Minnesota Local History <-> Genealogy
Minnesota became a state in 1858.

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[ Local History <-> Genealogy Research Index ]

• Minnesota Secretary of State STUDENT PAGE! - includes the following and more:

• State Symbols

• History and Old Stuff :  Minnesota Timeline; Narrative;

• Constitution of the State of Minnesota

• MAPS : 1851 Territorial - 1857 Territorial - 1858 Territorial - 1895 MN State.
  Origin of Minnesota County Names.

Ann's Editorial: Please know that it is not my intention to offend anyone.  I simply wish to mention some of my thoughts on the issue of historic preservation of church cemeteries:
     The people of a Church are entrusted to care for the spiritual and physical well-being of the living, which includes material aids of food, clothing, shelter, and education (not to mention the routine church maintainance and upkeep, electricity, and so forth which are helpful to the present church members, and, hopefully, will contribute toward the present church buildings and cemeteries being preserved for future generations).  After all we cannot forget to care for the living and present.  These and other present day  financial responsibilities may leave little remaining for historic preservation costs.
I think it is also important to note that not every pastor, and church member, may be  gifted with the necessary knowledge and talents in the area of historic preservation, so it should not be expected.
I believe each of us have unique talents and gifts.  Perhaps those local parish members and historians whose talents and interest are in this area, should step forward, and "let their light shine" by sharing their talents and resources.
Shawne Marie FitzGerald has shared her talents with all of us through preserving the memory of Kith and Kin at the Highland Cemetery.  If her example is followed, we may find that limited resources are not so limited after all.

Visit Minnesota State Pages for Neighbors
Wisconsin
Iowa
North Dakota
South Dakota

County Selection List

     The Minnesota Territory was formed in March of 1849.  At that time, it included an eastern portion of the present day North and South Dakota.  It's Territorial Legislature authorized the formation of nine counties from the Minnesota Territory the same year.  The original nine counties were:  Benton, Dakota, Itasca, Pembina, Mahkahto, Ramsey, Wabasha, Washington and Wahnahta.
     Though the boundaries have been altered considerably over the years, 5 of these still exist.   During 1999, these will be celebrating their Sesquicentennial anniversary (150 years):  Dakota, Itasca, Ramsey, Wabasha and Washington.

Minnesota was admitted as the thirty-second state in May 1858.
***

In the following list, the county names which are not directly linked (are not underlined and highlighted) no longer exist under that name in present day Minnesota.  Though some of the county names which are no longer in use have been included, this list is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all county names which have been used.  The present day county link follows the name of an old-time county.

***

Note:  Both County and Town sites often include information about the areas history in addition to reporting addresses for the contacts for vital records, deeds, etc., so they are often quite good sites to begin researching both history and genealogy.  The towns of each county are listed under the county name.  If a town name is highlighted it links to the official town site, or a close approximation of one.  Go to County Selection Page.
See:  History of County Government

Category Selection List:

Agriculture & Farming

• Tools and Machinery

• The Amos Owen Garden of American Indian Horticulture

• Native American Horticulture in Southern Minnesota

• A History of American Agriculture 1776-1990 -

  • Farm Machinery and Technology

  • Farmers and the Land

  • Crops and Livestock

• Farming the Land (Early 20th Century)- F. A. Pazandak Photograph Collection includes:

  • Implements used on the Farm (1880-1920)

  • Steam Engines and Tractors (1880-1920)

• Minnesota Farm Safety & Health Information Clearinghouse: has a wealth of information on farming and livestock.

• SOOT IN the FLUES - "...They new long ago the steam engine was a thing of the past, but used it to form the future...When we look back, we don't look back to Ellsworth or Lake Benton or Florence, we look at the Steam engine and what it represented to us." - philosophical memories (dboom@clear.lakes.com).

• Minnesota Agriculture Census

• Agriculture Online - News, Discussion and Information.

• The Farmer's Guide to the Internet - University of Kentucky & The TVA Rural Studies Program < kyna@rural.org>.

Artifacts/Archaeology

• Minnesota Prehistory

• Minnesota Archaelogy - History and Development & Significant Sites

• Southern Minnesota Prehistory, by Michael Scullin, Professor of Anthropology at Mankato State University

• Halfdan's Page on Viking Runes

• The Kensington Rune Stone, by Michael Zalar.

• Alexandria, MN and "Kensington Runestone" History (Runestone discovered by a Douglas County farmer...)  See also:  The Viking Page

• MHS: Minnesota Archaeology Home Page

  • Industrial Archaeology

• Upper Midwest Rock Art Research Association: includes the following & MORE!

  • Minnesota Rock Art:  An Introduction, by Kevin L. Callahan Anthropology Department, University of Minnesota.

  • Minnesota's Sacred Red Rock Boulder - Kevin Callahan's study of the sacred stone in Newport, Minnesota.

  • A Glossary of Rock Art Terms.

  • Atlatls or Spearthrowers in Prehistoric Minnesota, by Kevin L. Callahan Anthropology Department, University of Minnesota.

  • Lithic and Copper Projectile Points and Minnesota Rock Art, by Kevin L. Callahan Anthropology Department, University of Minnesota.
     

Architecture

• Pioneer Dugouts (ca. 1830-1998)

• Pioneer Sod Houses (ca. 1880-1998)

• Tour the Blue Earth County Court House (Constructed in 1896)

• Frank Kacmarcik (b. 15 Mar 1920 - d. 22 Feb 2004) - greatly influenced American religious architecture and art; see also:  St. Johns Abbey

• Landmark Center: Old Federal Courts Building in St. Paul, MN  Tour

• Frank Lloyd Wright House Photo: David Loveness House- Stillwater Mn, 1956

• American Memory Architecture and Interior Design for 20th Century America

• Virtual Tour of St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, STEARNS, MN

• Zumbrota Covered Bridge History "Minnesota's Only Remaining Covered Bridge..."

