Lincoln County
Ivanhoe Public School, 1910 – Courtesy of LakesnWoods.com
Locations in Lincoln County where Poles settled include:
Towns: Ivanhoe
Unincorporated Communities: Wilno
Townships: Royal Township
Most Poles moved to Lincoln County as secondary immigrants, coming from Chicago, LaSalle (Illinois) and Pennsylvania. Most came between 1871-1885. Many came from the Poznan area, but there were also a few who emigrated from Kashubia and Galicia. The population of Wilno in the early years had a high percent of Polish residents:
- In 1885, 55% were Polish
- In 1895, 68% were Polish
- In 1900, 72% were Polish
County-Wide Resources
Vital Records and Land Records
The Lincoln County Recorder’s Office maintains birth, marriage, death (dating back to 1879) and land records (dating back to 1874).
Historical Society and Museum
The Historical Society and Pioneer Museum preserve artifacts and historical information related to Lincoln County and its people.
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.
General Genealogy Links
The following are websites with general resources and genealogy information about Lincoln County:
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2009 | 7 | A Polish Community Goes to War: A Review of the Turbulent Events of 1939-1946 by John Kowles |
| Winter 2009 | 1 | Drobne Echa Article: Installment #18- Wilno, Minnesota From Wiarus, 1886 – 1887 by Greg Kishel |
| Summer 2010 | 1 | Drobne Echa Article: Installment #20 – Wilno, Minnesota From Wiarus and Katolik, 1886 – 1894 by Greg Kishel |
Other Articles
(Note: * The three starred articles can be accessed by setting up a free account with JSTOR – just click on “Register” when you open the link. You can read up to 6 articles/month without charge.
The Polish American Studies journals are also available at the Hoffman Research Library at the MN Genealogy Center.
| Title | author/publisher | comments |
|---|---|---|
| Out on the Wind: Life in Minnesota’s Polish Farming Community | by John Radziłowski Minnesota History Magazine, volume 58, no.1, pages 16-28, 2002 | PDF of the article |
| One Community, One Church, Two Towns: The Poles of Southwest Minnesota, 1882-1905 | by John Radzilowski Polish American Studies, Volume 48, No. 2 , Autumn 1991, pp. 5-25 | * Read article here |
| Family Labor and Immigrant Success in a Polish American Rural Community, 1883-1905 | by John Radzilowski Polish American Studies, Volume 51, No.2, Autumn 1994, pp. 49-66 (this article is focused on Wilno) | * Read article here |
| A New Poland in the Old Northwest: Polish Farming Communities on the Northern Great Plains | by John Radzilowski Polish American Studies, Volume 59, No.2, Autumn, 2002, pp.79-96. | * Read article here |
Book
| TItle | author/publisher | comments |
|---|---|---|
| Out on the Wind: Poles and Danes in Lincoln County, Minnesota 1880-1905 | by John Radzilowski Crossings Press, 1995 | This book can be found in the Hoffman Research Library at the Minnesota Genealogy Center. |
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.
Wilno
Due to its distance from larger cities and the river, Wilno was one of the last areas of the state to be settled. Bishop John Ireland turned to the Poles to move there, promoting the advantages of farm life. Crops of wheat, oats and peas were productive in the Wilno area due to fertile, black soil that held moisture.
General Genealogy Links
The following are websites with general resources and genealogy information about Wilno:
Ivanhoe
General Genealogy Links
The following are websites with general resources and genealogy information about
Public Library
Public libraries have valuable resources related to genealogy and local history.
Historic Newspaper
The Ivanhoe Times Newspaper began printing weekly in 1900 and is still being published. Issues can be viewed at the Gale Library at the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul, MN.