Chippewa was created in 1845 from Crawford County. The County Seat is Chippewa Falls. The County was named for its principal river, which was given this Indian tribal designation by French voyageurs. The first name applied by the early explorers to this stream was Bon Secours; it likewise occasionally appears on early maps as Bacqueville, possibly in honor of Bacqueville de la Potherie, the Canadian historian. About the middle of the eighteenth century the Chippewa tribesmen began to settle in this region, and founded villages on the headwaters of the stream. Thereafter the river began to be called from the French form of their name, Riviere des Sauteurs. Jonathan Carver applies the term Chippewa to the stream which he ascended in 1766, and appended this name to the map that appeared in the edition of his Travels published in 1778. From thence until the time of American occupation, the river was known by either term -- des Sauteurs or Chippewa. See also County History and County Courthouse for more details.
Counties adjacent to Chippewa County are Rusk County (north), Taylor County (east), Clark County (southeast), Eau Claire County (south), Dunn County (west), Barron County (northwest). Chippewa County Cities Include Bloomer, Chippewa Falls, Cornell, Eau Claire, Stanley. Towns Include Anson, Arthur, Auburn, Birch Creek, Bloomer, Cleveland, Colburn, Cooks Valley, Delmar, Eagle Point, Edson, Estella, Goetz, Hallie, Howard, Lafayette, Lake Holcombe, Ruby, Sampson, Sigel, Tilden, Wheaton, Woodmohr. Villages Include Boyd, Cadott, Lake Hallie, New Auburn
PLEASE READ FIRST!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. Additional info below identify the purposes (C=county purposes; J=judicial purposes), the county or counties to which it was attached, and the dates of that attachment.
All Departments below can be contacted by clicking the link below for each department.NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. Chippewa County was attached to (C/J)Crawford, 1845–51; (C/J)La Crosse, 1851–53. Some early records may be found there.
Chippewa County Register of Deeds Officehas Birth Records from 1858, Marriage Records from 1869, Death Records from 1855 and Land Records from 1854.
In 1848 the Wisconsin Constitution established the Register of Deeds as a permanent element of the County level of governmental structure. The purpose of the Chippewa County Register of Deeds is to provide official record keeping for Records or files land record documents authorized by law, such as deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, certified survey maps, plats and Federal Tax liens. Files and indexes Birth, Death and Marriage records, Military Discharges, and issues certified copies upon request.
Chippewa County Register in Probate Office has Probate Records from 1854. It is the responsibility of the Register in Probate to maintain and update files regarding probate of estates, guardianships, protective placements, adoptions and mental commitments. This is a statutory office with the position of Register in Probate filled by judicial appointment.
Chippewa County Clerk of Court Office has Court Records from 1856. The Clerk of Court is part of the Judicial Branch of local government and as such is required to maintain a record of all documents filed with the courts, keep a record of all court proceedings, and collect various fines and forfeitures ordered by the court and specified by statute.
Below is a list of online resources for Chippewa County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Chippewa County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Wisconsin Land Records: This database contains information on Wisconsin (U.S.A.) land records. The database comes from the Bureau of Land Management's Wisconsin Pre-1908 Homestead and Cash Entry Patent and Cadastral Survey Plat Index. Information recorded in the collection includes patentee name, land office, legal description, etc.
The earliest tax records in Wisconsin appear to be for real estate. Brown County has an extant tax roll for 1824. Tax rolls are kept by the county treasurer for each county. Many of these records have been transferred to the appropriate Area Research Centers.
Below is a list of online resources for Chippewa County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Chippewa County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
Chippewa County Treasurers Office
The County Treasurer's office collects all real estate taxes including postponed and delinquent, all county revenues in addition to the research and issue tax deed applications. Our department is the holder of tax records and assessed values.
Click Here to Search Wisconsin Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Wisconsin Division of Health, Vital Records, 1 West Wilson Street, Rm 158, Madison, WI 53701. Thier mailing address is Wisconsin Vital Records Office, P.O. Box 309, Madison, WI 53701-0309. Telephone: For automated assistance 24 hours a day, please call (608) 266-1371. To contact our service counter during the hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:15 P.M. (C.S.T.), Monday through Friday, please call (608) 266-1373. All fees are not refundable if no record is found. You must enclose a personal check or money order made payable to "Wis. Vital Records". Please do not send cash. Please include a self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope with your request.
They have the following records:
Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates: In Wisconsin, official registration of births, marriages & deaths vary by county, see the table below for the Earliest available records.
Cost: $20.00 is the cost for the search, which includes one copy of the birth, marriage or death certificate, if found. Additional copies of the same record, requested at the same time as the first, are $3.00 each. The cost is the same whether you request a certified or uncertified copy of the birth certificate.
