Wood County, Wisconsin
Genealogy, History & Facts

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

Wood County, Wisconsin Facts

When was Wood County, WI Created?
Wood County was created on March 29, 1856 from Portage County.

What is the County Seat of Wood County, WI?
The County Seat is located in Wisconsin Rapids and the county government website is http://www.co.wood.wi.us

What counties are adjacent to Wood County, WI?
Bordering Counties are Marathon County, Portage County, Adams County, Juneau County, Jackson County, Clark County.

Wood County, WI Vital Records

Where can find Wood County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Wood County vital records can be found at the Wisconsin Office of Vital Records has copies of Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Records reported since 1907. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Wisconsin for current fees and application process..

You can search online for Wood County Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. You can also Order Electronically Online or can download an application for Wisconsin Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Application to mail.

• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• Social Security Death Index
• USGenweb Archives Wisconsin Marriage Project
• Earliest Registration Dates by County
• Pre-1907 Birth Index
• Wisconsin, Births and Christenings, 1826-1926
• Wisconsin, Divorce Index, 1965-1984
• Wisconsin Marriage Index 1852-1907
• Wisconsin Marriage Index (selected entries pre-1907)
• Wisconsin, Marriage Index, 1973-1997
• Wisconsin, Marriages, 1836-1930
• Pre-1892 Wisconsin Brides and/or Grooms from Maine State Archives Cards
• Wisconsin, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1968
• Pre-1907 Death Index
• 1959-1979 Death Index
• 1979-1984 Death Index

Wood County, WI Census Records

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

Wood Co. Mortality Schedules can be obtained for 1860, 1870 and 1880. Wood Co. Industry and Agriculture can be found for 1860, 1870 and 1880. Wood Co. Union Veterans Schedules is available for 1890. One can find free down-loadable and also printable census forms to help you with your research.

There are Wisconsin State censuses from 1895 and 1905. Also the Wisconsin Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index for 1820-1890. You can find free down-loadable and also printable census forms to help you with your research. See Also Wisconsin Census Records Research Guide

• Search The U.S. Federal Census Collection
• Wood County, WI Census Records Links

Wood County, WI Courthouse and Government Records

Wood County Courthouse

What genealogical records can I find in the Wood County Courthouse?
The below facts shows exactly what death, marriage, birth, property, wills, and court records are typically in Wood County.The date listed for each category of record is usually the earliest registration filed. The earliest date does not indicate that there are numerous records for that year and does not mean that all such events were actually registered.

See Also Wisconsin Courthouse Records Research Guide.

• Wood County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
  • Address:400 Market Street, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495; Phone: 715.421.8400
• Wood County Register of Deeds
  • Phone: 715-421-8450
  • Birth Records: 1871
  • Marriage Records: 1867
  • Death Records: 1872
  • Land Records: 1836
• Wood County Register in Probate Office
  • Phone: 715-421-8523
  • Probate Records: 1858
• Wood County Clerk of Court Office
  • Phone: (715) 421-8490
  • Court Records: 1872?
• Public Records of the Consolidated Court Automation Programs provides access to certain public records of the circuit courts of Wisconsin
• Wisconsin, Probate Estate Files, 1848-1935
• U.S., Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898
• BLM Land Records

Wood County, WI Societies and Family History Resources

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

• Area Research Center – University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, James H. Albertson Library, Stevens Point, WI 54481; Phone: 715/346-2586
• Heart O’ Wisconsin Genealogical Society, 490 E Grand Ave, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494
•  Marshfield Area Genealogy Group, PO Box 337, Marshfield, WI 54449
•  North Wood County Historical Society, PO Box 142, Marshfield, WI 54449; Phone: 715-387-3322
•  South Wood County Historical Corp, 540 3rd Street South, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494; (715) 423-1580
• Wisconsin Area Research Center Network
• State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 816 State Street, Madison, WI 53706-1488
• Wisconsin State Genealogical Society, PO Box 5106, Madison, WI 53705
• Wisconsin Genealogy Index (wisconsinhistory.org) Search for pre-1907 Vital Records, as well as for 150,000 Wisconsin Name Index (WNI) records, including biographical sketches, obituaries, and newspaper articles published before 2000.

Where can I connect with other Wood County, WI Researchers through message boards and forums?

• Wisconsin State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• Wood County, Wisconsin Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Wood County
• Wood County, Wisconsin Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)

What other genealogical resources are available in Wood County, WI?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Wood County. Many of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Business oriented Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some have to have a cost. This is just a listing which has been collected or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site above another.

Wood Co. WI Books, Newspapers & Publications

• Wisconsin Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
• Wisconsin historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
• Historical Newspapers from Wisconsin (1837 – 1992) (genealogybank.com)
• Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune (Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin) (search.ancestry.com)
• The Daily Tribune (Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin) (search.ancestry.com)
• The Grand Rapids Tribune (Grand Rapids, Wisconsin) (search.ancestry.com)
• Centralia Enterprise and Tribune (Centralia, Wisconsin) (search.ancestry.com)
• The Grand Rapids Daily Tribune (Grand Rapids, Wisconsin) (search.ancestry.com)
• Wood County, Wisconsin Books (amazon.com)
• Wood County Wisconsin Genealogy Books (books.google.com)
• Search Wisconsin Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)

Wood Co. WI Church & Cemeteries

• Wisconsin Church & Cemetery Research Guide
• Wood Co., Wisconsin Graves (findagrave.com)
• Wood County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
• Wood Co., Wisconsin Cemeteries (Internment.net)
• Wood Co., Wisconsin Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
• Wood County, Wisconsin Church Books (amazon.com)

Wood Co. WI Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

• Create a Free Family Tree (ancestry.com)
• The Duval Family of Unity and Marshfield Wisconsin (sophocles.com)
• Historical Image Collections (wisconsinhistory.org)
• Local History & Biography Articles (wisconsinhistory.org) thousands of historical newspaper articles on Wisconsin people and communities
• The Wisconsin Family Group Sheet Project (fgs-project.com)

Wood Co. WI General and History Websites

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

Wood Co. WI Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

• See Also Map of Wisconsin Links and Information
• Wood Co. D.O.T. Road and Highway Maps (dot.wisconsin.gov)
• Wisconsin Public Land Survey Records: Original Field Notes & Plat Maps for Wood County
• 1895 Wood County Map (livgenmi.com)

Wood Co. WI Military Records

• Wisconsin Military Records Research Guide
• Wisconsin Military Records (fold3.com) gives you easy access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the Wisconsin both women and men which served. Just the thing for Wood County genealogists, researchers, historians and much more.