• The St. Francis Hotel: The Place Where History Stayed - by Paul Gold, local historian - From it's 1916 opening, the history of this hotel/apartment building, in downtown  St. Paul, MN, reads like a Who's Who and What's What of modern American history: Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, Jack Benny, George Burns and Gracie Allen , Harry Houdini and Bill "Bojangles” Robinson, Glen Miller, the Dorsey Brothers, Babe Ruth, John Dillinger, Homer Van Meter, George “Machine gun” Kelly and “Ma” Barker, and many more, were St. Francis Hotel guests.  Learn about Original Stores, Vaudevillians, Gangsters, Boxers, Pioneers, The New Market Hall, and The Great St. Paul Library Fire.   "...building is one of the few moderately-priced places to live in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota and Currently it faces potential destruction. Citizen Groups and Historians are opposed to this.  Do you have an opinion about this?..." (See also "Save Our Homes, Save Our History!" and Heritage Preservation Commission criteria for the designation of any area, place, building, structure or similar object in the City of St. Paul as a heritage preservation site.)

• The George Chase Christian House: home to the Historical Society of Hennepin County, Minnesota, was built in 1919.  See more by the architectural firm of Hewitt and Brown.

The Arts
              See also Communication Media / Broadcasting

• Painting
  Remembering our International Artists of Minnesota

• Literature

• Photography - see also "Photographs and Photography"

  • The Daguerrein Society and the Daguerreotype - dedicated to the history, science and art of the Daguerreotype.  (e-mail: DagSocPgh@aol.com)
       3045 West Liberty Avenue, Suite 9 - Pittsburgh, PA 15216-2460

• Drama

• Music

  • Song Catcher Frances Densmore - Minnesota Public Radio - Native American music historian.

  • Lyrics to "Hail Minnesota" the state song

  • River of Song:  Music Along the River:  Americans Old and New.

  Miscellaneous & Directories

  • The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, with a link to The Permanent Collection
    Collection:

  • Wildlife Art Magazine, 4725 Hwy 7, St Louis Park, MN 55416 Phone: 1-800-221-6547.

  • Applause Magazine - southern MN arts & entertainment online magazine.

  • Minnesota River School of Fine Art

    • Art Gallery of works of artists affiliated with the Minnesota River Studios.

  • Roy Wilkins Memorial, in St. Paul, honors a prominent MN citizen dedicated to the cause of civil rights.

  • Roger Preuss of Waterville, MN - Wildlife Artist

  • A Brief History of the Pottery Industry in Red Wing, MN

  • Art Net  - searchable links to auctions, galleries, artists, art & antiques, bookstore, printstore and magazine.

  • The Mother Of All Art History Link Pages - by Patrick Young, Department of the History of Art at the University of Michigan with an extensive site of Art, History, Research, and Religious Links

  • U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Art Collection  includes

    • Line Art (Black-and-White Drawings)  "...They are not copyrighted, and you may use them for no charge. An artist working for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Robert Savannah, created this art for use in Service publications..."

  • Upper Midwest Rock Art Research Association:

    • The Pipestone Petroglyphs.

    • Minnesota's Sacred Red Rock Boulder - Kevin Callahan's study of the sacred stone in Newport, Minnesota.

    • A Glossary of Rock Art Terms.

  ---

  Biographies

• Sigurd F. Olson (1899-1982): Author and Conservationist, born in Chicago, IL, resided in Ely, MN.

• The Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Walnut Grove, MN (1867-1957)

• Chief Good Thunder and wife Snana - He helped save the lives of many settlers during the Dakota Uprising of 1862...

• Notable People in Blue Earth County History (includes: Chief Good Thunder and his wife, Chief Little Crow, Francis Kenny, Maud Hart-Lovelace, Betsy Gerlach, and Firefighters: William Funk and Al Roos)

• Zebulon Montgomery Pike and Stephen Harriman Long - The Famous Explorers of Minnesota who Have Mountains in the Colorado Rockies Named After Them...

• Roger Preuss of Waterville, MN - Wildlife Artist.

• Pierre Bottineau (1816-1895) of Métis heritage, he was one of the leading citizens of St. Anthony's Village (now North East Minneapolis).

• Frank Kacmarcik (b. 15 Mar 1920 - d. 22 Feb 2004) - greatly influenced American religious architecture and art; see also:  St. Johns Abbey

• Song Catcher Frances Densmore - Minnesota Public Radio - Native American music historian.

• Roy Wilkins Memorial, in St. Paul, honors a prominent MN citizen dedicated to the cause of civil rights.

• The Law in Itasca County, Minnesota: Interviews with Russ Johannsen

• Lunch With Casey Tribute Page - A central Minnesota television show which aired from the 1950s until 1972, and featured  Roger Awsumb as railroad engineer Casey Jones - by Stephen J. Iverson.

• Remembering Dave Delrimple Moore: Local Minneapolis Broadcast legend - Compiled by Channel 4000 Staff.

Communication and Entertainment Media / Books, Publications, Newspapers

• Minnesota Newspaper Web Sites: Online Directory

• City Pages Alternative News and Arts Weekly of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul).

• Finance and Commerce- Daily Business and Legal Newspaper.

• Minnesota Daily - University of Minnesota newspaper.

• St. Paul Pioneer Press (daily) and Today in Your Town"...coverage of south- and
           east-suburban communities -- and soon other communities..."

• Star Tribune (daily)

• AJR NewsLink - Minnesota Newspapers

• American Local History Network: Books

• Mary Bakeman's Park Genealogical Books, Roseville MN

Communication and Entertainment Media / Broadcasting

• Pavek Museum of Broadcasting- antique radio, television, & broadcast equipment.
     3515 Raleigh Avenue . St. Louis Park, MN 55416

• Early Recorded Sounds and Wax Cylinders- by Glenn Sage of Portland, OR.

• Axel's Treehouse: "...From 1954 to 1966, Minneapolis radio and television personality Clellan Card entertained kids..."

