Clay County, Minnesota
Genealogy, History & Facts

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

Clay County, Minnesota Facts

When was Clay County, MN Created?
Clay County was founded on March 18, 1858 from Pembina County.

What is the County Seat of Clay County, MN?
The County Seat is located in Moorhead and the county government website is http://www.co.clay.mn.us/

What counties are adjacent to Clay County, MN?
Bordering Counties are Norman County, Becker County, Otter Tail County, Wilkin County, Richland County, North Dakota, Cass County, North Dakota.

Clay County, MN Vital Records

Where can find Clay County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Clay County vital records can be found at the Minnesota Office of Vital Records which has copies of birth resords from 1900 and death records from 1908. 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.

You can search online for Clay County Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. You can also Order Electronically Online or can download an application for Minnesota Birth Certificate and Death Certificates Applications to mail.

• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• Social Security Death Index
• Minnesota, Births and Christenings Index, 1840-1980
• Minnesota, County Birth Records, 1863-1983
• Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002
• Minnesota, Marriages Index, 1849-1950
• Minnesota, Divorce Index, 1970-1995
• Minnesota, Death Index, 1908-2002
• Minnesota, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1990

Clay County, MN Census Records

What Clay County, MN census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Clay County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

Clay Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1860, 1870 and 1880. Clay Co. Industry and Agriculture Schedules can be found for 1860, 1870 and 1880. Clay Co. Union Veterans Schedules can be acquired for 1890.

Clay Co. territorial and state censuses exist for the years 1849-1905.. There is free down-loadable and also printable census forms to help you with your research. See Also Minnesota Census Records Research Guide

• Search The U.S. Federal Census Collection
• Minnesota Census, 1835-90
•  Clay County, School Census Records, 1909-1962 Images of school census records arranged by district number.
• Clay County, MN Census Records Link
• Clay County, MN Census QuickFacts

Clay County, MN Courthouse and Government Records

Clay County Courthouse

What genealogical records can I find in the Clay County Courthouse?
Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Clay County court, probate, and land records data as a useful resource of ancestry and genealogy information. Buried away in Minnesota courthouses and archives everywhere are the ambitions and frustrations of countless Minnesota residents.

The possibilities are excellent that your forefathers have left a comprehensive document of at least a number of facets of their lives in the Clay County court records. Even if your forebears is not referred to in a Court case, contemplate all of the other procedures that could have lead to him or her to appear in court records. See Also Minnesota Corthouse Records Research Guide.

• Clay County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
  • Address: 807 N. 11th Street, Moorhead , MN 56560
  • Phone: (218) 299-5065
• Clay County Recorder
  • Birth / Death Records: 1872
  • Marriage Records: 1872
  • Land Records: 1864
• Clay County Court Administrator
  • Probate Records: 1872
  • Court Records: 1872
•  Clay County Land and Property Records, 1872-1947
• Minnesota, Will Records, 1849-1985
• Minnesota Land Records

Clay County, MN Societies and Family History Resources

What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Clay County, MN?
A list of Clay County Historical  and Genealogical Societies, Libraries, Archives. See also list of Statewide Minnesota Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies.

• Clay County Historical Society, 202 First Avenue North, Moorhead, MN 56560; Main: (218) 299-5511
• Barnesville Heritage Society, P.O. Box 126, 412 6 St Ne, Barnesville, MN 56514; 218-354-2364
• Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center, PO Box 157, 202 1st Ave N, Moorhead MN 56561
• Ulen Historical Museum, PO Box 182, Ulen MN 56585; Phone: 218 596-8121
• Red River Valley Genealogical Society, PO Box 9284, 112 N University Drive Suite L116, Fargo ND 58106; Phone: (701) 239-4129
• Northwest Minnesota Historical Center, Livingston Lord Library, Moorhead State University, Moorhead, MN 56560
• Minnesota State Archives, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102-1906 • 651-259-3260
• Minnesota Genealogical Society, 1185 Concord St. N. Suite 218, South St. Paul, MN 55075-1187
• Minnesota Historical Society, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102-1906 . 651-259-3000

Where can I connect with other Clay County, MN Researchers through message boards and forums?

https://www.archives.gov/research/census
• Minnesota Genealogy Network Community (plus.google.com)
• Minnesota State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• Clay County, Minnesota Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com)
• Clay County, Minnesota Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)

What other genealogical resources are available in Clay County, MN?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Clay 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.

Clay Co. MN Books, Newspapers & Publications

• Minnesota Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
• Minnesota historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
• Historical Newspapers from Minnesota (1849 – 1922) (genealogybank.com)
• Clay County, Minnesota Books (amazon.com)
• Search Minnesota Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
• Clay County Genealogy Books (books.google.com)

Clay Co. MN Cemeteries & Church Records

• Minnesota Cemetery Research Guide
• Clay Co., Minnesota Graves (findagrave.com)
• Clay County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
• Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Index, Select Counties  (search.ancestry.com)
• Clay Co., Minnesota Cemeteries (Internment.net)
• Clay Co., Minnesota Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
• Minnesota Church & Bible Research Guide
• Clay County, Minnesota Church Books (amazon.com)

Clay Co. MN Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

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

Clay Co. MN General and History Websites

• See Also State History for Minnesota
• Clay County, Minnesota Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
• Clay County, Minnesota Wiki (familysearch.org)
• Clay Co. MN Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
• Family History Library (familysearch.org)
• Clay County, Minnesota (linkpendium.com)
• Cyndi’s List – United States – Minnesota – Counties – Clay (cyndislist.com)
• Clay County Minnesota (genealogytrails.com)
• Clay Co. MNGenweb (rootsweb.ancestry.com)
• Clay County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
• Clay Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)

Clay Co. MN Immigration & Naturalization

• See Also Statewide Immigration and Naturalization Links for Minnesota
• Minnesota Naturalization Records Index, 1854-1957  (search.ancestry.com)

Clay Co. MN Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

• See Also Map of Minnesota Links and Information
• 1895 Clay County Map (livgenmi.com)
• Clay County D.O.T. Road and Highway Maps

Clay Co. MN Military Records

• Minnesota Military Records Research Guide
• Minnesota, Civil War Records, 1861-1865  (search.ancestry.com)
• Minnesota Military Records (fold3.com) will provide easy access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the Minnesota men and women who served. Suitable for Clay County genealogists, researchers, historians and more.