Pine County
Willow River Street Scene 1905 – Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society
Towns in Pine County where Poles settled include:
Sturgeon Lake, and Willow River
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 Pine County where Polish families worshiped.
Vital Records and Land Records
The Recorder’s Office is responsible for birth, marriage, death and real estate records for properties in Pine County.
Historical Societies and Public Libraries
Historical Societies and Public Libraries provide resources related to genealogy and the history of the county.
Pine County Courthouse
The original courthouse burned in 1870 – almost all records were destroyed.
The 1886 courthouse was struck by lightning and burned in 1952 – those records were saved.
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 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 Pine County:
Polish Roots Video
Polish Roots in Carlton County
Available at the Carlton County Historical Society in Cloquet
This video features Catholic churches in Carlton and Pine Counties with significant Polish membership. Many original family surnames are mentioned.
Books
Northern Pine County
by Earl J. Foster and Amy Troolin
Arcadia Publishing, 2011
Pine County and it’s Memories
by Jim Cordes, 1989
pages 175-181
Local Newspaper
The Pine County Courier newspaper has been in print from 1894 to the present. Copies are available at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul.
Sturgeon Lake
The Polish community in Sturgeon Lake was established in the 1880s. A number of them were Kashubians who moved there from Winona. Some were from Poznań, others were from Galicia. Sturgeon Lake was a secondary settlement for some who first immigrated to Chicago. Most of them were farmers – the main crops were potatoes and beets.
In 1889, there were 130 Polish families living in Sturgeon Lake. A small group of Swedes (30 families) lived there at that time also.
General Genealogy Links
The following are websites with general resources and genealogy information about Sturgeon Lake:
Book
Sturgeon Lake – 100 Years of History (1901-2001)
by Lois E. Johnson
PGS-MN Newsletter Articles
(You will need to scroll down to the page indicated to find the article within the newsletter link)
| newsletter | page | title/author |
|---|---|---|
| Winter 2005 | 1 | A Survivor’s Guide to Finding Ancestors in Poland: Researching the Magdziarz/Labak families from Pilzno, Galicia to Sturgeon Lake Mark Dobosenski |
| Winter 2005 | 11 | Drobne Echa article – Installment #6: Sturgeon Lake, From Wiarus, 1886-1891 by Greg Kishel |
| Fall 2010 | 1 | Drobne Echa article – Installment #21: Sturgeon Lake, From Wiarus, 1889 (lists names of Poles) |
Willow River
Willow River was accessible to Sturgeon Lake by train – the two towns are three miles apart. Some of the Poles moved to Willow River to work in the sawmill there.
General Genealogy Links
The following are websites with general resources and genealogy information about Willow River:
Polish Farm
The Doboszenski Homestead is on the National Register of Historic Places. Photos and a document summarizing the details are below:
Photos of Doboszenski Homestead
Document summarizing the Homestead