ROSEAU COUNTY, MN HISTORY AND LOOKUP
County History Books
*None Listed
Roseau County, Minnesota: A Genealogical Overview
Positioned in the far northwestern corner of Minnesota, Roseau County is a land of rich agricultural fields, vast forests, and extensive peatlands, sharing a border with Manitoba, Canada. Part of a region often called “the woods,” its history is defined by late-stage homesteading, the resilience of its primarily Scandinavian settlers, and a 20th-century transition to include world-class manufacturing. Researching ancestors in Roseau County requires understanding its relatively recent formation from larger parent counties and the challenges its pioneers faced in settling the northern frontier.
I. County Formation and Evolution
Understanding Roseau County’s late formation and subsequent boundary changes is essential for locating the correct records for ancestors who were in the region before 1922.
- 1894: County Formed: Roseau County was officially established on December 31, 1894, by a proclamation from the governor.
- Parent County: It was created from the eastern part of Kittson County and the western part of Beltrami County. For any records prior to 1895, researchers must consult the records of these two parent counties.
- Subsequent County Formations: The county’s boundaries were later altered. In 1922, the southern portion of Roseau County was detached and combined with a part of Beltrami County to form the present-day Lake of the Woods County. Genealogists with ancestors in towns like Baudette or Spooner must be aware of this significant change.
- Name Origin: The county is named for the Roseau River and Roseau Lake. The name “Roseau” is the French word for reed, which itself was a translation of the native Ojibwe name for the river, “Ga-shash-agun-ush-ko-sibi” (the river of reeds), referencing the reeds that grow abundantly along its banks.
- County Seat History: The city of Roseau was established as the county seat upon the county’s formation in 1895 and has remained so ever since.
II. Settlement and Early History
- Early Inhabitants: The region was the traditional land of the Ojibwe (Chippewa) people for centuries. The nearby Red Lake and White Earth Indian Reservations are home to many of their descendants. Their deep knowledge of the land, its rivers, and its resources predates all European settlement.
- Pioneer Settlement and Economy: Significant non-native settlement did not begin until the late 1880s and accelerated after the Great Northern Railway arrived. The area was one of the last frontiers for homesteading in Minnesota. Early settlers were overwhelmingly of Scandinavian descent, particularly Norwegians and Swedes, along with some French-Canadians, Poles, and Germans. The early economy was based on logging the dense forests and, once the land was cleared, agriculture. Farming was difficult but eventually prospered, focusing on wheat, other small grains, and cattle. In the mid-20th century, the founding of Polaris Industries in Roseau transformed the local economy, making the county a major manufacturing center for snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles.
III. Genealogical Records and Resources
This section provides practical information for locating ancestral records specific to Roseau County.
- Courthouse: The Roseau County Courthouse is located at 606 3rd Ave NE, Roseau, MN 56751. The office of the Court Administrator holds probate records and civil/criminal court cases. The County Recorder’s office, in the same building, is the primary repository for land records (deeds) and vital records.
- Vital Records:
- Birth and Death Records: Statewide registration in Minnesota began in 1908. Records from that date are held by the Minnesota Department of Health. For records created within the county between 1895 and 1907, researchers should check with the Roseau County Recorder’s Office.
- Marriage Records: Marriage records from the county’s formation in 1895 to the present are held by the Roseau County Recorder’s Office.
- Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
- Roseau County Historical Society and Museum: Located at 121 Center St E #101, Roseau, MN 56751. This is the most critical resource for local history and family research, housing photographs, local newspapers, family histories, and artifacts.
- Roseau Public Library: As part of the Northwest Regional Library System, it may have local history resources, including newspaper archives.
- Minnesota Historical Society (Gale Family Library): Located in St. Paul, this is the premier repository for statewide research. It holds Minnesota state census records (available for years ending in “5”), an extensive newspaper microfilm collection, and copies of many county records.
- Bordering Jurisdictions:
- Kittson County, MN
- Marshall County, MN
- Beltrami County, MN
- Lake of the Woods County, MN
- Rural Municipality of Piney, Manitoba, Canada
- Rural Municipality of Stuartburn, Manitoba, Canada