Cook 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

Cook County, Minnesota Facts

When was Cook County, MN Created?
Cook County was founded on November 3, 1874 from Lake County.

What is the County Seat of Cook County, MN?
The County Seat is located in Grand Marais and the county government website is http://www.co.cook.mn.us/

What counties are adjacent to Cook County, MN?
Bordering Counties are Ontario Province, Canada (north, northeast), Lake County, Ashland County, Wisconsin, Keweenaw County, Michigan, Ontonagon County, Michigan.

Cook County, MN Vital Records

Where can find Cook County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Cook 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 Cook 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

Cook County, MN Census Records

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

Cook Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1880. Cook Co. Industry and Agriculture Schedules can be found for 1880. Cook Co. Union Veterans Schedules can be acquired for 1890.

Cook 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
• Cook County, MN Census Records Link
• Cook County, MN Census QuickFacts

Cook County, MN Courthouse and Government Records

Cook County Courthouse

What genealogical records can I find in the Cook County Courthouse?
Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Cook 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 Cook 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.

• Cook County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
  • Address: 411 West Second Street, Grand Marais , MN 55604
  • Phone: (218) 387-3610
• Cook County Recorder
  • Birth / Death Records: 1897
  • Marriage Records: 1897
  • Land Records: ?
• Cook County Court Administrator
  • Probate Records: ?
  • Court Records: 1892
• Minnesota, Will Records, 1849-1985
• Minnesota Land Records
• BLM Land Records

Cook County, MN Societies and Family History Resources

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

• Cook County Historical Society and Museum, PO Box 1293, Grand Marais MN 55604-1293; Phone: 218 387-2883
•  Johnson Heritage Post, PO Box 35, Grand Marais MN 55604-0035; Phone: 218 387-2314 or 218 388-0575
•  North Shore Commercial Fishing Museum & Tofte Historical Society, PO Box 2312, Tofte MN 55615-2312; Phone: 218 663-7804
• Schroeder Area Historical Society, PO Box 337, 7932 West Highway 61, Schroeder MN; Phone: 218 663-7706
• Northeast Minnesota Historical Center, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Library 375, Duluth, MN 55812
• 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 Cook 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)
• Cook County, Minnesota Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com)
• Cook County, Minnesota Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)

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

Cook 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)
• Cook County, Minnesota Books (amazon.com)
• Search Minnesota Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
• Cook County Genealogy Books (books.google.com)

Cook Co. MN Cemeteries & Church Records

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

Cook Co. MN Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

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

Cook Co. MN General and History Websites

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

Cook Co. MN Immigration & Naturalization

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

Cook Co. MN Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

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

Cook 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 Cook County genealogists, researchers, historians and more.