• Lunch With Casey Tribute Page - A central Minnesota television show which aired from the 1950s until 1972, and featured  Roger Awsumb as railroad engineer Casey Jones - by Stephen J. Iverson.

  • More Twin City Kids Shows - including: "Clancy the Cop, Carmen the Nurse and Willie Ketchem" (John Gallos, Mary Davies, and Allen Lottsberg); "Dave Lee and Pete" and "Captain Daryl".

• Remembering Dave Delrimple Moore: Local Minneapolis Broadcast legend - Compiled by Channel 4000 Staff.

Cemeteries/Obituaries/Funerals

• Minnesota Obituaries

• United States Cemetery Index, by Kimberly J. Beecher Engelhardt

• The Cemeteries of Minnesota, by Kimberly J. Beecher Engelhardt

• Minnesota Cemeteries from the U.S. Geological Survey

• Minnesota Cemeteries from Geographic Names Information System

• Cemetery Junction for Minnesota.

• Cemetery Records Online, by Steve Paul Johnson - Cemeteries and Genealogy.

• Funeral Coach History and Terminology: The Tombstone Traveller's Guide Exploring American Cemeteries and Funeral Practices - by ChrisTina Leimer.

• The Poorhouse Story, by Linda Crannell and CCS - a collection of information, by state, which invites submissions to help tell this untold tale, including cemeteries associated with 'poorhouses'.

Census

• NARA: National Archives and Records Administration

  • The Genealogy Page.

  • 1790-1890 Federal Population Censuses Catalog of NARA Microfilm

  • 1930 Census Microfilm Locator

  • The Soundex Indexing System

  • Clues in Census Records, 1790-1840

  • Clues in Census Records, 1850-1930

  • Microfilm Publications.

  • Microfilm Catalog

  • Microfilm Catalog for the 1900 Census

  • Microfilm Catalog for the 1910 Census

  • Native American Records

  • Immigration and Naturalization Records

• Obtaining EDs for the 1930 Census in One Step (Large Cities), by Stephen P. Morse, PhD, Joel D. Weintraub, PhD and David R. Kehs, PhD

• familysearch.org - 1880 Census Index

• 1880 U. S. Federal Census (1%) - visit this page to search by state.

• USGenWeb Census Project State Census Status Index.

Church & Religion - Historical Information & Directories

• Catholic Church of St. John's in Rochester, MN

• Local Catholic Church History & Genealogy Research Guide & Worldwide Directory +

  • +  Minnesota* + Page.

• Minnesota Church Records and Archives: on Park Books web site

• Minnesota Churches from Geographic Names Information System

• History of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis

Education

• "700+ Great Sites: Amazing, Spectacular, Mysterious, Colorful Web Sites for Kids and the Adults Who Care About Them".

  • People Past and Present Part 1 - Compiled by the Children and Technology Committee of the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.

  • People Past and Present Part 2 - Compiled by the Children and Technology Committee of the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association.

• Minnesota Secretary of State STUDENT PAGE! - includes the following and more:

  • State Symbols

  • History and Old Stuff :  Minnesota Timeline; Narrative;

  • Constitution of the State of Minnesota

  • MAPS : 1851 Territorial - 1857 Territorial - 1858 Territorial - 1895 MN State.

  • Origin of Minnesota County Names.

• Discover the Science Museum of Minnesota - with Online Projects!

  • See and Hear - sound in action:  between the Museum & the Minnesota
    Orchestra and MORE!!

• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Explore Minnesota's Wildlife

  • Minnesota's Frogs and Toads.

  • Minnesota's bald eagles.

  • The Timber Wolf - Red Fox - Fisher

  • Black Bear and  Learning to Live With Bears

  • Minnesota's Tundra Swans

  • NW Minnesota Moose Study: The Moose Mystery Challenge

• Yahooligans! - A Web Guide for Kids.

  • Social Studies/History links.

  • Around the World - Minnesota Links.

• You Be the Historian - "...Historians study the everyday lives of people who lived in the past by looking at clues: the objects and documents that people left behind and that have somehow survived..."

• Animated MAPs: The Formation of the Contiguous States through additions of territories and states and The Evolution of United States County Boundaries - by Ed Stephans.

• Geo Globe: Interactive Geography.

• Atlapedia Online - "...contains full color physical and political maps as well as
     key facts and statistics on countries of the world..."

Economy

• Business and Industry

• Economy

  • McMaster Archives: History of Economic Thought

• Money

  • The History of U.S. Paper Money

  • The Inflation Calculator online, created by S. Morgan Friedman, is reported to "...adjusts any given amount of money for inflation, according to the Consumer Price Index, from 1800 to 1999..."
    "Current Value of Old Money," by Roy Davies, attempts to answer the frequent question is "how much would a specified amount of money at a certain period of time be worth today?", with resources for Europe, U.S.A., Spain and even ancient Rome.

Ethnic/Cultural/Gender

• Gender Specific

  • MHS: Minnesota Women's History

  • Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center

  • Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1830-1930

  • Votes for Women - Selections of National American Women Sufferage Assoc. (1848-1921)

  • "Any woman who is now or hereafter may be married... Women and Naturalization, ca. 1802-1940," by Marian L. Smith (Prologue, Summer 1998)

  • From Slave Women to Free Women: The National Archives and Black Women's History in the Civil War Era, By Noralee Frankel (Prologue, Summer 1997)

  • Women Soldiers of the Civil War, by DeAnne Blanton (Prologue, Spring 1993)

  • How Did the Reform Agenda of the Minnesota Woman's Christian Temperance Union Change between 1878 and 1917

  • Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center Library

• Try Native Web (resources for indigenious cultures around the world)

• Native Americans

  • Minnesota Indian Affairs Council

    • Tribal Government: Teacher Background Information

    • Minnesota Indian Affairs Council - Treaties Overview

  • Ojibwe History, by Lee Sultzman.

