Find Genealogy Records in Faribault County

Faribault County genealogy records are held at the county courthouse in Blue Earth and through the Faribault County Historical Society, MNGenWeb project, and state archives. The county's records cover births, deaths, marriages, military service, cemeteries, and census data that researchers use to trace family lines in this part of southern Minnesota.

Faribault County Recorder

The Faribault County Recorder in Blue Earth handles vital records for the county. This office holds birth certificates, death records, and marriage licenses, along with land and deed records. For certified copies, contact the recorder directly or request through the Minnesota Department of Health for state-level records.

Statewide birth registration began in 1900 and death registration in 1908. Records before those dates may exist in older county ledgers, church registers, or historical society files. Marriage records go back further since counties kept those from early settlement days. The recorder is your first call for any current certified vital record.

Faribault County Historical Society

The Faribault County Historical Society in Blue Earth keeps local records, photographs, newspapers, and family files for the county. If you are researching ancestors who lived in Faribault County, the historical society is a key stop. Their collections include materials that don't appear in state or federal databases.

The society can help with research on families from any of the county's townships and communities. Staff members know local records well and can point you toward relevant collections. Contact them before you visit or if you need help with a specific research question.

Faribault County MNGenWeb

The Faribault County MNGenWeb site is a free online resource organized by county coordinator Martha. The site includes transcribed records, biographies, maps, military records, obituaries, cemetery data, and Native American resources for Faribault County. Records are presented as PDF pages on the website, making them easy to save and review.

The MNGenWeb project operates as part of the broader USGenWeb effort to provide free genealogical data by county. For Faribault County, you can search history pages, look up surnames, and check cemetery listings without paying a fee.

The Faribault County MNGenWeb page also connects to the FamilySearch historical image collection, which includes digitized documents from Faribault County going back to the mid-1800s.

The MNGenWeb project for Faribault County provides free access to transcribed genealogy records, cemetery listings, and family histories submitted by volunteers.

Faribault County Government Records

The Faribault County Government website has contact information for county offices including the recorder's office, court administration, and other departments that handle official records. Starting with the county website can help you find direct phone numbers and addresses before making a trip or mailing a request.

Probate and court records at the Faribault County courthouse go back to the county's early years. Probate files in particular are valuable for genealogy because they list heirs, property, and family relationships in detail that vital records often leave out.

The Faribault County courthouse in Blue Earth houses vital records, land records, probate files, and court documents that span the county's history from its founding.

Available Records

Faribault County offers a wide range of genealogical records. The MNGenWeb site, county recorder, historical society, and state archives together cover most of what researchers need to trace family lines in this county.

• History and biographies (MNGenWeb)
• Maps and plat records (MNGenWeb, County Recorder)
• Vital records: birth, death, marriage (County Recorder, MDH)
• Military records (MNGenWeb)
• Obituaries (MNGenWeb, HeritageHub)
• Cemetery transcriptions (MNGenWeb)
• Census records 1850 to 1940 (FamilySearch, Ancestry)

The MNGenWeb site also links to Native American resources relevant to this area of southern Minnesota and to FamilySearch historical images that include early county documents digitized for free online access.

How to Search Faribault County Records

Start with the MHS People Records Search at the Minnesota Historical Society. This free tool covers birth index records from 1900 to 1934, death records from 1904 to 2001, and state census records from 1849 to 1905. It is a quick way to confirm names and dates before searching county-level files.

For marriage records, the Minnesota Official Marriage System (MOMS) is a statewide database where you can search by name, county, or date. Faribault County marriages are included. You can request certified copies directly from the site.

FamilySearch has a full-text search option for some Minnesota records, which can help you locate Faribault County ancestors in digitized documents. The site is free to use with a basic account. Ancestry.com has a separate set of Minnesota collections, including census records, that can fill additional gaps.

Note: The "Minnesota Medical Magazine" collection (1897 and later) on MNGenWeb may contain details about early settlers that help place ancestors in context.

Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society Library in St. Paul holds naturalization records, probate files, military collections, and extensive newspaper archives covering Faribault County. MHS is especially useful for records that predate statewide registration or involve federal processes like naturalization.

The MHS library reading room is open to visitors, and staff can help identify which collections relate to Faribault County families. The society also maintains the Minnesota Digital Newspaper Hub, which has searchable historical papers from across the state that may include old Faribault County papers with obituaries and family notices.

Nearby Counties

Families in Faribault County often had connections across the border into neighboring counties. Checking adjacent county records can help when Faribault sources run thin.