Lawrence County, South Dakota

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

Lawrence County was established on January 11, 1873 (organized in 1877) from Unorganized territory.

Currently the Lawrence County Seat is located in Deadwood and the county government website is http://www.lawrence.sd.us/

Locations adjacent to Lawrence County are Butte County, Meade County, Pennington County, Weston County, Wyoming, Crook County, Wyoming.

Lawrence 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.

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

Lawrence County Society and Family History Resources

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

https://www.archives.gov/research/census
• South Dakota State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• Lawrence County, South Dakota Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com)
• Lawrence County, South Dakota Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
• USGenWeb Archives for Lawrence County (usgwarchives.net)

Lawrence County Courthouse and Government Records

Genealogist often overlook the benefits of Lawrence 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 Lawrence 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.

The following indicates what vital, land, probate, and court records are in Lawrence county. The dates indicated below are the first known records for this county which may include records of land, estates, taxes, vital records, divorces, naturalizations, voter registration, court records, and so forth. Lawrence County courthouse was destroyed in the great fire of 1879, along with all the records. The state archives has probate records and wills (1877—1935); guardianship and adoption records (1910—58); marriage records (1879—1956); and circuit court journals (1891—1930).

• Haakon County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
  • Address: 78 Sherman St, Deadwood, SD 57732
  • Phone: (605) 578-2040
• Lawrence County Register of Deeds
  • Marriage Records: 1880
  • Land Records:1879
• Lawrence County Clerk of Court.
  • Probate Records: 1879
  • Court Records:1879
• 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.

Lawrence County Links

The following are web links to Family history and genealogy, Records and Resources relating to Lawrence 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 Lawrence County genealogy or family history associated sites.

Lawrence 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!
• Lawrence County, South Dakota Books (amazon.com)
• Search South Dakota Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
• Lawrence County Genealogy Books (books.google.com)

Lawrence Co. SD Birth, Marriage & Death Records

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

Lawrence Co. SD Court, Probate Land and Tax Records

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

Lawrence Co. SD Census Records

• South Dakota Census Records Research Guide
• Lawrence County, SD Census Records Links
• Lawrence County, SD Census QuickFacts
• Lawrence County Census Records (search.ancestry.com)
  • 1880 (free index) – 1890 (fragment) – 1900 – 1910 – 1920 – 1930 – 1940
  • Mortality Schedules: 1880
  • Industry and Agriculture Schedules: 1880
  • Union Veterans Schedules: 1890

Lawrence Co. SD Cemeteries & Church Records

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

Lawrence Co. SD Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

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

Lawrence Co. SD General and History Websites

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

Lawrence Co. SD Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

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

Lawrence 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 Lawrence County genealogists, researchers, historians plus much more.