Minnesota Institutional Records

Institutional records are another class of collections that should be part of one’s genealogy research repertoire. Although most of your ancestors may not have spent time in an institution, I’ll bet that almost every family tree has several that have. So they are worth your effort to research.

Here are a few good primers for searching institutional records:

• FamilySearch – Institution and School Records
• Finding Your Ancestors in Poor House or Poor Farm Records
• Researching Ancestors in Asylums

What kind of institutions and types of records can we discover?

• Poorhouse
• Poor Farm
• Orphanage
• Orphan Train
• Mental Hospital
• Workhouse
• Almshouse
• Institutional School
• Sanitarium
• Asylums
• Correctional institutions

Acquiring records from each of these types of institutions may be difficult because of privacy concerns, but they are worth the effort.

Below you will find free online institutional records you can use to help you discover more about your relatives who have spent time in an institution.

Note: Some of the links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.

(Updated August 2023)

Minnesota Free Online Institutional Records

• Anoka County, Anoka State Hospital Cemetery
• Beltrami County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA Paupers Cemetery
• Brown County, Minnesota, Poor Farm Records, 1901-1937
• Carlton County, Moose Lake State Hospital Cemetery
• Chisago County, Poor Farm Cemetery
• Chisago County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA Potters Field Cemetery
• Dakota County, Hastings State Hospital Cemetery
• Fillmore County, Poor Farm Cemetery
• Freeborn County, Poor Farm Cemetery
• Goodhue County, Poor Farm Cemetery
• Houston County, Poor Farm Cemetery
• Kandiyohi County, Oak Knoll Cemetery AKA Willmar State Hospital Cemetery
• Martin County, Probate, Guardianship, and Insanity Case Files, 1860-1916
• Martin County, Probate, Guardianship, and Insanity Registers 1885-1905; Index to Probate Registry 1860-1992
• Mille Lacs County, Poor Farm Cemetery
• Minnesota, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, Prisoners, Insane, In Hospitals, 1917-1918
• Mower County, Hastings State Hospital/Asylum, Mower County Inmates1903-1937
• Nicolett County, Saint Peter State Hospital Cemetery
• Nicolett County, Saint Peter State Hospital Original Cemetery
• Nicollet County, Poor Farm Cemetery
• Olmsted County, Rochester State Hospital Cemetery
• Olmsted County, Rochester State Hospital Cemetery Burials
• Otter Tail County, Fergus Falls State Hospital Cemetery
• Otter Tail County, Poor Farm Cemetery
• Ramsey County, Poor Farm Cemetery
• Rice County, Poor Farm Cemetery
• St. Louis County, Greenwood Cemetery AKA Poor Farm Cemetery
• Steele County, State School Childrens Cemetery
• Steele County, State School Children’s Cemetery
• Wabasha County, Poor Farm Cemetery
• Wabasha County, Saint Joseph Orphanage Cemetery