Otter Tail County
Parade 1909 – Photo Courtesy of LakesnWoods.com Postcard and Postcard Collection
Poles settled in Otter Tail County in the following locations:
Towns: Perham
Townships: Perham Township (previously called Marian Lake Township).
According to Wacław Kruszka in his book, A History of the Poles in America to 1908 (part 4), the Poles in Perham came primarily from Kashubia. Other sources indicate that some Poles from Silesia and Poznan also settled there.
In Otter Tail County, a pioneer settler struck upon a tract near Marion Lake about five miles south and west of the present village of Perham. This was in 1867. Then with the steady flow of new settlers, mostly of German and Polish origin, a parish was formally organized by Father Perz in 1869. The census of 1873 indicated 81 families, mostly German and Polish. It seems that the impetus here was the building of the Northern Pacific Railroad through the territory of Perham (in 1872). This brought an influx of Catholic settlers, among whom were some Poles from Ohio.
County-Wide Resources
Catholic Churches and Cemeteries
The church was a central point in the lives of Polish immigrants. Learn more about the churches and cemeteries in Otter Tail County where Polish families worshiped.
Vital Records and Land Records
The Otter Tail Recorder’s Office preserves and manages birth, marriage, death and land records.
Historical Society
The Historical Society preserves artifacts and historical information regarding Otter Tail County.
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
The U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management has General Land Office Records where you can pick the state and county, then type in a surname. If an ancestor purchased land, you will likely be able to see the document and details about the land and purchase.
Census Records
United States Census Records
You can find a lot of information about the U.S. Census records on the National Archives website. The U.S. Census was done every ten years from 1790 through 1950. (the site has direct links to census records for 1940 and 1950). FamilySearch and Ancestry also have census records (Ancestry requires a paid subscription).
Minnesota State Census Records
- The first Minnesota Territorial Census was taken in 1849, and was taken again in 1850, 1853, 1855, and 1857.
- After Minnesota became a State in 1858, the Minnesota State Census was taken every 10 years, in years that ended with a 5: 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, and 1905.
- 1905 was the last year of the Minnesota State Census.
General Genealogy Links
The following are websites with general resources and genealogy information about Otter Tail County:
Maps
Plat maps are helpful in showing who owned the land that year. Click on the area you are interested in until you get to the detail level with names.
Books
| Title | Author/publisher | comments |
|---|---|---|
| History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I | John W. Mason, Editor B.F. Bowen and Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916 | Link to Book |
| History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume II | John W. Mason, Editor B.F. Bowen and Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916 | Link to Book |
| Abandonings: Photographs of Otter Tail County, Minnesota | Maxwell MacKenzie, 1995 | |
| Places | Otter Tail County Historical Society, 2003 | |
| Rural Schools of Otter Tail County | Otter Tail Historical Society, 2000 | |
| Otter Tail County, Minnesota, in the World War: An Illustrated Historical Record of the People From Otter Tail County, Minnesota, Who Participated in … Years 1917, 1918, and 1919 | Victor George Lundeen Reprinted 2018 | |
| We Chose Otter Tail County | Otter Tail Historical Society, 2018 | |
| The Promise of a Beautiful Harvest: Otter Tail County 1865-1895 | Compiled by the Otter Tail Historical Society |
Perham
Local Genealogy Resources
Public libraries and history museums hold valuable genealogy resources for learning about local history and culture.
Genealogy Links
The following are websites with general resources and genealogy information about Perham:
PGS-MN Drobne Echa Newsletter Article
| Newsletter | page | title/author |
|---|---|---|
| Summer 2008 | 1, 20-29 | Installment #14 – Perham From Wiarus/Katolik, 1887-1909 by Greg Kishel While there is very little online about Poles in Perham, this article clearly outlines many Polish settlers there and their contributions to the community (immigrants from Kashubia, Poznan and Silesia seemed to have settled there). Father Kupera, pastor at St. Stanislaus Church in the late 1880s-early 1990s, came from Opole and likely encouraged Poles from the Opole area to immigrate to Perham. |
Other Articles about Perham
There are a few interesting articles about the Poles in Perham. According to the Mukolteo article, some Poles in Perham were connected with Poles in Mukiolteo.
Maps
Plat maps are helpful in showing who owned the land that year. Click on the area you are interested in until you get to the detail level with names.