County-Wide Genealogical Resources

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.

Library, Societies and Museums

General Genealogy Links

The following are websites with general resources and genealogy knowledge on Hennepin County:

Catholic Churches, Church Records and Cemeteries

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Minneapolis

Minneapolis was a destination for many Polish emigrants, especially Galicians from the western Polish Carpathian Mountains.

“Factors such as these [progressively smaller land holdings in Poland] drove people from the poor pasture and woodlands near the villages of Rabka and Jordanów and the town of Nowy Targ in Podhale in the foothills of the Carpathians. For $45-$60 they might travel as far as Minnesota. Northeast Minneapolis was their principal destination, particularly at the turn of the century.”

Frank Renkiewicz, They Chose Minnesota – page 366

General Genealogy Links

The following are websites with general resources and genealogy knowledge on Minneapolis:

• Wikipedia (Northeast Minneapolis)

Minneapolis Maps

Local Resource

Polish American Cultural Institute of Minnesota (PACIM)

The Polish American Cultural Institute of Minnesota provides a place to meet, explore and learn about Polish American Heritage. They hold classes on language, art and cooking, and have an extensive library of materials in Polish and English.

Books

Heart and Hard Work: Memories of “Nordeast” Minneapolis
by Genny Zak Kieley
Nodin Press, Minneapolis 1997
A copy of the book is available in the Hoffman Research Library at the Minnesota Genealogy Center. 

Nordeast Minneapolis: A History
by Holly Day and Sherman Wick
Arcadia Publishing, 2015

PGS-MN Newsletter Article

(You will need to scroll down to the page indicated to find the article within the newsletter link)

Newsletter	page	Title/Author
Fall 2004	11	Haller’s Army Recruits – 1918: The Rest of Minnesota

Other Articles

Title	Author/Publisher	Comments
Polish Settlement in East Minneapolis, Minnesota	by Edward A. Chmielewski University of Illinois Press Polish American Studies Vol. 17, No. 1/2 (Jan. – Jun., 1960), pp. 14-27	Note: You can read this article here – set up a free account by clicking “Register” and read up to 6 articles/month. Polish American Studies journals are also available at the Hoffman Research Library at the MN Genealogy Center.
Minneapolis Polish-American Community, 1886-1914	by Edward A. Chmielewski Polish American Studies, Vol. 18, No. 2 (Jul. – Dec., 1961), pp. 84-93	Note: You can read this article here – set up a free account by clicking “Register” and read up to 6 articles/ month. Polish American Studies journals are also available at the Hoffman Research Library at the MN Genealogy Center.
Minneapolis Polish Priests, 1886-1914	by Edward A. Chmielewski Polish American Studies, Vol. 19, No. 1 (Jan-June, 1962), pp. 27-35	Note: You can read this article here – set up a free account by clicking “Register” and read up to 6 articles/ month. Polish American Studies journals are also available at the Hoffman Research Library at the MN Genealogy Center.
Minneapolis Polish Fraternals 1886-1914 (Fraternal Insurance Lodges)	by Edward A. Chmielewski Polish American Studies, Vol. 19, No. 2 (July – Dec, 1962), pp. 91-99	Note: You can read this article here – set up a free account by clicking “Register” and read up to 6 articles/ month. Polish American Studies journals are also available at the Hoffman Research Library at the MN Genealogy Center.

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Polish Food in Minneapolis