freedom[edit | edit source]
- Door County, Operation Iraqi Freedom Gold Star List WIGenWeb Project
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- Declarations of Intention & Naturalizations, 1861-1950 available at Archives and Area Research Center; Citizenship Request Forms $
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Wisconsin Newspapers Online
- Door County Newspapers - Door County Library Newspapers Archive
- Wisconsin Digital Newspaper at Wisconsin State Historical Society
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Door County Obituary Index-1862 to 1899 - Peninsula Genealogical Society
Door County Obituaries - 2010 and before - no cemetery listed or out of town cemetery - Peninsula Genealogical Society
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate records are held by the Door Clerk of Circuit Court and are housed at the Door Courthouse. See the wiki page Wisconsin Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Content: Probate records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, and adoptions.
Online Records
- 1800 – 1987 Wisconsin Wills and Probate Records 1800-1987 at Ancestry.com — images and index $
- 1848 – 1948 Wisconsin Probate Estate Files 1848-1948 at FamilySearch — images - How to Use this Collection
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index 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.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Wisconsin tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned property or other items that could be taxed were listed, some residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records. For more information see the Wiki page, Wisconsin Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Most counties started keeping records in the 1870s. In 1907, the counties began sending copies to the state.
For pre-1907 births, deaths, and marriages, search the Wisconsin Genealogy Index.
For additional information, see Wisconsin Vital Records.
- Pre-1907 Births, Marriages and Deaths at Archives and Area Research Center, Cofrin Library, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay - $, the research center will make a search
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1820-1907 Wisconsin, Birth Index, 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1820-1920: Wisconsin, Birth Index, 1808-1920 at MyHeritage - index ($)
- 1826-1908 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826-1908 at Ancestry — index $
- 1826-1926 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings, 1826-1926 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
- Door County Church Baptismal Records WIGenWeb Archives
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1836-1911 Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1836-1930 Wisconsin, Marriages, 1836-1930 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- Pre-1907 Door County Marriage Certificate Alphabetical Index: includes Groom, Bride, Parents of Groom, Parents of Bride, Witnesses and Person performing ceremony-created from FHL film number's: 1275987, 1275988, and 1275989. Peninsula Genealogical Society website
- Pre-1907 Door County Marriage Certificate Sequential Index: includes Groom, Bride, Parents of Groom, Parents of Bride, Witnesses and Person performing ceremony-created from FHL film number's: 1275987, 1275988, and 1275989 Peninsula Genealogical Society website
- Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
- Pre-1927 Door County Marriage Index through 1927 WIGenWeb Project
- 1973-1997 Wisconsin, Marriage Index, 1973-1997 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1973-1997 Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997 at Ancestry — index/images $
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1820-1907 Wisconsin, Death Index, 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- To 1897 Door County Wisconsin Death Certificate Index - Alphabetical and Sequential - all persons on death certificates: from FHL Film number 1310180 Peninsula Genealogical Society website
- 1835-1968 Wisconsin, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1968 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1857-1933 Door County, Wisconsin Death Index - 1857-1933 WIGenWeb Project
- 1867-1907 Wisconsin, Death Records, 1867-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
- 1959-1997 Wisconsin, Death Index, 1959-1997 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1861-1886 Early Door County Divorces USGenWeb Archives
- 1965-1984 Wisconsin, Divorce Index, 1965-1984 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Door County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Wisconsin Archives and Libraries.
- Archives and Area Research Center
Cofrin Library, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
2420 Nicolet Dr.
Green Bay, WI 54311-7001
Phone: 920-465-2539
Email: archives@uwgb.edu
Website
Facebook
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Door County. For state-wide library facilities, see Wisconsin Archives and Libraries.
- Cofrin Library, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Archives and Area Research Center
2420 Nicolet Dr.
Green Bay, WI 54311-7001
Phone: 920-465-2539
Email: archives@uwgb.edu
Website
Facebook
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Door County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Wisconsin Societies.
- Door County Historical Society
130 N. 4th Ave.
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
Phone: 920-421-2332
E-mail:doorcountyhistory@gmail.com
Website - Egg Harbor Historical Society
P.O. Box 264
Egg Harbor,WI 54209
E-mail:eggharborhistory@gmail.com
Website - Peninsula Genealogical Society
477 No. 6th Ave
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
Email:pengensoc@yahoo.com
Website - Sevastopol Historical Society
PO Box 501
Sturgeon Bay WI 54235
Website - Sister Bay Historical Society
PO Box 34
Sister Bay, WI 54234
Phone: 920-854-7680
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Door County, WI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Wisconsin Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Peninsula Genealogical Society
- Door County Library / Genealogy
- Door County WIGenWeb Project
- Door County USGenWeb Archives
- FamilySearch Catalog - 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
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
Peninsula Genealogical Society website
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Door County, Wisconsin " in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door_County,_Wisconsin."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Door County, Wisconsin. Page 755-760, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 757-759.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Door County, Wisconsin," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door_County,_Wisconsin#Communities, accessed 6 September 2018.
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