Douglas County, Minnesota Genealogy

United States

Minnesota

Douglas County

Guide to Douglas County, Minnesota ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Minnesota Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Alexandria Organized: July 31, 1866 Parent County(s): Cass, Pembina (Extinct) Neighboring Counties Grant  • Otter Tail  • Pope  • Stearns  • Stevens  • Todd See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The County was named for Stephen Douglas, of Illinois. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Douglas County Courthouse
305 Eighth Ave W
Alexandria, MN 56308
Phone: 320-762-3022
Douglas County Website

County Recorder has birth, marriage, and death records from 1890, land records from late 1800s and military records.
Clerk of Courts has divorce, probate and court records.

Douglas County, Minnesota Record Dates

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.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1890	1890	1890	1867	1862	1868	1836
*Statewide registration started for births in 1900 and deaths in 1908. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss

1862 Records from pre-1862 were lost, except the first census of 1860. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see: Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle. When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog. Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.

Boundary Changes

1858--Douglas County was created 8 March 1858 from Cass and Pembina (Extinct) Counties. County seat: Alexandria Organized date: 31 Jul 1866 Interactive Map of Minnesota County Formation History (1790-1897) - animated maps illustrating Minnesota county boundary changes Minnesota Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Populated Places

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:

Cities
Alexandria Brandon Carlos Evansville	Forada Garfield Kensington Millerville	Miltona Nelson Osakis
Unincorporated communities
Belle River Holmes City	Leaf Valley	Rose City
Townships
Alexandria Belle River Brandon Carlos Evansville Holmes City Hudson	Ida La Grand Lake Mary Leaf_Valley Lund Millerville Miltona	Moe Orange Osakis Solem Spruce Hill Urness

Resources

Biographies

• Larson, Constant. History of Douglas and Grant Counties, Minnesota: their people, industries, and institutions; (Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen & Company, Inc, 1916); Vol 2 (biographical) online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol 1 and 2 online at Ancestry ($).

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Douglas County, Minnesota online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Billion Graves Find A Grave Minnesota Gravestones MN Tombstone Transcription Project MN GenWeb USGenWeb Archives
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	FamilySearch Places Find A Grave MNGenWeb, listing of cemeteries only
See Minnesota Cemeteries for more information.

 

Census Records

For links to Federal, State, and Territorial censuses, see Minnesota Census.

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	4,239	—
1880	9,130	115.4%
1890	14,606	60.0%
1900	17,964	23.0%
1910	17,669	−1.6%
1920	19,039	7.8%
1930	18,813	−1.2%
1940	20,369	8.3%
1950	21,304	4.6%
1960	21,313	0.0%
1970	22,892	7.4%
1980	27,839	21.6%
1990	28,839	3.6%
2000	32,821	13.8%
2010	36,009	9.7%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

State Census

• 1835-1890 , U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at Ancestry ($)
• 1849-1905 , U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at Ancestry ($)
• 1865 Minnesota State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1875 Minnesota State Census, 1875 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1885 Minnesota State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1905 Minnesota State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Church Records

Most church records are held by individual churches. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information, see Minnesota Church Records.

• FamilySearch Places
  

Lutheran

• 1800-1988 - Evangelical Lutheran Church of America at Minnesota Historical Society ($)
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($) has the following information:
  • First English Lutheran Church, Alexandria
  • East Moe Lutheran Church, Garfield
  • Farwell Lutheran Church
  • Our Savior's Lutheran Congregation, Evansville
  • Trysil Lutheran Church, Farwell
  • West Moe Lutheran Church, Garfield

Churches founded in Douglas County between 1860 - 1910

Danish Churches

• Osakis Township: Danish Lutheran Church (founded 1871)

Finnish Churches

• Urness Township: Finnish Apostolic Church (founded 1877)
• Moe Township: St. Paul's Lutheran Church (founded 1902)

German Churches

• Alexandria Township: St. Mary's Catholic Church (founded 1879); Zion Lutheran Church (founded 1880)
• Carlos Township: Immanuel Lutheran Church (founded 1874)
• Belle River Township: St. Nicholas Catholic Church (founded 1870)
• Ida Township: St. John's Lutheran Church (founded 1910)
• Brandon Township: St. Ann's Catholic Church (founded 1902)
• Leaf Valley Township: Ebenezer Lutheran Church (founded 1875)
• Miltona Township: St. Paul's Lutheran Church (founded 1890)
• Millerville Township: Trinity Lutheran Church (founded 1892); Church of Seven Dolors Catholic Church (founded 1867)

