Red Lake County Genealogy Records
Red Lake County genealogy records are held at the County Recorder's Office in Red Lake Falls and at the Red Lake County Historical Society, with records covering births, deaths, marriages, land transactions, and court files going back to 1876 and earlier for some collections. The county is small and rural, but local offices hold a solid base of records for families who settled this part of northwestern Minnesota.
Red Lake County Overview
Red Lake County Recorder
The Red Lake County Recorder's Office in Red Lake Falls is the main local source for vital records and land documents. County-level birth and death records date to 1876. Marriage records are available through the Recorder as well. Land records follow a similar timeline and can show when families first acquired property in this part of northwestern Minnesota.
A public viewing station is available at the Recorder's office for genealogy researchers who visit in person. This lets you look through indexed records before ordering copies. For records that may predate the county's founding in 1896, records from the predecessor county area or from state-level collections may be needed.
Vital records access is governed by Minnesota Statutes section 144.225. Births over 100 years old and deaths over 50 years old are open to the public for genealogy purposes. Contact the Recorder at 218-253-2997 to ask about specific records and request procedures before making a trip or mailing a request.
| Office | Red Lake County Recorder |
|---|---|
| Address | 124 North Main Street, Red Lake Falls, MN 56750 |
| Phone | 218-253-2997 |
Red Lake County Historical Society
The Red Lake County Historical Society is located at the Lake Pleasant School House and holds a collection of historical records, photographs, and family files that can help researchers fill in gaps not covered by official county records. They have materials on families that settled this part of Minnesota going back to the early years of the county.
The society's collection includes photographs, family files, and local history materials. These are the kind of records that get donated by families over many years and do not appear in any online index. A personal visit or written inquiry can turn up information that would otherwise be very hard to find. The liaison for the historical society is Andrea Thibert, reachable at 218-689-1184. The main society phone is 218-253-2237 and email inquiries can go to 3thibert@gvtel.com.
| Organization | Red Lake County Historical Society |
|---|---|
| Address | 18779 115th Ave, Red Lake Falls, MN 56750 |
| Phone | 218-253-2237 |
| 3thibert@gvtel.com | |
| Liaison | Andrea Thibert, 218-689-1184 |
Red Lake County MNGenWeb
The Red Lake County MNGenWeb site has free genealogy resources put together by volunteer researchers. It includes cemetery transcriptions, family data, and local records indexes. This is a good place to start, since many records have already been gathered and organized by people who know the county well.
The MNGenWeb project for Red Lake County at redlake.mngenweb.net has been a key resource for this area for many years. Volunteer contributors have posted cemetery listings, obituary data, and other materials that make initial research much faster. You can often confirm a family's presence in the county and get a starting date range before you contact any official office.
The Red Lake County MNGenWeb site offers indexed records and researcher-contributed genealogy data for families throughout Red Lake County going back to early settlement.
The MNGenWeb project for Red Lake County includes cemetery records, family submissions, and indexes that help researchers trace family lines in this northwestern Minnesota county without needing to visit in person first.
Vital Records Access
The Minnesota Department of Health holds statewide birth records from 1900 and death records from 1908. Noncertified genealogy copies cost $13 each. You can request by mail or fax to P.O. Box 64882, St. Paul, MN 55164. For details and forms, visit health.state.mn.us/people/vitalrecords or call 651-201-5970.
For Red Lake County records predating the state central collection, the county Recorder may hold birth and death records going back to 1876. These older records are often available for genealogy research without restriction. Marriage records are searchable through MOMS at moms.mn.gov for marriages from 1958 to 2001 at no charge.
The MHS People Records Search at mnhs.org/search/people can help you find what the Minnesota Historical Society holds for Red Lake County names. The MHS holds state census records, naturalization records, and newspapers that may include Red Lake County families.
Land and Court Records
Federal land patents for Red Lake County are searchable for free at glorecords.blm.gov. Homestead and pre-emption entries from the late 1800s and early 1900s can show when a family first settled in the area and often include birthplace information. For a rural county like Red Lake, land records are often the earliest evidence of a family's presence in the county.
Probate records and court records are held by the District Court in Red Lake Falls. For older files, some may have been transferred to the Minnesota Historical Society. If a relative died in Red Lake County before 1950, checking for a probate file is worthwhile regardless of the size of their estate. Wills and estate inventories often provide family details not found in any other record type.
The FamilySearch Wiki for Red Lake County at familysearch.org provides a summary of what records exist and where they are held, which helps orient new researchers before they start contacting offices.
Nearby Counties
Red Lake County borders Beltrami, Marshall, Pennington, and Polk counties in northwestern Minnesota. Families often moved between these counties, so neighboring county records can help fill gaps.