Lake County, South Dakota

Societies and Family History Resources ∣ County Courthouse and Government Records ∣ County Genealogy Links

Lake County was established on January 08, 1873 from Brookings County, Hanson County.

Currently the Lake County Seat is located in Madison and the county government website is http://www.lakecountysd.com/

Locations adjacent to Lake County are Brookings County, Moody County, Minnehaha County, McCook County, Miner County, Kingsbury County.

Lake County has Federal Census Schedules to help in researching your family tree. Federal government Population Schedules are present for 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

Lake Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1880. Lake Co. Industry and Agriculture Schedules can be found for 1880. Lake Co. Union Veterans Schedules is available for 1890. There are free down-loadable not to mention printable census forms to help with your research.

Lake County Society and Family History Resources

A list of Lake County Historical  and Genealogical Societies, Forums, Message Boards, Libraries, Archives.

https://www.archives.gov/research/census
• South Dakota State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• Lake County Genealogical Society, c/o Karl Mundt Library, Dakota State College, Madison, SD 57042
• Lake County, South Dakota Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com)
• Lake County, South Dakota Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
• USGenWeb Archives for Lake County (usgwarchives.net)

Lake County Courthouse and Government Records

Genealogist often overlook the benefits of Lake County court, probate, and land files as a useful resource of ancestry and genealogy details. Hidden away in South Dakota courthouses and archives just about everywhere are the ambitions and frustrations of the many South Dakota residents.

The odds are very good that your potential forefathers have left a comprehensive record of at least quite a few elements of their lives in the Lake County court records. Even if your forefathers is not referred to in a Court case, take into consideration all of the other procedures which could have lead to him or her to appear in court records.

• Lake County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
  • Address: 200 E Center St, Madison, SD 57042
  • Phone: (605) 256-4876
• Lake County Register of Deeds
  • Marriage Records: 1880
  • Land Records: 1873?
• Lake County Clerk of Court.
  • Probate Records: 1873?
  • Court Records: 1873?
• South Dakota Office of Vital Records has copies of birth, marriage, divorce and death records. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in South Dakota for current fees and application process. Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events.
  • Ordering Vital Records – You can also order Order Electronically Online or You can download an application for South Dakota Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Applications to mail.

Lake County Links

The following are web links to Family history and genealogy, Records and Resources relating to Lake County. Each of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Business Sites, Private Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some require a payment. This is simply a directory which has been gathered or submitted. I do not recommend or promote one genealogy site above another. Feel free to furnish your own most liked Lake County genealogy or family history associated sites.

Lake Co. SD Books, Newspapers & Publications

• South Dakota Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
• South Dakota historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
• Historical Newspapers from South Dakota (1861–2002) (genealogybank.com) Immediately discover names and keywords / phrases in over 450 million publications, obituaries, marriage announcements, birth notices and other items written in over 2,800 old U.S. newspapers. All new content and articles added monthly!
• Lake County, South Dakota Books (amazon.com)
• Search South Dakota Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
• Lake County Genealogy Books (books.google.com)

Lake Co. SD Birth, Marriage & Death Records

• South Dakota Vital Records Research Guide
• Social Security Death Index (search.ancestry.com)

Lake Co. SD Court, Probate Land and Tax Records

• South Dakota Court Records Research Guide
• BLM Land Records (glorecords.blm.gov)

Lake Co. SD Census Records

• South Dakota Census Records Research Guide
• Lake County, SD Census Records Links
• Lake County, SD Census QuickFacts

Lake Co. SD Cemeteries & Church Records

• South Dakota Cemetery Research Guide
• Lake Co., South Dakota Graves (findagrave.com)
• Lake County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
• Lake Co., South Dakota Cemeteries (Internment.net)
• Topographic Cemetery List and Map for Lake County, South Dakota
• Lake Co., South Dakota Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
• South Dakota Church & Bible Research Guide
• Topographic Church List and Map for Lake County, South Dakota
• Lake County, South Dakota Church Books (amazon.com)

Lake Co. SD Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

•  South Dakota Family Group Sheet Project (fgs-project.com)

Lake Co. SD General and History Websites

• See Also State History for South Dakota
• Lake County, South Dakota Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
• Lake County, South Dakota Wiki (familysearch.org)
• Lake Co. SD Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
• Family History Library (familysearch.org)
• Lake County, South Dakota (linkpendium.com)
• Cyndi’s List – United States – South Dakota – Counties – Lake (cyndislist.com)
• Lake County South Dakota (genealogytrails.com)
• Lake Co. SDGenweb (sdgenweb.com)
• Lake County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
• Lake Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)

Lake Co. SD Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

• See Also Map of South Dakota Links and Information
• 1895 Lake County Map (livgenmi.com)

Lake Co. SD Military Records

• South Dakota Military Records Research Guide
• South Dakota Military Records (fold3.com) delivers easy access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the South Dakota women and men that served. Just the thing for Lake County genealogists, researchers, historians plus much more.