Norwegian Churches

• Alexandria Township: First Lutheran Church (founded 1872); Bethesda Lutheran Church (founded 1907)
• Brandon Township: Chippewa Lutheran Church (founded 1871); Grace Lutheran Church (founded 1881)
• Evansville Township: Our Savior's Lutheran Church (founded 1869)
• Moe Township: West Moe Lutheran Church (founded 1867); East Moe Lutheran Church (founded 1886)
• Urness Township: St. Petri Lutheran Church (founded 1887)
• Osakis Township: Our Savior's Lutheran Church (founded 1871)
• Holmes City Township: Trysil Lutheran Church (founded 1870)
• Solem Township: Solem Lutheran Church (founded 1876)

Swedish Churches

• Alexandria Township: First Baptist Church (founded 1881); Svea (Calvary) Lutheran Church (founded 1877)
• Osakis Township: Fahlun Lutheran Church (founded 1871)
• Holmes City Township: Trinity Lutheran Church (founded 1875); Oscar Lake Lutheran Church (founded 1866); Swedish Baptist Church (founded 1904)
• Urness Township: Fryksende Lutheran Church (founded 1877)
• Lund Township: Christian Lake Lutheran Church (founded 1871)
• Millerville Township (founded ca. 1880)
• Ida Township: St. Luke's Lutheran Church (founded 1869); Ida Mission Covenant Church (founded 1889)
• Solem Township: Wennersborg Lutheran Church (founded ca. 1879); Kensington Covenant Church (founded 1875)
• Evansville Township: Immanuel Lutheran Church (founded 1883); Zionsborg Lutheran Church (founded 1884); Calvary Mission Covenant Church (founded 1887)
• Spruce Hill Township: Free Mission Covenant Church (founded 1886); Rose City Swedish Baptist Church (founded ca. 1890); Spruce Hill Methodist Church (founded 1890s); Spruce Hill Lutheran Church (founded 1876)

Yankee and British Churches

• Alexandria Township: First Methodist Church (founded 1879); Emmanuel Episcopal Church (founded 1868); United Methodist Church (founded 1867); Congregational Church (founded 1867)
• Ida Township: First Presbyterian Church of Garfield (founded ca. 1900)
• Carlos Township: Carlos Presbyterian Church (founded ca. 1900)
• Hudson Township: Free Methodist Church (founded ca. 1891); Forada Presbyterian Church (founded ca.1898)

Emigration and Immigration

• 1912-1956 Minnesota Passenger and Crew Lists, 1912-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Genealogies

• Douglas County, Minnesota family files at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
• Minnesota, Douglas County, family files, 1700-2007 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
• Pottle, Beverly Campbell and Pottle, Norman; Some ancestors and descendants of George J. and Anna Edna (Johnson) Olson: Iowa-Minnesota; Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.

Land and Property Records

The county register of deeds keeps land records once the land was transferred to private ownership. Abstracts and indexes for these records are generally available at the county courthouse.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• 1860-1876 Minnesota, Douglas County land transactions, 1860-1876 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
• Pre-1908 , U.S., Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)
• Thomas O Nelson Co.; Plat book of Douglas County, Minnesota: containing plats of each township, a county road map, rural directory of farmers, and a summer resort directory; (Fergus Falls, Minnesota: Thomas O. Nelson Co., 1950); Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Douglas County. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Minnesota Local Histories.

• Douglas County Album of the Ages; (Douglas County Historical Society: Taylor Publishing Co., 1982); Online at FamilySearch Digital Library
• Larson, Constant. History of Douglas and Grant Counties, Minnesota: their people, industries, and institutions; (Indianapolis, IN: B.F. Bowen & Company, Inc, 1916); Vol 1 (historical) online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Vol 1 and 2 online at Ancestry ($).
• Minnesota Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Douglas County, MN map at David Rumsey Map Collections
• Family Maps of Douglas County (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
• Minnesota Department of Transportation, Douglas County municipality and township maps

Military Records

Multiple Wars

• 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry (Free Index).

