Wisconsin County Resources

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This entry was originally written by Dawn M. Knauft and Carol L. Maki in Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.

This article is part of
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the Wisconsin Family History Research series.
History of Wisconsin
Wisconsin Vital Records
Census Records for Wisconsin
Background Sources for Wisconsin
Wisconsin Maps
Wisconsin Land Records
Wisconsin Probate Records
Wisconsin Court Records
Wisconsin Tax Records
Wisconsin Cemetery Records
Wisconsin Church Records
Wisconsin Military Records
Wisconsin Periodicals, Newspapers, and Manuscript Collections
Wisconsin Archives, Libraries, and Societies
Wisconsin Naturalization
African Americans of Wisconsin
Wisconsin County Resources
Map of Wisconsin
County Map of Wisconsin

When mailing requests to any Wisconsin county office, use the name of the county and 'County Courthouse,' with the address listed below. Records at the county level are the responsibility of the following offices: birth, marriage, death, and land'register of deeds; court'clerk of courts; probate'county probate court.

Setting up a county with a fully functional government was usually done in three stages: 'establishment,' legally defining a specific area as a county; 'organization for county purposes,' which involved setting up a governing body or board, land registry office, and fiscal structure; and 'organization for judicial purposes,' which involved setting up a county court and law enforcement. In some counties the three stages were accomplished more or less simultaneously. In others they were done separately over many years. When a county was established, but not fully organized, it was typically 'attached' to another county that was often, but not always, a parent county. Since these levels of organization and questions of attachment affect the creation and location of records, they can be quite important to the researcher.

For example, when Ashland County was attached for judicial purposes to Bayfield County in 1866, the courthouse in Ashland County did not close. The county board still met, land transactions and marriages were still recorded by the register of deeds, and taxes were still collected in and for Ashland County. Only the courts and law enforcement were affected, and for those records between 1866 and 1873, the researcher would have to check in Bayfield County.

The year given in the county charts for 'Date Formed' is the year that passage of the law created the county. With that date is the name of the parent county or counties. Additional lines identify the purposes (c-county purposes; j-judicial purposes), the county or counties to which it was attached, and the dates of that attachment.

The date listed for each category of record is usually the earliest registration filed. The earliest date does not indicate that there are numerous records for that year and does not mean that all such events were actually registered. It has been estimated that less than 50 percent of the vital records, for example, were prepared and submitted for permanent filing prior to 1907. Land deeds, probate, and court records generally begin in Wisconsin with the organization of the county. Prior to that date, check the 'Parent County.' Some counties formed from other counties transcribed their portion of property deeds to be kept with the new county deed records.

Information on county formation and earliest record dates was provided by James L. Hansen, Reference Librarian, Wisconsin Historical Society. Addresses were obtained from the Wisconsin Counties Association website at www.wicounties.org or the relevant county's website.