  • Minnesota Reservations Map - Ojibwe

  • Brief History of the Anishinnaabe - Ojibwe Indians

  • Tribes and Villages in Minesota

  • White Earth Band of Chippewa (Indian Reservation) - located in Mahonomen, Becker and Clearwater counties, Minnesota.
       P.O. Box 418, White Earth, MN 56591  Phone:  (218) 983-3285 ext 235.

  • American Indian Learning Resource Center - University of Minnesota.

  • American Indian Library Association Home Page!

  • Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center Library

  • National Indian Law Library

  • NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN RESOURCES by Paula Giese.

    • Native Nations

  • Library of Congress, American Memory:  Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Books from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, ca. 1820-1910.

  • Cherokee Cultural Society of Houston has helpful information and links.

  • American Indian Tribal Directory - U.S. Federally Recognized Tribes

    • Northern Plains Tribes

  • The Five Tribes of the Great Plains

  • A Guide to the Great Sioux Nation (South Dakota)

  • Native American Genealogy

  • All Nations Native American Genealogy Forum

  • NativeWeb Resources for Genealogy

  • The Seeker Magazine - Native Americans Seeking...

  • Ethnologue Language Family Index, by Joseph E. Grimes and Barbara F. Grimes, Editors.

    • Algonquian Language Family

  • Cheyenne Language Web Site

• African American

  • Progress of A People - A Special Presentation of The African American Pamphlet Collection

  • Afrigeneas - "... a mailing list focused on genealogical research and resources in general and on African ancestry in particular..." by Don Mabry.

  • African Studies - U. Penn.

• Eastern European

• English

• French

• German

  • The Early Settlers of St. John's Parish at Union Hill in 1867 - by Victorin J. Ruhland June 1967.

• Luxembourgers

  • Luxembourg On My Mind

• Hmong

  • WWW.Hmong Homepage and alternate URL

• Irish

  • Irish Genealogical Society, Int'l -Irish Genealogy on the Web
       by Jack Reidy <jreidy@writeme.com> & Tom Clifford <tgc5105@hotmail.com>
       P.O. Box 16585 - St. Paul, MN 55116-0585

• Norwegian

  • Norwegian American Historical Association

  • Odin : Ministery of Foreign Affairs, "...Before you visit or write to Norway for genealogical information..."

  • Nordic Notes on the Net - A genealogy site for the Nordic diaspora and those who are looking for them...(Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden).

  • The Bygdelag Page: Connecting Norwegian-Americans with their community of origin in Norway!

• The Poor

  • The Poorhouse Story, by Linda Crannell and CCS - a collection of information, by state, which invites submissions to help tell this untold tale - read "Emma's Story" to see the touching story behind the site!!!

• Puerto Rican/Hispanic

  • Puerto Rican / Hispanic Genealogical Society
       P.O. Box 260118 - Bellerose, NY 11426-0118
       (Miguel J. Hernández - President  Email: miguel_j_hernandez@csi.com)

• Scottish

• Swedish

  • American Swedish Institute
       2600 Park Avenue - Minneapolis, MN 55407 -  Phone: (612) 871-4907.

  • Nordic Notes on the Net - A genealogy site for the Nordic diaspora and those who are looking for them...(Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden).

  • Swedish Council of America, Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Swedish
      Council of America unites organizations in the United States, Canada, and in
      Sweden in their efforts to preserve and promote Swedish heritage...

  • The Swedish Emigrant Institute
       P.O. Box 201 - 351 04 VÄXJÖ - Sweden

    • Swedes become Americans.

    • The Royal Library - National Library of Sweden.

• Alexandria, MN and "Kensington Runestone" History (Runestone discovered by a Douglas County farmer...)  See also:  The Viking Page with Swedish-Viking English Dictionary

• Spanish

• Welsh

  • The Welsh in Minnesota and Iowa, with the following being currently transcribed: "History of the Welsh in Minnesota, Foreston and Lime Springs, Iowa, gathered by the Old Settlers", Edited by the Reverends Thomas E. Hughes and David Edwards, and Messrs. Hugh G. Roberts and Thomas Hughes. 1895.

• Your suggestions for additional are welcome  

  ---

  Folklore and Traditions

• Roadside America for Minnesota

• Encyclopedia Mythica: Encyclopedia of Mythology, Folklore and Legend

Genealogy

• Minnesota Historical Society Library

  • Minnesota Online Death Index, 1904 through 2001

  • Minnesota Birth Index, 1900-1925.

  • Guide to Land Records

• Minnesota Genealogical Society    

  • relocating to 1185 Concord Street N, Suite 200

  • South St. Paul, MN  55075-1187

  • Phone:  (651) 455-9057

  • (old address: 5768 Olson Memorial Hwy - Golden Valley MN 55422   Phone: (763) 595-9347)

• State of Minnesota - North Star, Minnesota State Government Online.

  • Department of Health

  • How to order a birth or death certificate from the Minnesota Department of Health. Contact the Minnesota Department of Health for certified Birth records from 1900 and certified Death records from 1908.  Certificates may be ordered by mail, phone, fax, and in person at the office.  There is a fee for obtaining birth or death certificates.
    Minnesota Department of Health
      Attention: Vital Records
      717 Delaware Street Southeast
      P.O. Box 9441
      Minneapolis, MN  55440-9441
      Phone: 612-676-5120 (For birth records, press 4; For death records, press 5)
    Records prior to these years, may be requested from the County  Registrar/Recorder in the county where the event occurred.

  • Instructions on obtaining certificates of marriage or divorce decrees and index search.

  • MN Dept. of Health list of County Registrars/Recorders: choose county

• NARA: National Archives and Records Administration

  • The Genealogy Page.

  • Land Records and Homestead Records

  • About Census Records

  • 1790-1890 Federal Population Censuses Catalog of NARA Microfilm

  • 1910 Census Catalog

  • 1930 Census Microfilm Locator

  • The Soundex Indexing System

  • Clues in Census Records, 1790-1840

  • Clues in Census Records, 1850-1930

  • Indian Census Rolls

  • Nonpopulation Census Records

  • Prologue, Spring 1996, Vol. 28, No. 1, "First in the Path of the Firemen" The Fate of the 1890 Population Census, by Kellee Blake. http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/spring_1996_1890_census_1.html .