Civil War

• 1861-1934 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1861-1865 U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1861-1865 , U.S., Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1861-1865 Minnesota Civil War Soldiers at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1861-1917 United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection

Spanish-American War

• 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1898-1899 , U.S., Spanish American War Muster Rolls and Casualty Lists, 1898-1899 at Ancestry (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 ($)
• 1918-1941 Minnesota, World War I Records, 1918-1941 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection.

World War II

• 1940-1947 Minnesota, World War II Draft Registration Cards,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 ($)
• 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry ($)

Naturalization and Citizenship

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

• 1849-1985 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Naturalization Index, 1849-1985 at Ancestry (Free Collection)
• 1872-1962 Minnesota Naturalization Records and Indexes, 1872-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1880-1920 , U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1880-1920 at Ancestry ($)
• 1918 Web: , U.S., 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 Minnesota Obituaries 1865-2006 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1891-2003 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Obituary Index, 1891-2003 at Ancestry (Free Index)

Probate Records

Probate records may include wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. They may include the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, etc. See Minnesota Probate Records for additional information.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1801-1925 , U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
• 1849-1985 Minnesota Will Records, 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 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

Since Minnesota tax records include only persons who owned taxable property, many residents were not included. Still they complement land records and can be used in place of missing censuses or the years between censuses. There may also be gaps. For more information, see the wiki page Minnesota Taxation.

Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.

A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also Minnesota Vital Records.

Birth

• 1840-1980 Minnesota, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1840-1980 at Ancestry ($)
• 1900-1934 Minnesota People Records Search - Births at Minnesota Historical Society - free index, images ($)
• 1900-1934 Minnesota, Birth Index, 1900-1934 at MyHeritage; index ($)
• 1935-2000 Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1935-2000 at Ancestry ($)

Marriage

• 1850-2019 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Marriages from the Minnesota Official Marriage System, 1850-2019 at Ancestry (Free collection)
• 1860-1949 Minnesota, County Marriages, 1860-1949 at FamilySearch — 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 Minnesota, County Deaths, 1850-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
• 1887-2001 Minnesota Deaths, 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 Minnesota, U.S., Death Index, 1908-2017 at Ancestry ($)

Divorce

• 1970-1995 Minnesota, U.S., Divorce Index, 1970-1995 at Ancestry ($)
• 1970-2003 Minnesota Divorce Records Index, 1970-2003 at Archives ($)

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Douglas County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Minnesota Archives and Libraries.

Family History Centers

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

• Alexandria Minnesota Family History Center

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Douglas County. For state-wide library facilities, see Minnesota Archives and Libraries.

Douglas County Library
720 Filmore St
Alexandria, MN 56308
320-762-3014
Email:library@douglascountylibrary.org
Website

Museums

Runestone Museum Foundation
206 Broadway St
Alexandria, MN 56308
320-763-3160
E-mail:director@runestonemuseum.org
Website

Legacy of the Lakes Museum
PO Box 1216
205 3rd Ave W
Alexandria, MN 56308
320-759-1114
E-mail:museum@legacyofthelakes.org
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Douglas County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Minnesota Societies.

Douglas County Historical Society
1219 Nokomis St
Alexandria, MN 56308-3712
320-762-0382
Email: historic@dchsmn.org
Website

Douglas County Genealogical Guild
1219 Nokomis St
Alexandria, MN 56308-3712
320-762-0382
Website

Evansville Historical Foundation
PO Box 337
304 S Gran St
Evansville, MN 56326
218-948-2010
E-mail:ehf@gctel.com
Website

Osakis Area Heritage Center
PO Box 8
11 E Main St
Osakis, MN 56360
320-859-3777
Email: osakis@midwestinfo.com
Website

West Central Minnesota Historical Research Center
University of Minnesota–Morris
600 E 4th Street
Morris, MN 5626
888-866-3382 or 320-589-6035
Email: grosssj@morris.umn.edu
Website

Websites

• Minnesota Historical Society
• Douglas County USGW Archives, a member of MN USGenWeb Archives, an affiliate of USGenWebArchives.
• Douglas County GenWeb, a member of MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of USGenWeb Project.
• Range Research Center The IronRange 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
• Cyndi's List: Douglas County
• 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.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

The collection is free on this subscription website.

The index is free on this subscription website.