Historical Societies

2010-02-19 11:08:44 By: Anita the Archivist

Olmsted County Historical Society Library
1195 West Circle Dr. SW
Rochester, MN 55902
Phone: (507) 282-9447
Web Address: olmstedhistory.com
Email: ochs@olmstedhistory.com
Hours: Tuesday—Saturday 9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m.

Books & Other Published Materials

Indexed local histories of Olmsted County
Extensive collection of books and periodicals on Minnesota history and the Civil War; complete collection of Minnesota legislative manuals
DAR lineage books
Savage and other genealogical resources
Biographical index to military resources at Olmsted County Historical Society Library

Cemetery Indexes (Olmsted County)

Indexed transcripts from Olmsted, Mower, Wabasha & Winona counties (MN), and some from Dodge, Goodhue, Fillmore, & Houston counties.

Indexed funeral home records from many Olmsted County undertakers and records of one funeral home in Pine Island, Goodhue County; also a scrapbook from Vine Funeral Home in Olmsted County that is indexed.
County Histories & Biographical Sketches
Histories of 40 other Minnesota counties for surrounding counties
Biographical index to military resources at Olmsted County Historical Society Library

Census

Federal Census -- Minnesota, 1850, 1860 (print index), 1870 (print index), 1880 (microfilm Soundex index), 1900 (microfilm Soundex
index), 1910, 1920 (microfilm Soundex index), 1930

State Census -- Minnesota, 1857 (Olmsted County index), 1865, 1875, 1885, 1895, 1905

City & County Directories

Rochester city directories, 1873-1993
Olmsted County directories

Newspapers published in Olmsted County

The newspaper coverage is from 1859-present for the city of Rochester; also have some microfilm of area newspapers: Byron (1868-1970), Chatfield (1857-1902), Dover (1906; 1908; 1941-1945), Elgin (1904-1942), Eyota (1869-1878), Pine Island (1882-1885; 1890-1910), Renville (1917), St. Charles (1867-1874) and Stewartville (1893-1976).

Manuscripts & Public Records Collections

Rochester city clerk's records, 1858-1958
Vertical files, pertaining to Rochester & Olmsted County, containing photographs, family histories, manuscripts, pamphlets, etc.
Wedding scrapbooks, 1934-1959 (indexed)

Church Records
Immanuel Lutheran Church Records (Potsdam, MN) (indexed)

Photographs
Cutshall photography collection [first 40,000 of approximately 65,000 are indexed]
Hoffman photo collection (not indexed)

Probate Records
Indexed probate & guardianship records from Olmsted County, 1864-mid 1950s

War Information
World War II service information sheets for Olmsted County (indexed)
Draft registrations for World War I for Minnesota (whole state)

Newspaper Indexes

Index 1859-1912 of early Rochester newspapers
Biographical index to miscellaneous sources
Obituary index to the Rochester Post-Bulletin, 1979-present

Plat maps and books

Olmsted County, 1877, 1896, 1964, 1973, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1993

Also have some plat maps for surrounding counties and Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of Rochester for 1899, 1904, 1914, 1920, 1928

Vital Records Indexes

City of Rochester birth & death, 1871-1940 (indexed)

Olmsted County
Births, 1871-1930 (indexed)
Marriages, 1856-1955
Deaths, 1871-1997 (missing mid 1992-mid 1994)

Other Minnesota counties include Blue Earth, Carver, Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Jackson, Mower, Nicollet, Pipestone, Rice, Scott, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Winona

Iowa counties include Allamakee, Howard, Mitchell, Winneshiek

Yearbooks

Rochester -- Century High School, 1998-present

Rochester -- Lourdes High School (Catholic), 1946-1994 (some issues missing)

Rochester -- Mayo High School, 1967-present (missing 1987-1988)

Rochester -- Rochester Junior College (later rochester Community College), 1928-1984