Map County County Address Date Formed- Parent County(ies) Jurisdictional Purposes Birth Marriage Death Land Probate Court
G5 Adams 402 Main/P.O. Box 278, Friendship 53934 1848 Portage (c/j-Sauk, 1848'53) 1857 1854 1876 1853 1855 1854
C4 Ashland 201 W. Main St., Ashland 54806 1860 La Pointe (j-Bayfield, 1866'73) 1876 1871 1877 1856 1878 1873
Bad Axe 1851 Crawford (renamed Vernon, 1862)
D2 Barron 330 E. LaSalle Ave., Barron 54812 1859 (as Dallas) Polk (c/j-Polk, 1859'60; Dunn, 1860'68;j-Dunn, 1868'74) renamed Barron, 1869 1877 1868 1877 1870 1880 1874
B3 Bayfield 117 E. Fifth St., Washburn 54891 1845 (as La Pointe) St. Croix (j-Crawford, 1845; St. Croix, 1849'50) renamed Bayfield, 1866 1879 1869 1870 1850 1857 1859
F7 Brown 305 E. Walnut St., Green Bay 54305 1818 unorganized territory 1814 1823 1834 1820 1824 1823
F2 Buffalo 407 S. Second St., Alma 54610 1853 Jackson 1855 1856 1873 1854 1854 1853
C1 Burnett 7410 County Road K, Siren 54872 1856 Polk (j-Polk, 1856'59; c/j-Polk, 1859'64; j-Polk, 1866'71) 1853? 1869? 1846? 1866 1868 1870
G7 Calumet 206 Court St., Chilton 53014 1836 Brown (c/j-Brown, 1836'42; j-Brown, 1842'44 Fond du Lac, 1844'50) 1858 1850 1856 1840 1850 1850
E3 Chippewa 711 N. Bridge St., Chippewa Falls 54729 1845 Crawford (c/j-Crawford, 1845'51; La Crosse, 1851'53) 1858 1854 1855 1854 1856 1856
F4 Clark 517 Court St., Neillsville 54456 1853 Jackson (c/j-Jackson, 1853; j-Jackson, 1854'56) 1869 1857 1877 1855 1870 1857
H5 Columbia 400 DeWitt St./P.O. Box 177, Portage 53901 1846 Portage 1860 1849 1877 1826 1847 1851
J3 Crawford 220 North Beaumont Rd., Prairie du Chien 53821 1818 unorganized territory 1858 1816 1876 1820 1819 1824
Dallas 1859 Polk (renamed Barron, 1869)
J5 Dane 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Madison 53703 1836 Crawford/Iowa/Milwaukee (c/j-Iowa, 1836'39) 1860 1839 1876 1835 1847 1841
H6 Dodge 127 E. Oak St., Juneau 53039 1836 Brown/Milwaukee (c/j-Milwaukee, 1836'40) 1870 1843 1852 1877 1844 1844
E8 Door 421 Nebraska St./P.O. Box 670, Sturgeon Bay 54235 1851 Brown (j-Manitowoc, 1851'55;Brown, 1855'60) 1852 1856 1856 1857 1861 1861
B2 Douglas 1313 Belknap St., Superior 54480 1854 La Pointe 1861 1854 1877 1854 1856 1855
E2 Dunn 800 Wilson Ave., Menomonie 54751 1854 Chippewa (j-Chippewa, 1854'56) 1861 1858 1869 1877 1858 1859
F3 Eau Claire 721 Oxford Ave., Eau Claire 54703 1856 Chippewa 1870 1857 1876 1856 1858 1854
C7 Florence 501 Lake Ave., Florence 54121 1882 Marinette/Oconto 1882 1882 1882 1882 1882 1882
H7 Fond du Lac 160 S. Macy St., Fond du Lac 54935 1836 Brown (c/j-Brown, 1836'39;j-Brown, 1839'44) 1852 1844 1854 1836 1839 1844
D6 Forest 200 E. Madison St., Crandon 54520 1885 Langlade 1891 1886 1871 1865 1887 1885
Gates 1901 Chippewa (renamed Rusk, 1905)
J3 Grant 111 S. Jefferson St., Lancaster 53813 1836 Iowa 1870 1842 1876 1837 1836 1836