  • Native American Records

  • Immigration Records and Naturalization Records

  • "Any woman who is now or hereafter may be married... Women and Naturalization, ca. 1802-1940", by Marian L. Smith (Prologue, Summer 1998)

  • Military Records available from the National Archives

  • Military Service and Pension Records: Requesting Pre-WWI

  • Civil War Records: An Introduction and Invitation, By Michael P. Musick  (Prologue, Summer 1995)

  • Women Soldiers of the Civil War, by DeAnne Blanton (Prologue, Spring 1993)

  • Sailors, Soldiers, and Marines of the Spanish-American War: The Legacy of USS Maine, By Rebecca Livingston (Prologue, Spring 1998).

  • They Answered the Call: Military Service in the United States Army during World War I, 1917-1919  (Prologue, Fall 1998). -- A guide to looking for information about World War I army veterans - By Mitchell Yockelson.

  • State-level Lists of Casualties from the Korean Conflict (1951-1957) and the Vietnam Conflict , By Theodore J. Hull, (Prologue, Spring 2000).

  • Indian Bounty Land Applications, By Mary Frances Morrow (Prologue,

  • American Indians A Select Catalog of NARA Microfilm Publications Snakes & Scribes: The Dawes Commission and the Enrollment of the Creeks, By Kent Carter, in "Prologue" (Prologue, Spring 1997)

  • Genealogical Fallout from the War of 1812, By Ruth Priest Dixon (Prologue, Spring 1992) - "...The impressment of American seamen by the British was one of the causes of the War of 1812. The practice also resulted in the creation of extensive records about merchant seamen that are of great value to genealogists and historians..."

  • Genealogical Records of the War of 1812, By Stuart L. Butler (Prologue, Winter 1991) - "...National Archives records created during and after the War of 1812 offer the genealogist a diverse and fertile ground in which to obtain invaluable family information..."

  • Preserving the Legacy of the United States Colored Troops, by Budge Weidman (Prologue, Summer 1997)

  • A Guiding Light: Black History: A Guide to Civilian Records in the National Archives, By Debra Newman Ham (Prologue, Special Issue, Summer 1997).

  • From Slave Women to Free Women: The National Archives and Black Women's History in the Civil War Era, By Noralee Frankel (Prologue, Summer 1997)

  • Riding the Rails Up Paper Mountain: Researching Railroad Records in the National Archives, By David A. Pfeiffer (Spring 1997).

  • Prologue Magazine

• Obtaining EDs for the 1930 Census in One Step (Large Cities), by Stephen P. Morse, PhD, Joel D. Weintraub, PhD and David R. Kehs, PhD

• familysearch.org - 1880 Census Index

• Tina's Adoption Reform and Search Pages (all states).

• SS: Popular Baby Names by Decade

• Social Security Online - History of Social Security

• Social Security Death Index Interactive Search, on Rootsweb

• USA - Department of Veterans Affairs.

• Library of Congress - Pioneering and History of the Upper Midwest : An Overview

• Local Catholic Church History and Genealogy Research Guide

• The Poorhouse Story, by Linda Crannell and CCS - a collection of information, by state, which invites submissions to help tell this untold tale - read "Emma's Story" to see the touching story behind the site!!!

• University of Minnesota: Wilson Library's Genealogy Resources.

• Vita Chek: addresses for obtaining MN Vital Records

• GenConnect for Minnesota

• Irish Genealogical Society, Int'l - P.O. Box 16585 - St. Paul, MN 55116-0585
   by Jack Reidy <jreidy@writeme.com> & Tom Clifford <tgc5105@hotmail.com>

• Danish-American Genealogical Group

• Luxembourg On My Mind

• MNGenWeb:by SC Jackie Hufschmid

  • MNGenWeb: Minnesota Research Resources and Links of Interest.

• Migrations, by Patrick Hays.

• Tips & Hints on Researching Your Minnesota Roots, on Mary Bakeman's Park Genealogical Books, Roseville MN

• Cyndi's List for Minnesota.

• Try Genealogy Exchange and Surname Registry

• Genealogy Resources on the Internet, by Christine Gaunt and John Fuller

• Ancestry.com: Minnesota Resources

• Helpful resources:

  • Map Blast:  Enter a Town, State name, and this site will bring up a clickable map for your location; then you can select "Find", and enter a subject, such as "churches", "museums", etc., and this site finds the addresses and phone numbers for your subject.  I found it had many that similar sites were missing!

  • Bureau of Census on-line USA gazetteer

  • USGS - Geographic Names Information System

  • Soundex Calculator

  • Lists of United States COUNTIES

• Local Catholic Church History and Genealogy Research Guide & Worldwide Directory

   

• Minnesota Research - Professional

  Professional  Research
  Ann McRoden Mensch, Professional Historical Genealogist

  Researching onsight, and with the vast resources of The Allen County Public Library, holding one of the largest genealogical collections in North America.  Search the Library's online catalogue to see some of the printed resources available for a location or topic.

Government & Military
PreColonial
Colonial

• 1763: Treaty of Paris

• The Avalon Project : Franco-American Diplomacy 1778 - 1843

• The Avalon Project : Treaty of San Ildefonso : October 1, 1800

• The Avalon Project : Louisiana Purchase; 1803 and Associated Documents

United States

National

• Welcome to the White House

  • Interactive Citizens' Handbook

  • White House History Tour

  • White House Virtual Library

  • White House for Kids

• Uncle Sam - Who's Who in the Federal Government
  June, 1851: Regulations for the Uniform & Dress of the Army of the United States
  MHS: A Brief History of Fort Snelling & the development of the U.S. Northwest

State - Minnesota became a state in 1858.  The State Capital of Minnesota is St. Paul.

