User:RogersBA/Sandbox MN 25

United States

Minnesota

Goodhue County

Guide to Goodhue 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: Red Wing Organized: February 7, 1854 Parent County(s): Wabasha, Dakota Neighboring Counties Dakota  • Dodge  • Olmsted  • Pepin (WI)  • Pierce (WI)  • Rice  • Steele  • Wabasha See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The County was named for James Madison Goodhue, the first printer-editor in Minnesota. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse

Goodhue County Courthouse
509 5th St W
Red Wing, MN 55066
Phone: 651-385-3148
Goodhue County Website

County Administrator has birth and death records from 1870, marriage and probate records from 1854, divorce and court records from 1951.
Minnesota Historical Society has divorce and court records 1854-1950.

Goodhue 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
1870	1854	1870	1854	1853	1854	1836
*Statewide registration started for births in 1900 and deaths in 1908. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss

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

Boundary Changes

Parent Counties: Created from Wabasha and Dakota counties March 5 1853. County seat: Red Wing Organized Date: Feburary 7, 1854 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

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
Bellechester Cannon Falls Dennison Goodhue	Kenyon Lake City Pine Island Red Wing	Wanamingo Zumbrota
Unincorporated communities
Belle Creek Belvidere Mills Bombay Claybank Forest Mills Hader	Hay Creek Roscoe Ryan Skyberg Sogn Stanton	Vasa Wacouta Wangs Wastedo Welch White Rock
Census-designated places
Frontenac
Townships
Belle Creek Belvidere Cannon Falls Cherry Grove Featherstone Florence Goodhue	Hay Creek Holden Kenyon Leon Minneola Pine Island Roscoe	Stanton Vasa Wacouta Wanamingo Warsaw Welch Zumbrota
Ghost towns
Fairpoint	Florence	Thoten/Belvidere

Resources

Biographies

• Goodhue County, Minnesota at Goodhue County Biographies Project

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Goodhue County, Minnesota online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	BillionGraves Find A Grave MN Gravestones MN Tombstone Transcription Project USGenWeb Archives
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	FamilySearch Places Find A Grave
See Minnesota Cemeteries for more information.

 

Census Records

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

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	8,977	—
1870	22,018	145.3%
1880	29,651	34.7%
1890	28,806	−2.8%
1900	31,137	8.1%
1910	31,637	1.6%
1920	30,799	−2.6%
1930	31,317	1.7%
1940	31,564	0.8%
1950	32,118	1.8%
1960	33,035	2.9%
1970	34,804	5.4%
1980	38,749	11.3%
1990	40,690	5.0%
2000	44,127	8.4%
2010	46,183	4.7%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

State Census

• 1835-1890 Minnesota, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1835-1890 at Ancestry ($)
• 1849-1905 Minnesota, U.S., Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905 at Ancestry ($)
• 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

• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($) has the following information:
  • Dale Lutheran Church, Kenyon
    
  • Gol (and Moland) Lutheran Church, Kenyon
    
  • Kenyon
    
  • Minneola Lutheran Church, Zumbrota
    
  • Trinity Lutheran Church, Red Wing
  • Urland Lutheran Church
• Minnesota Historical Society has a Collection Finding Aid for the following:
  • Lutheran Church in America: An Inventory of Selected Congregational Records of the American Lutheran Church in Minnesota

Emigration and Immigration

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

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

• Pre-1908 Minnesota, Homestead and Cash Entry Patents, Pre-1908 at Ancestry ($)

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Goodhue 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.

• Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn; History of Dakota and Goodhue counties, Minnesota; (Tucson, Arizona: W.C. Cox & Co., 1974); Volume 1 online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust; Volume 2 online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.
• Hancock, Joseph Woods; Goodhue County, Minnesota, past and present; (Red Wing, Minn.: Red Wing Printng Co, 1893) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust.
• History of Goodhue County: including a sketch of the territory and state of Minnesota; ...; (Red Wing, Minn.: Wood, Alley & Co., St. James Building, 1878) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Google Books.
• Minnesota County History Name Index at Ancestry ($)
• Minnesota Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
• Minnesota Maps at David Rumsey Map Collections

Military Records

Multiple Wars

• 1861-1917 United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; free index; images ($)
• 1898-1899 Minnesota Volunteers in the Spanish American War and the Philippine Insurrection at Ancestry ($)

Civil War

Civil War service men from Goodhue County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Goodhue County.

- 1st Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company F.

- 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Cavalry, Company F.

- 2nd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company I.

- 3rd Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company D and E.

- 4th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company D.

- 5th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies A and H.

- 6th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company F.

- 7th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company G.

- 8th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Companies F and H.

- 10th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry, Company D.

- Hatch's Independent Battalion, Minnesota Cavalry, Companies A and C.

- 1st Minnesota Company Sharpshooters, First Company only.

Online Civil War Indexes and Records

• 1861-1865 U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865 at Ancestry, free index
• 1861-1865 Minnesota, U.S., Civil War Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry, free index
• 1861-1865 Minnesota Civil War Soldiers at Ancestry; free index
• 1861-1934 U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 at Ancestry; free index

Spanish-American War

• 1898 U.S., Spanish American War Volunteers Index to Compiled Military Service Records, 1898 at Ancestry; free index
• 1898-1899 Minnesota, 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; free index, images ($)
• 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; free index, images ($)
• 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry; free index, images ($)

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 Minnesota, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1880-1920 at Ancestry ($)
• 1918 Web: Minnesota, U.S., Alien Registration Index, 1918 at Ancestry (Free collection)

Newspapers

• Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub at Minnesota Historical Society; narrow to county (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 Minnesota, 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.

• 1900-2001 Minnesota People Records Search at Minnesota Historical Society; Index only, search by name, date, a related surname, or county.

Birth

• 1840-1980 Minnesota, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1840-1980 at Ancestry ($)
• 1900-1934 Minnesota, Birth Index, 1900-1934 at MyHeritage ($); 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, 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 Goodhue County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Minnesota 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 Affiliate Libraries

• Lakeville Minnesota Family History Center
• Faribault Minnesota Family History Center
• Pierce County Historical Association - an affiliate library
• Cannon Falls Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

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

Goodhue County Historical Society Library
1166 Oak St
Red Wing, MN 55066
651-388-6024
Website

Cannon Falls Library
306 W Mill St
Cannon Falls, MN 55009
507-263-2804
Email:cfl_ill@selco.info
Website

Kenyon Public Library
709 2nd Street
Kenyon, MN 55946
507-789-6821
Email:ken_dir@selco.info
Website

Pine Island: Van Horn Public Library
115 Se 3rd Street
Pine Island, MN 55963
507-356-8558
E-mail:pipl@selco.info
Website

Red Wing Public Library
225 East Ave
Red Wing, MN 55066
651-385-3673
Email:rwpl@selco.info
Website

Zumbrota Public Library
100 West Ave
Zumbrota, MN 55992
507-732-5211
Email:zpl@selco.info
Website

Museums

Goodhue Area Historical Museum
105 N Broadway
Box 141
Goodhue, MN 55027
651-301-5731 or 651-923-4388
E-mail:goodhue.museum@yahoo.com
Website

Societies

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

Goodhue Area Historical Society
105 N Broadway
Box 141
Goodhue, MN 55027
651-301-5731 or 651-923-4388
E-mail:goodhue.museum@yahoo.com
Website

Goodhue County Historical Society
1166 Oak St
Red Wing, MN 55066
651-388-6024
Website

Websites

• Minnesota Historical Society
• USGenWeb Archives for Goodhue County.
• The Goodhue County MNGenWeb Project, a member of The MNGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• Iron Range Research Center The Iron Range 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: Goodhue County
• Genealogy Trails
• 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.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.