K5 Green 1016 Sixteenth Ave., Monroe 53566 1836 Iowa (c/j-Iowa, 1836'38) 1862 1838 1874 1836 1850 1838
H6 Green Lake 492 Hill St., Green Lake 54941 1858 Marquette 1864 1858 1877 1843 1853 1858
J4 Iowa 222 N. Iowa St., Dodgeville 53533 1829 Crawford 1876 1836 1871 1832 1837 1834
B4 Iron 300 Taconite St., Hurley 54534 1893 Ashland 1886 1893 1887 1886 1893 1893
G3 Jackson 307 Main St., Black River Falls 54615 1853 La Crosse 1861 1853 1872 1854 1869 1854
J6 Jefferson 320 S. Main St., Jefferson 53549 1836 Milwaukee (c/j-Milwaukee, 1836'39) 1852 1844 1856 1838 1846 1842
G4 Juneau 220 E. State St., Mauston 53948 1856 Adams 1877 1857 1876 1857 1860 1857
K7 Kenosha 1010 56th St., Kenosha 53140 1850 Racine 1876 1850 1876 1838 1850 1852
F8 Kewaunee 613 Dodge St., Kewaunee 54216 1852 Door (j-Manitowoc, 1852'55;Brown, 1855'58) 1861 1859 1872 1856 1859 1858
G3 La Crosse 400 Fourth St. North, La Crosse 54601 1851 Crawford 1866 1851 1876 1851 1851 1850
K4 Lafayette 626 Main St./P.O. Box 40, Darlington 53530 1846 Iowa (c/j-Iowa, 1846'47) 1854 1847 1877 1836 1847 1847
E6 Langlade 800 Clermont St., Antigo 54409 1879 (as New) Oconto (c/j-Shawano, 1879'81) renamed Langlade, 1881 1882 1881 1882 1858 1881 1881
La Pointe 1845 St. Croix (renamed Bayfield, 1866)
E5 Lincoln 1110 E. Main St., Merrill 54452 1874 Marathon (j-Marathon, 1874'75) 1875 1875 1871 1867 1883 1885
G7 Manitowoc 1010 S. Eighth St., Manitowoc 54220 1836 Brown (c/j-Brown, 1836'38;j-Brown, 1839'48) 1858 1849 1864 1835 1850 1848
E5 Marathon 500 Forest St., Wausau 54403 1850 Portage 1870 1861 1868 1841 1851 1849
D7 Marinette 1926 Hall Ave., Marinette 54143 1879 Oconto 1874 1878 1868 1879 1879 1849
H5 Marquette 77 W. Park St., Montello 53949 1836 Brown (c/j-Brown, 1836'44;j-Fond du Lac, 1844'48) 1864 1848 1876 1836 1860 1849
E6 Menominee P.O. Box 279, Keshena 54135 1961 Oconto/Shawano (c/j- Shawano) 1961 1961 1961 1961 1961* 1961
*In Shawano County, except for Native Americans.
K7 Milwaukee 901 N. Ninth St., Milwaukee 53233 1834 Brown (j-Brown, 1834'35) 1835 1836 1872 1836 1838 1837
G3 Monroe 202 South K St., Sparta 54656 1854 La Crosse 1854 1854 1867 1851 1855 1854
New 1879 Oconto (renamed Langlade, 1881)
E7 Oconto 301 Washington St., Oconto 54153 1851 Brown (c/j-Brown, 1851'52;j-Brown, 1852'54, 1855'57) 1876 1859 1872 1838 1857 1857
D5 Oneida 1 Courthouse Sq., Rhinelander 54501 1885 Lincoln (c/j-Lincoln, 1885'86) 1887 1887 1888 1887 1887 1887
F7 Outagamie 410 S. Walnut St., Appleton 54911 1851 Brown/Winnebago (j-Brown, 1851'52) 1856 1852 1869 1851 1853 1852
H7 Ozaukee 121 W. Main St., Port Washington 53074 1853 Washington 1852 1855 1849 1835 1849 1853
F2 Pepin 740 Seventh Ave. W., P.O. Box 39, Durand 54736 1858 Dunn 1863 1858 1857 1855 1856 1858
F1 Pierce 414 W. Main St., Ellsworth 54011 1853 St. Croix 1870 1851 1876 1855 1875 1854
D1 Polk 100 Polk County Plaza, Balsam Lake 54810 1853 St. Croix 1867 1855 1865 1853 1855 1859
