Wisconsin

Pre-statehood censuses of Wisconsin are included with the Michigan Territory Federal censuses of 1820 and 1830. Federal censuses begin for the state of Wisconsin in 1840.

Several territorial and state censuses were taken for Wisconsin between 1836 and 1905. With few exceptions, the originals are in the State Archives at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Research Resources

The organizations listed below provide information about Wisconsin history and genealogy.  In addition to these state-level resources, many counties and towns maintain important genealogical collections in local libraries, genealogical societies, or historical societies, so check for a local resource when researching.

Wisconsin Vital Records
Wisconsin issued marriage applications as early as the 1820s in some counties, although most jurisdictions began maintaining records when the county was organized. In 1852, the state directed the counties to record births and deaths, a mandate generally ignored. In 1878 a similar law received more attention and adherence. The State Bureau of Vital Statistics was established in 1907.

• Wisconsin Vital Records Services: Holds records of birth, marriage, domestic partnership, divorce, and death records.  See the “Genealogy Services” page for detailed information on holdings and how to order records.
• Wisconsin Historical Society – Vital Records page: The Society holds records of births and deaths from 1852 to September 30, 1907, and marriage records from 1836 to September 30, 1907.  The Society also manages the Wisconsin Genealogy Index, a searchable index of pre-1907 births, marriages, and deaths.

Remember, local libraries and county genealogical or historical societies may have indexes to vital records, so check for a resource at the county or town level.

Statewide Research Resources

• Wisconsin Historical Society: The Society’s Library and Archives in Madison contain a wealth of local and state history information for genealogists.  The genealogy page describes some of the available resources.  Be sure to review the online collections, which include county histories, photographs, and memoirs.

• Wisconsin State Genealogical Society: The Society holds meetings, sponsors events, and publishes a newsletter.
• Wisconsin GenWeb
• University of Wisconsin Digital Collections: Some genealogical highlights in this digital archive include “The State of Wisconsin Collection” which contains state, county, and local information, and “Wisconsin Public Land Survey Records: Original Field Notes and Plat Maps”.
• National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at Chicago: This facility maintains records from Federal agencies and courts in Wisconsin, including census, military, court, naturalization, and immigration records.
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) General Land Office Records:  The BLM administers Federal Land for public land states including Wisconsin, and maintains records of land patents which granted land from the Federal Government to individuals.  Use the Land Patent Search to locate land grants by name.  Many record images are available on the web site.  See the FAQ for more information on how to locate and use land patents.

Specialty and Regional Research

• Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Books from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, ca 1820-1910: This digital archive from the Library of Congress’ American Memory project uses information from first-person accounts, local histories, biographies, and other sources to describe life in the upper Midwest in the early nineteenth to early twentieth centuries.