Clearwater County, Minnesota Genealogy
Clearwater County, Minnesota ancestry and genealogy research page. Identify links to record collections, history, and genealogy sources that can help you trace your own Clearwater Co., ancestors. Get started by building a Free Family Tree.
Clearwater County was founded on December 20, 1902 from Beltrami County. The county was named for Clearwater river and lake. Clearwater is a translation of the Ojibway word Ga-wakomitigweia, describing the appearance of the water.
The Clearwater County Seat is situated in Bagley and the county government website is http://www.co.clearwater.mn.us/
Locales adjacent to Clearwater County are Beltrami County (northeast), Hubbard County (southeast), Becker County (south), Mahnomen County (southwest), Polk County (northwest), Pennington County (northwest).
Cities and towns to be found in Clearwater County are made up of Bagley, Clearbrook, Gonvick, Leonard, Shevlin.
Townships Include Bear Creek, Clover, Copley, Dudley, Eddy, Falk, Greenwood, Hangaard, Holst, Itasca, La Prairie, Leon, Minerva, Moose Creek, Nora, Pine Lake, Popple, Rice, Shevlin, Sinclair, Winsor Townships.
Clearwater County does have Federal Census Schedules to help in finding out about your family tree. Federal government Population Schedules are present for 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940. Clearwater Co. territorial and state censuses exist for the following years: 1905. There is free down-loadable and also printable census forms to aid with your research.
Clearwater County Society and Family History Resources
A list of Clearwater County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Forums, Message Boards, Libraries, Archives. See Also Minnesota Archives, Genealogical and Historical Societies for statewide Addresses and links.
Clearwater County Courthouse and Government Records
Genealogist frequently overlook the benefits of Clearwater County court, probate, and land documents as a source of genealogy and family history information. Buried away in Minnesota courthouses and archives just about everywhere tend to be the aspirations and worries of many Minnesota men and women.
The chances are great that your particular ancestors and forefathers have left a in-depth record of at least some aspects of their lives in the Clearwater County court records. Even if your ancestors and forefathers is not brought up in a Court case, consider all of the other procedures which may have lead to him or her showing up in court records.
You need to get in touch with the clerk's office to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other facts in advance of visiting or seeking information because of occasionally changing contact info. The Department Offices DO NOT DO RESEARCH. The data files are available to interested parties, barring confidential issues. Many staff will help persons in locating the resources, however it's up to the man or women to perform the researching.
The below details shows whatever marriage, birth, death, property, probate, and court records will be in Clearwater County. The dates indicated listed below are the first widely known records data in this county.
- Clearwater County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
- Address: 213 Main Avenue N., Bagley , MN 56621
- Phone: (218) 694-6177
- Clearwater County Recorder is responsible for all the real estate records for properties located in the County. Permanent records of deeds, mortgages and other various real estate records are recorded/filed in this office. As Local Registrar, the office protects and issues certified copies of Birth and Death records, Marriage Certificates & Military Discharge Records.
- Birth / Death Records: 1898 / 1903(It is no longer necessary to go to the registrar's office of the county where the birth or death took place. You may go to a registrar's office in any county in Minnesota for births that took place during of after 1900 and for deaths that took place during or after 1997)
- Marriage Records: 1903
- Land Records: 1903
- Clearwater County Court Administrator maintains court files for Civil, Criminal, Traffic, Probate, Conciliation, Juvenile, Tax and Family Court matters.
- Probate Records: 1903
- Court Records: 1903
- Clearwater County Treasurers Office is responsible for keeping a complete accounting of all monies collected and expended by all the county departments. This includes the investing of available funds and accurately distributing the interest received. The department is also responsible for the collection of taxes and distribution to the various taxing entities within the County.
- Minnesota Office of Vital Records has copies of birth and death records. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Minnesota for current fees and application process. Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.
Clearwater County Genealogy Links
The following are links to Genealogy and family history, Records and Resources pertaining to Clearwater County. Each of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Professional Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some have to have a fee. This is simply a list which has been gathered or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site above another. Feel free to furnish your own preferred Clearwater County genealogy or family history affiliated sites.
Clearwater Co. MN Books, Newspapers & Publications
Clearwater Co. MN Birth, Marriage & Death Records
- See Also Statewide Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records in Minnesota
- Order Hard Copies of Vital Records (archives.com)
- Minnesota, Births and Christenings Index, 1840-1980 (search.ancestry.com) This database contains an index of details extracted from more than 1 million records of Minnesota births, baptisms, and christenings.
- Minnesota, County Birth Records, 1863-1983 (familysearch.org) Digital images of birth records from various county courthouses. Some birth registers are for cities or townships. The year range varies by county.
- Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002 (search.ancestry.com) This database is an index created by the Minnesota Department of Health to approximately 4.2 million births occurring in Minnesota between 1935 and 2002.
- Minnesota, Marriages Index, 1849-1950 (search.ancestry.com) This database is an index extracted from more than 450,000 marriage records from Minnesota.
- Minnesota, Divorce Index, 1970-1995 (familysearch.org) Index of divorces from the Minnesota Department of Health in St. Paul.
- Minnesota, Death Index, 1908-2002 (search.ancestry.com) This database is an index of deaths recorded by the state of Minnesota from 1908 to 2002.
- Minnesota, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1990 (familysearch.org) Name index to death and burial records from the state of Minnesota.
- Social Security Death Index (search.ancestry.com)
Clearwater Co. MN Court, Probate Land and Tax Records
Clearwater Co. MN Census Records
Clearwater Co. MN Cemeteries & Graveyards
- See Also Statewide Cemetery Links for Minnesota
- Clearwater Co., Minnesota Graves (findagrave.com)
- Clearwater County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
- Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Index, Select Counties (search.ancestry.com) It contains the names of nearly 600,000 persons. Researchers will find birth date, death date, name of cemetery and, in some cases, the closest living relative.
- Clearwater Co., Minnesota Cemeteries (Internment.net)
- Topographic Cemetery List and Map for Clearwater County, Minnesota (topozone.com)
- Clearwater Co., Minnesota Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
Clearwater Co. MN Church & Bible Records
Clearwater Co. MN Family Websites, Pictures & Histories
Clearwater Co. MN General and History Websites
Clearwater Co. MN Immigration & Naturalization
Clearwater Co. MN Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
Clearwater Co. MN Military Records
Clearwater Co. MN Schools & Directories