• The "Birth Record Research Request - Before 1900" provides a handwritten registry of pre-1900 Wadhams births, listing names, birth dates, sex, and birthplace as White Wadhams Mine—ideal for genealogy research.
  • Four vintage brown-covered books titled Birth & Death Register rest on a table—rare resources for the Birth Record Research Request - Before 1900 service. More antique books are visible on shelves behind, ideal for genealogy and historic record searches.
  • A scanned black-and-white image from the "Birth Record Research Request - Before 1900" shows a handwritten Stearns County, Minnesota birth record. Table columns list names, dates, birthplaces, and parents to assist genealogy research.
  • A death card from 1900. Written in cursive.
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Birth Record Research Request - Before 1900

Birth Record Research Request - Before 1900

For this service, library staff will search for the birth record of one person. A specific location and a specific year (before 1900) must be supplied.

Before you order
Only birth records from before 1900 can be requested with this service. If you're looking for a birth from 1900 or later, check Minnesota People Records Search (for birth certificates from 1900-1934), or with the Minnesota Department of Health.

Birth records are not available for all MN counties and townships. Click here to view a detailed list of pre-1900 birth records held by MNHS.

Pre-1900 birth records were the responsibility of counties and municipalities, rather than being a state duty. Original records are usually in the form of a ledger entry. Unlike more modern birth certificates, ledgers contain minimal information and are not considered official documents.

The fee for this service covers research and digitization. If no records are located, staff will send you research notes as well as any information that we have that may help you find the record, if it exists. In some cases, counties have retained these early vital records. No refunds will be issued once staff have started work on your request.




There is no statewide index to birth records prior to 1900, so this search is limited to two specific locations (townships, villages, cities) within the county where the individual was born. To complete this request, we need you to provide the county of birth and up to two locations within it.

Here is a detailed list of pre-1900 Minnesota birth records organized by county. Orders that include locations and time periods that aren't specifically identified on that list will be canceled. Please remember that the $5 processing fee will be retained.

If you don't know at least one specific location within a county, please email the library for help at reference@mnhs.org and we'll do our best to help you.

For this research service, library staff will search for the birth record of one person. A specific location and a specific year (before 1900) must be supplied.

Price
$12.00

Digital delivery via email and scanning fees are included in the price.
MNHS Members receive 10% discount at checkout.

Processing fee
The price of this service includes a non-refundable processing fee of $5. This is not an additional charge; however, if your order is cancelled for any reason, the Minnesota Historical Society will retain that fee.

Turnaround 
Research is usually completed and sent within three to four weeks. In some circumstances, it may take up to twelve weeks to complete work.


About This Research Service:
Library staff will search for one birth record from 1900 or before in one of the following sources:

  • County birth records (see example)
  • Local birth records from a specific city, town, or township (see example)

About these records
Pre-1900 birth records were the responsibility of counties and municipalities, rather than being a state duty. Original records are usually in the form of a ledger entry, and are organized by the creating entities, often the township/city, but some are county-wide. Unlike more modern birth certificates, ledgers contain minimal information and are not considered official documents. Birth records are not available for all MN counties and townships. Click here to view a detailed list of pre-1900 birth records held by MNHS.

The fee for this service covers research and digitization. If no records are located, staff will send you research notes as well as any information that we have that may help you find the record, if it exists. In some cases, counties have retained these early vital records. No refunds will be issued once staff have started work on your request.

Records are not available for all MN counties and townships. Before you order, please look carefully at the list of available localities before ordering.

For More Information:

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