• Library of Congress - Pioneering and History of the Upper Midwest : An Overview

• Minnesota State and Local Government on the net by Piper Resources.

• Minnesota Secretary of State STUDENT PAGE! - includes the following and more:

  • State Symbols

  • History and Old Stuff :  Minnesota Timeline; Narrative;

  • Constitution of the State of Minnesota

  • MAPS : 1851 Territorial - 1857 Territorial - 1858 Territorial - 1895 MN State.

  • Origin of Minnesota County Names.

• State of Minnesota - North Star, Minnesota State Government Online.

• U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts for Minnesota

• Minnesota State Legislature

  • Minnesota Legislative Reference Library

• Minnesota Elections and Voter Registration information.

• Speakers of the Minnesota House of Representatives, 1849-

• Minnesota Senate President and President Pro Tempore, 1849-

• Sessions of the Minnesota State Legislature and the Minnesota Territorial Legislature: reports very basic sketch of major items under discussion 1849-

• Special Sessions of the Minnesota State Legislature and the Minnesota Territorial Legislature: 1849 -

• St. Paul Photos: Library of Congress American Memory Collection (ca. 1880-1910)

• Minnesota State History on Minnesota Historical Society's web site

• Chronology of U.S. Historical Documents, from The University of Oklahoma Law Center.

• State of Minnesota - North Star, Minnesota State Government Online.

• Department of Health

• How to order a birth or death certificate from the Minnesota Department of Health.
  Contact the Minnesota Department of Health for certified Birth records from 1900 and certified Death records from 1908.  Certificates may be ordered by mail, phone, fax, and in person at the office.  There is a fee for obtaining birth or death certificates.
  Minnesota Department of Health
    Attention: Vital Records
    717 Delaware Street Southeast
    P.O. Box 9441
    Minneapolis, MN  55440-9441
    Phone: 612-676-5120 (For birth records, press 4; For death records, press 5)
  Records prior to these years, may be requested from the County  Registrar/Recorder in the county where the event occurred.

• Instructions on obtaining certificates of marriage or divorce decrees and index search.

• Minnesota State Legislature

County

• Association of Minnesota Counties - County Information page includes maps, county web sites, and a brief history of county government

• Minnesota Secretary of State STUDENT PAGE! - includes the following and more:

  • MAPS :  1895 MN State.

  • Origin of Minnesota County Names.

Local

• Minnesota State and Local Government, on the net by Piper Resources

• North Star - Local Government Offices

• Wars/Military

• Minnesota Indian Affairs Council - Prairie Island History

  • 1862 Dakota Conflict

• Minnesota Indian Affairs Council - Treaties Overview

• USA - Department of Veterans Affairs.

   Civil War

• NARA: National Archives and Records Administration

  • Order Forms for Military Service and Family History Records

  • Military Records available from the National Archives

  • Civil War Records: An Introduction and Invitation, By Michael P. Musick  (Prologue, Summer 1995)

  • Women Soldiers of the Civil War, by DeAnne Blanton (Prologue, Spring 1993)

• MOA (Making of America): The War of the Rebellion - "...a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate armies published under the direction of the Secretary of War, The Honorary Elihu Root, Brig. Gen. Fred. C. Ainsworth, the Chief of the Record and Pension Office, U.S. War Department, and Mr. Joseph W. Kirkley (Mr. John S. Moodey, indexer).   ("...All volumes have been scanned from originals held by the Cornell University Library...")

• MOA (Making of America): The Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion - "...a compilation of the official records of the Union and Confederate navies published under the direction of the Secretary of Navy, The Honorable H.A. Herbert, Lieut. Commander Richard Bush, Superintendent of Naval War records, U.S. Navy, and Mr. Robert H. Woods in 1894..."  ("...All volumes have been scanned from originals held by the Cornell University Library...")

• NPS: Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

  • History of United States African Americans in the Civil War - and A Soldiers database of names.

• U.S. Army Military History Institute: American Civil War Unit Bibliographies

• North Star: The Underground Railroad (Civil War Era) - Conducting Underground Railroad Research

• Library of Congress: Civil War Photographs (enter state name for search)

  • Civil War Maps (ca. 1861-1865)

• Minnesota State Memorial from (Vicksburg National Military Park in Vicksburg, Mississippi)

• Regimental Index (from Dyer's Compendium): Vanished Index to Minnesota Civil War Military Units - Union Regimental Index
  1st Regiment Cavalry (Mounted Rangers); 2nd Regiment Cavalry; Brackett's Cavalry Battalion; Hatch's Independent Cavalry Battalion; 1st Regiment Heavy Artillery; 1st Independent Battery Light Artillery; 2nd Independent Battery Light Artillery; 3rd Independent Battery Light Artillery; 1st Company Sharpshooters; 2nd Company Sharpshooters; 1st Regiment Infantry; 2nd Regiment Infantry; 3rd Regiment Infantry; 4th Regiment Infantry; 5th Regiment Infantry; 6th Regiment Infantry; 7th Regiment Infantry; 8th Regiment Infantry; 9th Regiment Infantry;10th Regiment Infantry and 11th Regiment Infantry.

• Civil War Archives Files Index.

• NPS: The Civil War - Information about battles, battlefields, and more.

• Civil War Fife & Drum Page

• www.ktca.org: The Bring Warm Clothes timeline: THE CIVIL WAR - 1861 to 1864, by Peg Meier.

• The Civil War Trust: Civil War Battlefields in Minnesota.

• Minnesota Civil War Map of Battles

• 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry (1861-1864)

• Minnesota 1st Battery Lt. Infantry (Civil War)

• The American Civil War Homepage  by Dr. George H. Hoemann.

• The Civil War letters of Benjamin and Daniel Densmore: PART 1: Frances' Father and Uncle Enlist for the Union; Command "Colored Troops".

• National Register of Historic Places

  • African American History - Aboard the Underground Railroad & Route Map & List of Sites by State.