F5 Portage 1516 Church St., Stevens Point 54481 1836 Brown/Crawford/Iowa/Milwaukee (c/j-Brown, 1836'41; j-Dane, 1841'44) 1866 1848 1876 1841 1837 1844
D4 Price 126 Cherry St., Phillips 54555 1879 Chippewa/Lincoln (j-Taylor, 1879'82) 1880 1880 1879 1882 1881 1892?
K7 Racine 730 Wisconsin Ave., Racine 53403 1836 Milwaukee 1877 1839 1880 1837 1849 1837
H4 Richland 181 W. Seminary St., Richland Center 53581 1842 Crawford/Sauk (c/j-Iowa, 1842'50) 1875 1850 1876 1850 1839? 1861
K6 Rock 51 S. Main St., Janesville 53545 1836 Milwaukee (c/j-Racine, 1836'39) 1856 1840 1860 1839 1850 1840
D3 Rusk 311 E. Miner Ave., Ladysmith 54848 1901 (as Gates) Chippeware named Rusk, 1905 1900 1901 1901 1872 1901 1901
E1 St. Croix 1101 Carmichael Rd., Hudson 54016 1840 Crawford (j-Crawford, 1843'49) 1858 1852 1876 1849 1849 1850
Some records. 1840'49 at Washington County Historical Society, Stillwater, Minnesota.
H4 Sauk 505 Broadway, Baraboo 53913 1840 Crawford/Dane/Portage (c/j-Dane, 1840'44) 1864 1844 1876 1844 1847 1844
C3 Sawyer 10610 Main St., P.O. Box 836, Hayward 54843 1883 Ashland/Chippewa (j-Ashland, 1883'85) 1869 1883 1883 1883 1900? 1883
F6 Shawano 311 N. Main St., Shawano 54166 1853 Oconto/Waupaca/Winnebago (j-Outagamie, 1853'59) 1854 1848 1860 1854 1861 1861
H7 Sheboygan 508 New York Ave., Sheboygan 53081 1836 Brown (c/j-Brown, 1836'39;j-Brown, 1839'46) 1848 1852 1854 1835 1860 1851
E4 Taylor 224 S. Second St., Medford 54451 1875 Chippewa/Clark/Lincoln/Marathon 1877 1875 1877 1875 1876 1875
G2 Trempealeau 36245 Main St., Whitehall 54773 1854 Buffalo/Chippewa/Jackson/La Crosse (j-La Crosse, 1854) 1845 1856 1847 1855 1855 1855
H3 Vernon Courthouse Annex, 400 W. Decker, Viroqua 54665 1851 (as Bad Axe) Crawford renamed Vernon, 1862 1863 1855 1878 1851 1850 1853
C5 Vilas 330 Court St., Eagle River 54521 1893 Oneida 1889 1893 1889 1893? 1900? 1900?
K7 Walworth 100 W. Walworth, Elkhorn 53121 1836 Milwaukee (c/j-Racine, 1836'38) 1872 1839 1872 1839 1839 1840
C2 Washburn 10 Fourth Ave., Shell Lake 54871 1883 Burnett 1883 1883 1883 1883 1883 1878
J7 Washington 432 E. Washington St., West Bend 53095 1836 Brown/Milwaukee (c/j-Milwaukee, 1836'40;j-Milwaukee, 1840'45) 1859 1846 1873 1835 1845 1855
J7 Waukesha 1320 Pewaukee Rd., Waukesha 53188 1846 Milwaukee 1860 1846 1872 1841 1847 1847
F6 Waupaca 811 Harding St., Waupaca 54981 1851 Brown/Winnebago (j-Winnebago, 1851'53) 1858 1852 1848 1851 1860 1853
G5 Waushara 209 S. Saint Marie St., Wautoma 54982 1851 Marquette (j-Marquette, 1851'52) 1859 1852 1876 1852 1854 1868
G6 Winnebago 415 Jackson St., Oshkosh 54901 1840 Brown/Calumet/Fond du Lac/Marquette (c/j-Brown, 1840'42;j-Brown, 1842'44; Fond du Lac, 1844'47) 1876 1848 1863 1837 1838 1848
F4 Wood 400 Market St./P.O. Box 8095, Wisconsin Rapids 54495 1856 Portage 1871 1867 1872 1836 1858 1872?