Big Stone County Genealogy Records

Big Stone County genealogy records cover births, deaths, marriages, land, census data, obituaries, cemeteries, and family histories held at the county recorder's office in Ortonville and through the Big Stone County MNGenWeb project. This page explains where each record type is held and how to access them.

Big Stone County MNGenWeb Project

The Big Stone County MNGenWeb site is the primary free online resource for genealogy research in the county. Coordinator Lin Ziemann manages the site, which carries a wide range of materials including biographies, cemetery records, census indexes, family histories, historical photographs, land patents, obituaries, school histories, town records, and newspaper excerpts. This is the first place to check when starting Big Stone County research online.

The MNGenWeb site for Big Stone County includes cemetery transcriptions, obituaries, family histories, and links to census and land records useful for tracing ancestors in this western Minnesota county.

The obituary collection on the MNGenWeb site is one of the most useful resources for Big Stone County research. Obituaries from local newspapers often include more family detail than death certificates, listing surviving children, parents, siblings, and places of residence over a lifetime. If you have a death date and the person lived in Big Stone County, searching the MNGenWeb obituary index is worth the time.

Cemetery records on the site are transcribed from local cemeteries and include burial dates and family information not always captured in official records. Combined with the census data and family histories, these records make the MNGenWeb site a strong research tool for this small but well-documented county.

Big Stone County Recorder Vital Records

The Big Stone County Recorder in Ortonville holds official vital records and land records for the county. Births, deaths, and marriages are recorded at the county level. For specific fees and procedures, contact the County Recorder directly at the courthouse in Ortonville. The staff can tell you what records are available for the dates you need and how to submit a request.

For certified copies of birth records from 1900 onward and death records from 1908 onward, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is the state custodian. MDH processes requests by mail or fax only. Send to: Central Cashiering - Vital Records, PO Box 64499, St. Paul, MN 55164-0499. Call 651-201-5970 or see full details at health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords. Access to certified copies is governed by Minnesota Statute 144.225.

Marriage records are searchable for free through the Minnesota Official Marriage System at moms.mn.gov. MOMS covers marriages statewide from 1850 to the present. Search by name to get the year and county before ordering a certified copy. This saves time and ensures you request the right record.

Census Records for Big Stone County

Census records are among the most valuable sources for Big Stone County genealogy. Federal censuses from 1850 through 1940 are available free through FamilySearch. These records show household members, ages, birthplaces, and relationships. For a county as small as Big Stone, census records can be one of the few ways to track a family across multiple decades when vital records are sparse or incomplete.

The MNGenWeb site for Big Stone County includes links to census indexes and digitized census materials. Minnesota also conducted state censuses in 1857, 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, and 1905. These fill in years between federal counts and can be especially useful for families that moved in or out of the county between federal census years. The Minnesota Historical Society has a guide to state censuses at mnhs.org/library.

Note: The MNGenWeb site includes early death records compiled from various sources, not just official death certificates. These can help document deaths that occurred before civil registration began or when official records have not survived.

Land Records and Federal Patents

Big Stone County was established February 20, 1862, and organized in 1874. Federal land patents covering this area were issued primarily through the Homestead Act and other land grant programs. These patents are searchable free at the BLM General Land Office Records site at glorecords.blm.gov. Search by county or by the name of the original grantee to find when a family first received federal land in Big Stone County.

After the initial federal grant, subsequent land transfers were recorded by the County Recorder in Ortonville. Deed books trace property from one owner to the next. They often name spouses, heirs, and neighbors, giving you useful context about when an ancestor settled in the county and where they lived. Land records are often more complete and longer-lived than vital records, making them especially valuable for early research periods.

The MNGenWeb site also carries historical photographs and town records that can help you understand the communities where your ancestors lived. School histories and newspaper excerpts round out the picture and sometimes name individuals not found in official records.

Minnesota Historical Society Resources

The Minnesota Historical Society People Records Search at mnhs.org/search/people covers birth records 1900-1934, death records 1904-2001, state census records, and veterans graves for all Minnesota counties including Big Stone. The MHS Gale Family Library in St. Paul at 345 Kellogg Blvd W (651-259-3300) holds statewide collections that supplement county-level records. For Big Stone County, the Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall serves as the regional research center for this area of the state.

FamilySearch also has county-specific collections for Big Stone that are worth checking separately from the main census index. The FamilySearch catalog lists what has been digitized and what is available for on-site viewing. Naturalization records, church records, and probate files are sometimes available at FamilySearch when they are not yet accessible through county offices or the MNGenWeb site.

Cities in Big Stone County

Big Stone County includes Ortonville (the county seat), Graceville, Odessa, and several small townships. None of these communities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page. All genealogy records for cities and townships in Big Stone County are filed at the county level in Ortonville.

Nearby Counties

Big Stone County is in the far western edge of Minnesota, bordering counties in both Minnesota and South Dakota. If your ancestor's records are not found in Big Stone, check the neighboring Minnesota counties below.