• U.S. Civil War Center: Index of Civil War Information available on the Internet.
  Spanish American War

  • Sailors, Soldiers, and Marines of the Spanish-American War: The Legacy of USS Maine, By Rebecca Livingston (Prologue, Spring 1998).

  WWI

  • The Doughboy Center - presented by The Great War Society.

    • The Story of the American Expeditionary Force: History & Operations

  • The Great War Society.

  • They Answered the Call: Military Service in the United States Army during World War I, 1917-1919  (Prologue, Fall 1998). -- A guide to looking for information about World War I army veterans - By Mitchell Yockelson.

  WWII

  • War Veterans of American Wars : WWII Veterans' Discussion and Information

    • A Mother's View:  "...There'd be no wars today, if mothers all would say, I didn't raise my boy to be a soldier!..."

  Other

  • Historical Text Archive: WWI and WWI Articles and more!

  • State-level Lists of Casualties from the Korean Conflict (1951-1957) and the Vietnam Conflict, By Theodore J. Hull, (Prologue, Spring 2000).

Home and Family

• Children

• Clothing

  • History Unbundled 1792 Fashion

• Domestic Arts

  • Quilts, Counterpanes & Throws - A Smithsonian Virtual Exhibit

• Food & Cooking

  • Native American Foods and Recipes

• Lifestyle

  • Native American Games and Toys

  • Women and Social Movements in the United States, 1830-1930

  • The Poorhouse Story, by Linda Crannell and CCS - a collection of information, by state, which invites submissions to help tell this untold tale - read "Emma's Story" to see the touching story behind the site!!!

  • How Did the Reform Agenda of the Minnesota Woman's Christian Temperance Union Change between 1878 and 1917?

    ---

    Homestead & Land

• A History of Western Murray County, from 1688 to December 1946 and of Leeds Township, a typical prairie township, by Robt. B. Forrest, [Published 1947; published online by Robert B. Forrest III, his grandson]

• Photograph Collection of Sod Homes, from Fred Hulstrand and F. A. Pazandak Collection.

• Library of Congress, American Memory:  Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Books from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, ca. 1820-1910.

Immigration/Naturalization

• Northern Great Plains settlement - a Photograph Collection

• Immigration History Research Center

• NARA: National Archives and Records Administration

  • Immigration and Naturalization Records

  • "Any woman who is now or hereafter may be married... Women and Naturalization, ca. 1802-1940," by Marian L. Smith (Prologue, Summer 1998)

• The Naturalization Process and the various records which may exist, by the Milwaukee County Historical Society, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, contains examples of the 3 types of records which may be filed during the naturalization process:  declarations of intent, petitions, and naturalization certificates! Though this is NOT an Minnesota site, it is an informative web page.

Maps & Geography

• Minnesota Secretary of State STUDENT PAGE! - includes the following and more:

  • MAPS : 1851 Territorial - 1857 Territorial - 1858 Territorial - 1895 MN State.

  • Origin of Minnesota County Names.

• U. S. Census Bureau Interactive Maps for MN

• Color Landform Maps of Minnesota.

• USGS: National Mapping Information

• Animated MAPs: The Formation of the Contiguous States through additions of territories and states, and  The Evolution of United States County Boundaries, by Ed Stephans.

  • Visit other Animation Projects, by Ed Stephans.

• Tiger Maps - Zoomable

• MNGenWeb - Minnesota Territorial Map 1849 - 1851.

• Library of Congress - American Memory MN Railroads Maps

• Library of Congress - Northern Great Plains, 1880-1920

• Library of Congress Map Collection - you can search by cities & towns

• The National Parks: Heartlands Map

• 1895 Minnesota Atlas - with Minnesota County MAPS

• Minnesota Cities & Maps

• Minnesota Place Names: Cities and Towns

• Minnesota State Information includes overview of high-low points, #of lakes, largest cities, & more

• John R. Borchert Map Library, Minneapolis, MN

  • History of Cartography (compiled by Tony Campbell, Map Librarian, The British Library, London

• Land Management Information Center

• Historic Bluff Country

• Lake Superior Shipwrecks: Minnesota Shipwrecks Map

• Odden's Bookmarks

• Roll Your Own Genealogy Atlas (This is not a specifically MN site, but worth seeing for genealogists)

• Historical County Lines

Medicine/Health Care

• Archaic Medical Terms for Genealogists

• Museum of Questionable Medical Devices in Minneapolis, MN - by Bob McCoy"...a veritable encyclopedia of the world's most inane and useless information about how to cure and/or comprehend what may ail or puzzle you..."

Nature

• The Minnesota Geographic Data Clearinghouse

• Minnesota Prehistory Archaelogical Sites

• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

  • State Parks A-Z, with a locator map

• GORP - Great Outdoor Recreation Pages for Minnesota

  • Hike into History on the Grand Portage (National Monument) - French-Canadian fur traders, Voyageurs, bypassed rapids on the lower Pigeon River and on "...the acknowledged throughway to Canada's prime fur country..." - Northwestern shore of Lake Superior, 7 miles south of the United States-Canada border and 36 miles north of Grand Marais, Minnesota.

• Weather

• Natural Disasters

• Horticulture/Flowers/Plants/Trees

  • Minnesota Trout Lily - endangered species from U.S. Fish & Wildlife

  • Lake Vermilion Wildflowers

  • Oak Savanna Restoration at Myre-Big Island State Park by Holly Buchanan

• Wilderness

  • Wilderness Links and Information

• Wildlife

  • Endangered Species - Grey Wolf information

    • Gray wolf, (Canis lupus) - "...By the time wolves were finally protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, they had been exterminated from the lower 48 states, except for a few hundred that inhabited extreme northeastern Minnesota..."

  • Grey Wolves Making a Comeback

  • Minnesota: U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service Refuges & Field Stations

  • Regional U. S. Fish & Wildlife

    • Activities & programs for the Minnesota Region

    • Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge - Bloomington, MN includes the results of the 1998 Minnesota Junior Duck Stamp contest.

    • Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge - management districts include a location at Winona, MN.

  • Minnesota Fishing Museum - "...No other state in the U.S. is as steeped in the heritage and history of fishing as Minnesota..." P.O. Box 745 - Little Falls, MN 56345
       Phone: (320) 616-2011 Email: mnfm@fallsnet.com

  • MN DNR: Learning to Live with Bears

  • Toads and Frogs of Minnesota

  • Minnesota's Game Fish

  • M.O.U. - Birding Hotspots in Minnesota:

  • Loon Multimedia Site

  • U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Art Collection

• Rivers and Lakes

  • Minnesota's Lake Superior North Shore

  • Minnesota Lake Superior History on the Minnesota Historical Society web site

    • Settlement & Fishing on Lake Superior (1854-1930)

  • Discover the Source of the Mississippi: From David Thompson's Narrative of His Explorations in Western America, 1784-1812.

  • Old Man River - A resource for the upper Mississippi River.

  • "Discover America's Great River Road:  Mississippi River Home Page

  • Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources: Wild & Scenic MN Rivers

  • MN DNR: Lakes, Rivers and Streams.

    • Lakefinder - name based search interface.

    • Lakefinder - map based search interface.

  • St. Croix National Scenic Riverway

  • Natural Resources - Big Lakes Big River Region - Morris, MN wetland management

  • Pictures of Lake Vermilion

  • The Great Lakes Science Center

• Parks & Forests

  • Superior National Forest (Cook & Lake Counties and western St. Louis County access)

  • Myre-Big Island State Park, Freeborn County, MN

  • Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, Nerstrand, Rice County, MN

  • Rice Lake State Park in Steele County, MN (wetlands area)

  • Sakatah Lake State Park (stretches 39 miles from Mankato to Faribault, in Rice and LeSueur Counties, MN...)

  • Minneopa State Park in Blue Earth County, MN

  • Lake Louise State Park in Mower County, MN

  • Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park in Fillmore County, MN

  • Wild River State Park, Center City, CHISAGO, MN

  • St. Paul's Como Park Conservatory  History from 1872 site purchase.

  • Minnesota Landscape Arboretum - (Dept of Horticultural Science at the
     University of Minnesota) "...Its mission is to provide a community and a national resource for horticultural and environmental information..."

Occupations

• Prehistoric Technologies: includes Coppermaking, Mound Building, Spear Fishing, Woodworking, Trapping, Pottery Making, House Creation.....

• The Voyageurs "...French-Canadian canoe-men who traveled these waters in their birch-bark canoes from the Great Lakes to the interior of the western United States and Canada..." See Voyageurs National Park

• Colonial Occupations

• Exploration and Fur Trade (1650-1840) on the Minnesota Historical Society web site

• White Oak Society, Deer River, MN - fur trading era (late 1600's to mid-1800's)

• The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board - "...was created by the Minnesota Legislature in 1941 for the purpose of preparing Northeastern Minnesota for the decline of the natural ore and timber industries..."

• Minnesota Historical Society: Industrial Archaeology

• Firefighting history in Minneapolis-St. Paul: The Extra Alarm Assoc.

• Good Thunder Fire and Rescue: (Blue Earth County, MN) Fire and Rescue site with a History and minutes of an 1896 Town Meeting. (Webmaster: Sara Froehlich - webmaster@northlite.net  - Great Site Sara!)

• Wabasha Fire Department - History

• Railroad

• Minnesota by Rail: on Park Books web site

• Finding Railroad Workers in Minnesota: on Park Books web site

• Tales from the Rails: Ride the Rails during the Great Depression with teen Hobos

• Riding the Rails Up Paper Mountain: Researching Railroad Records in the National Archives, By David A. Pfeiffer (Spring 1997).

• Lumbering

• White Pine Savages: Ellersicks in the Lumber Industry

• Geldner Sawmill, Beaver Dam, Le Sueur County, MN (Built in 1860s- "last remaining steam-powered sawmill...")

• St. Croix Triangle Lumbering (1830s-1900s) on the Minnesota Historical Society web site

• Northern Minnesota Lumbering (1870-1930s)on the Minnesota Historical Society web site

• Iron Rangers, Lumberjacks,and Papermakers Perspectives on the Diverse History of Itasca County, Minnesota by Don Boese

• Law Enforcement

• The Law in Itasca County, Minnesota: Interviews with Russ Johannsen

• Minnesota State Legislature

• Mining

• History of Mining: Ironworld Discovery Center in Chisolm, MN

• Minnesota's Iron Ore Industry (1880s-1945)

• The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board - "...was created by the Minnesota Legislature in 1941 for the purpose of preparing Northeastern Minnesota for the decline of the natural ore and timber industries..."

• Northeastern Minnesota's Iron Trail Region - Convention & Visitors Bureau Guide 2000.

  • Visit the Cities of the Iron Trail - Aurora, Biwabik, Chisholm, Eveleth, Gilbert, Hibbing, Hoyt Lakes, Mt. Iron, Virginia and Town of White.

• Farming

• Farming the Land (Early 20th Century)- F. A. Pazandak Photograph Collection includes:

  • Hired Hands (1880-1920)

• A History of Western Murray County, from 1688 to December 1946 and of Leeds Township, a typical prairie township, by Robt. B. Forrest, [Published 1947; published online by Robert B. Forrest III, his grandson]

• Other

• Iron Rangers, Lumberjacks,and Papermakers Perspectives on the Diverse History of Itasca County, Minnesota by Don Boese

• Fire and Rescue: Good Thunder (Blue Earth County, MN) Fire and Rescue a History

• A Brief History of the Pottery Industry in Red Wing, MN

• Zumbrota, MN "Home of Minnesota's Only Remaining Covered Bridge and the Zumbrota Livestock Auction Market"

• Zumbrota Covered Bridge History "Minnesota's Only Remaining Covered Bridge..."