Otter Tail County, Minnesota Records

Otter Tail County, Minnesota (Map It) was created on March 18, 1858 (Organized in 1870) from Cass County and Pembina County. The county was named for Otter Tail Lake. Otter Tail is the translation of the Ojibway name for the lake, characterized by a long, narrow sand bar in the shape of an otter's tail.

Otter Tail County is bordered by Becker County (north), Wadena County (northeast), Todd County (southeast), Douglas County (southeast), Grant County (southwest), Wilkin County (west), Clay County (northwest).

Otter Tail County Cities and Towns include Battle Lake, Bluffton, Clitherall, Dalton, Deer Creek, Dent, Elizabeth, Erhard, Fergus Falls, Henning, New York Mills, Ottertail, Parkers Prairie, Pelican Rapids, Perham, Richville, Rothsay, Underwood, Urbank, Vergas, Vining, Wadena.

Otter Tail County Townships include Aastad, Amor, Aurdal, Blowers, Bluffton, Buse, Butler, Candor, Carlisle, Clitherall, Compton, Corliss, Dane Prairie, Dead Lake, Deer Creek, Dora, Dunn, Eagle Lake, Eastern, Edna, Effington, Elizabeth, Elmo, Erhards Grove, Everts, Fergus Falls, Folden, Friberg, Girard, Gorman, Henning, Hobart, Homestead, Inman, Leaf Lake, Leaf Mountain, Lida, Maine, Maplewood, Newton, Nidaros, Norwegian Grove, Oak Valley, Orwell, Oscar, Otter Tail, Otto, Paddock, Parkers Prairie, Pelican, Perham, Pine Lake, Rush Lake, Scambler, St. Olaf, Star Lake, Sverdrup, Tordenskjold, Trondhjem, Tumuli, Western, Woodside Townships.

A Map of Otter Tail County, Minnesota contains detailed information about roads and boundaries, these maps may include rural communities, churches, and cemeteries.

Otter Tail County, Minnesota Courthouse Records

The Otter Tail County Courthouse is located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. At some time Otter Tail County was attached to Stearns County, Crow Wing County and Douglas County for county and or judicial purposes. Some early records may be found there. Learn More About State of Minnesota Court, Tax, Land and Probate Records.

The Clerk's Office DOES NOT DO RESEARCH. Most staff will assist people in finding the materials, but it is up to the individual to do the research.

The following dates indicates what vital, land, probate, and court records are in Otter Tail county. The date listed for each record is usually the earliest registration filed. The date does not indicate that there are alot records for that year and does not mean that all such events were actually filed with the clerk.

• Otter Tail County Recorder has Birth / Death Records from 1871, Marriage Records from 1869 and Land Records from 1867. The County Recorder is responsible for all the real estate records for properties located in the County. Permanent records of deeds, mortgages and other various real estate records are recorded/filed in this office. As Local Registrar, the office protects and issues certified copies of Birth and Death records, Marriage Certificates & Military Discharge Records.
• Otter Tail County Court Administrator has Probate Records from 1872 and Court Records from 1871. The County Court Administrator maintains court files for Civil, Criminal, Traffic, Probate, Conciliation, Juvenile, Tax and Family Court matters.
• Otter Tail County Treasurers Office is responsible for keeping a complete accounting of all monies collected and expended by all the county departments. This includes the investing of available funds and accurately distributing the interest received. The department is also responsible for the collection of taxes and distribution to the various taxing entities within the County.

Otter Tail County, Minnesota Census Records

• Learn More: State of Minnesota Census Records
• U.S. Federal Population Schedules: 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragmented), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940
• State Census Reconstructed Records: 1835-1890
• State Population Schedules: Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905
• U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
• Selected U.S. Federal Census Agriculture Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
• Selected U.S. Federal Census Industry Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
• Union Veterans Schedules: 1890

Otter Tail County, Minnesota Vital Records

• Learn More: State of Minnesota Vital Records
• Birth Records: from January 1900  to present
• Marriage Records: None Check with the Local County Registrar
• Divorce Records: None Check with the Local County Registrar
• Death Records: from January 1908 to present
• Locations: Minnesota Office of Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 64882, St. Paul, MN 55164; (651) 201-5970
• Vital Records Online: USAVital or Social Security Death Index
• Vital Records by Mail: Birth Certificate, Death Certificates Applications.

Otter Tail County, Minnesota Resources

• State of Minnesota Archives and Societies
• RAOGK Volunteers for Minnesota
• Otter Tail County Historical Society
• Otter Tail County Genealogical Society
• History Museum of East Otter Tail County
• Northwest Minnesota Historical Center
• Otter Tail County, Minnesota Message Boards
• Otter Tail County, Minnesota Genealogy Boards

Otter Tail County, Minnesota External Links

• Minnesota Historical Newspapers - Newspapers.com
• Otter Tail County, Minnesota Books - Amazon
• Otter Tail Co., Minnesota - FindaGrave
• Minnesota Indexed Historical Records - Familysearch
• Otter Tail County, Minnesota Links - Cyndi's List
• Historical Newspapers from Minnesota (1849 - 1922)
• Otter Tail Co. MNGenweb
• Otter Tail County, Minnesota Ancestry Database Collections
• Otter Tail County, Minnesota Military Records