Hamlin County, South Dakota Genealogy

United States

South Dakota

Hamlin County

Guide to Hamlin County, South Dakota ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts County seat: Hayti Organized: January 8, 1873 Parent County(s): Deuel and Hanson Neighboring Counties Brookings  • Clark  • Codington  • Deuel  • Kingsbury See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: SDGenWeb Project who welcome you to contribute. and its representative Hamlin Co. SDGenWeb Adopt a page today

County Information

Description

It was named in honor of Hannibal Hamlin, Lincoln's first vice-president. It is located in the eastern area of the state.

County Courthouse

Hamlin County Courthouse
PO Box 237;
Hayti, SD 57241
Phone: 605.783.3201

Register of Deeds has birth, death, burial records from 1905, land records, marriage records from 1879;
Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1885, probate records from 1890, naturalization records from 1880, school census records from 1903 and school records from 1890

Hamlin County, South Dakota 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 Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1905	1879	1905	1885	1879	1890	1850
*State birth and death records began in 1905. Compliance for recording births was 1906 and 1932 for deaths.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Parent County: Hamlin County was created 8 January 1873 from Deuel and Hanson Counties. County seat: Hayti Interactive Formation Boundary Map of North Dakota - shows boundary changes for South Dakota Counties South Dakota Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Populated Places

The following are locations in the county

Cities
Bryant Castlewood	Estelline	Lake Norden
Towns
Hayti	Hazel
Unincorporated communities
Dempster	Thomas
Census-designated places
Lake Poinsett
Townships
Brantford Castlewood Cleveland Dempster Dixon	Estelline Florence Garfield Hamlin Hayti	Norden Opdahl Oxford

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Hamlin County, South Dakota online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com SDGenWeb SDGenWeb Archives USGenWeb Tombstone Project SD Gravestones Billion Graves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves SD Cemetery Record Search
See South Dakota Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1880	693	—
1890	4,623	567.1%
1900	5,945	28.6%
1910	7,475	25.7%
1920	8,054	7.7%
1930	8,299	3.0%
1940	7,562	−8.9%
1950	7,058	−6.7%
1960	6,303	−10.7%
1970	5,172	−17.9%
1980	5,261	1.7%
1990	4,974	−5.5%
2000	5,540	11.4%
2010	5,903	6.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Before South Dakota was a state in 1889, parts of South Dakota were included in the 1836 Iowa Territory census (also known as Wisconsin Territory), 1840 Iowa Territory census, 1850 Minnesota Territory census, and the 1860-1880 Dakota Territory censuses. See links listed below.

Territory and State Census Records

• 1836 - 1836 Wisconsin Territory Census – index only; South Dakota was included in the 1836 Wisconsin Territory Census
• 1840 - United States Census, 1840 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; South Dakota was included in the 1840 Iowa Territory Census
• 1850 - United States Census, 1850 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; South Dakota was included in the 1850 Minnesota Territory Census
• 1860 - United States Census, 1860 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; South Dakota was included in the 1860 Dakota Territory Census
• 1870 - United States Census, 1870 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; South Dakota was included in the 1870 Dakota Territory Census
• 1880 - United States Census, 1880 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; South Dakota was included in the 1880 Dakota Territory Census
• 1885 - South Dakota, Territorial Census, 1885 at Ancestry — ($); index and images
• 1895 - South Dakota, State Census, 1895 at Ancestry — ($); index and images
• 1905 - South Dakota State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
• 1915 - South Dakota State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
• 1925 - South Dakota State Census, 1925 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
• 1935 - South Dakota State Census, 1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
• 1945 - South Dakota State Census, 1945 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images

Federal Census Records

Federal Censuses were taken for the state of South Dakota starting in 1890, although only one page survived. The 1900 Census is the next Federal Census available. For links to Federal census indexes, see South Dakota Census.

Church Records

Church records 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 South Dakota denominations, view the South Dakota Church Records wiki page.

Online Church Records
Dutch Reformed Church

• 1897-1964 - U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Estelline Christian Reformed Church Membership Record Book, 1897-1964; Some information may be in Dutch or German
  

Lutheran Church

• 1875-1940 - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
  
• Records of the American Lutheran Church, Bryant, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
• Records of the American Lutheran Church, Hamlin County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Presbyterian Church

• 1701-1970 - U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
  

Land and Property Records

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 South Dakota Land and Property for additional information about early South Dakota land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse, where records are currently housed.

Online Land Records

• Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
• 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
  
• 1863 - 1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Local Histories

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

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Interactive Formation Boundary Map of South Dakota - shows boundary changes for South Dakota Counties
• Historical Maps and Atlases of South Dakota - maps and atlases of South Dakota

Military Records

Online Collections

These collections are unique to South Dakota. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and South Dakota Military Records.

• 1861 - 1941 South Dakota, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1861-1941 at FamilySearch
• 1940 - 1941 South Dakota, Veteran Graves Registration Records, 1940-1941 at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War

• 1861 - 1865 Dakota Territory Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch.
• 1885 Civil War Veteran's 1885 Census in South Dakota - Index only, Union and Confederate included
  
• 1890 United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890 at FamilySearch.

World War I

• South Dakota WWI Honor Roll by SDGenWeb - Alphabetical index; List by County
  

World War II

• WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties for South Dakota - Index only
  

For further information see South Dakota Military Records.

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1904 - 1928 South Dakota, Federal Naturalization Records, 1904-1928 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
• 1865 - 1972 South Dakota County Naturalization Records, 1865-1972 at FamilySearch — images
• South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:First Papers — index
• South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:Second Papers — index
• Name Index to Naturalization Records from Dakota Territory and South Dakota at National Archives, Kansas City — index

Newspapers

For more information, see South Dakota Newspapers.

South Dakota Newspapers Online

• GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of South Dakota newspapers
• Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of South Dakota newspapers
• Chronicling America - contains images of some South Dakota newspapers; searching tips
• Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites

South Dakota Newspaper Catalogs

• U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper.

Probate Records

In most counties in South Dakota, probate records have been kept by the county judge. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the county courthouse.

The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for South Dakota, Hamlin then click Probate records.

Online Records

• 1800 – 1985 North Dakota and South Dakota Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

School Records

• 1879 - 1970 South Dakota, School Records, 1879-1970 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1879 - 1970 South Dakota, School Records,1879-1970 at Ancestry — images

Tax Records

South Dakota tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the records.

Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. See the CDC Where to Write website for information on acquiring copies of these records.

Birth

• 1843 - 1914 South Dakota, Department of Health, Index to Births 1843-1914 and Marriages 1950-2014 at FamilySearch — index{{{1}}}
• 1856 - 1950 South Dakota, Birth Index, 1856-1915 at Ancestry — index ($)
• Birth Record Search Site For South Dakota Birth Records With Birth Dates Over 100 Years — index

Marriage

• 1950 - 2014 South Dakota, Department of Health, Index to Births 1843-1914 and Marriages 1950-014 — index
• 1905 - 2013 South Dakota, Marriages, 1905-2013 at Ancestry — index and images ($)

Death

• 1879 - 1955 South Dakota, Death Index, 1879-1955 at Ancestry — index($)

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in {{{1}}} County. For state-wide archival repositories, see South Dakota Archives and Libraries.

Family History Centers

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.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Libraries

Societies

Listed below are societies in Hamlin County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see South Dakota Societies.

Websites

• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
• FamilySearch Catalog

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.