Processing Time: Filled requests take 3-6 months when ordered by mail (Application for Birth, Marriage or Death) or 2-5 Days when you order online.
Divorces: Divorces on availible since Oct 1907.
Cost: $20.00 is the cost for the search, which includes one copy of the divorce certificate, if found. Additional copies of the same record, requested at the same time as the first, are $3.00 each. The cost is the same whether you request a certified or uncertified copy of the birth certificate.
Processing Time: Filled requests take 3-6 months when ordered by mail (Application) or 2-5 Days when you order online.
Order On-Line: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek.
Order In Person: You can apply in person for a copy of a marriage certificate at 1 West Wilson Street, Room 158, in Madison, Wisconsin (driving directions/parking). The office is open from 8:00 A.M. until 4:15 P.M. (C.S.T.), Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. Identification is required to pick up certified copies of vital records in person. The acceptable forms of identification are listed below.
Below is a list of online resources for Chippewa County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Chippewa County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Wisconsin Births, 1820-1907: This database indexes over 985,000 births recorded in the State of Wisconsin, USA, prior to 1907. Information provided in the index includes: name, birth date, country, and source information.
Wisconsin Deaths, 1820-1907: This database indexes over 435,000 deaths recorded in the state of Wisconsin prior to 1907.
Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997: This database is an index to approximately 949,000 marriages that took place in the State of Wisconsin, USA, between 1973 and 1997. Information that may be found in this database includes groom's name, groom's age, groom's residence (county and/or state), bride's name, bride's age, bride's residence (county and/or state), marriage date, marriage county, and marriage certificate number.
Wisconsin Marriages, pre-1907: This index contains over 920,000 individuals married in the State of Wisconsin, USA, prior to 1907. Information that may be found in this database for each individual includes their name, marriage date, county of marriage, and source information.
Click Here to Search Wisconsin Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Below is a list of online resources for Chippewa County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Chippewa County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Wisconsin Census, 1820-90: This database contains indexes to the Wisconsin (U.S.A.) portions of the 1820-1860 U.S. Federal Censuses as well as indexes to the 1836-1838, 1842, 1846, and 1855 State Censuses, the 1840 Pensioners Lists, the 1890 Veterans Schedules, and other early censuses. Information contained in these indexes can include name, state, county, township, year of record, and name of record set.
Wisconsin State Censuses, 1895 and 1905: This database contains an index to the 1895 and 1905 Wisconsin state censuses. Both censuses cover all counties that existed at the time. Information listed includes: name of individual, and place of enumeration. The 1905 census also includes relationship to head of household, race, gender, age, marital status, and birthplace.
Genealogy Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Wisconsin showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Wisconsin showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Chippewa County Maps. Email us with websites containing Chippewa County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Wisconsin Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Chippewa County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Chippewa County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Wisconsin (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Chippewa County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Chippewa County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Cadott Area Historical Society, PO Box 1, Cadott, WI 54727-0001; Phone: 715-289-3336
Chippewa County Genealogical Society, 123 Allen St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729-1920
Chippewa County Historical Society, 123 Allen St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729; Phone: 715-723-4399
Stanley Area Historical Society, 995 N Emery St, Stanley, WI 54768; Phone: 715-644-5880
Area Research Center - University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire, Special Collections Department, William D. McIntyre Library, Eau Claire, WI 54702-5010; Phone: 715/836-2739 Counties covered are Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Eau Claire, Rusk, and Taylor.
Wisconsin Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Wisconsin Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
The Wisconsin Historical Records Survey Project of Madison published the Directory of Churches and Religious Organizations in Wisconsin in 1941 and Guide to Church Vital Statistics Records in Wisconsin in 1942. There are also numerous publications by the project for specific denominations. Extensive microfilm collections of church records in Wisconsin are available through the FHL. The State Historical Society of Wisconsin and Area Research Centers have a variety of church records including microfilm and original records.
Numerous cemeteries have been read and transcribed by local genealogical societies in Wisconsin. The transcriptions are frequently deposited with an Area Research Center, a local library, or the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. A considerable number have been printed in the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society Newsletter. Some have been privately published.
The Wisconsin State Old Cemetery Society, 6100 West Mequon Road,
Mequon, WI 53092, publishes a newsletter and maintains an archive of tombstone inscriptions from around the state. Contact the society for membership information
Below is a list of online resources for Chippewa County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Chippewa County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Wisconsin Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Chippewa County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Chippewa County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Wisconsin Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Wisconsin Genealogy Index. Search more than 150,000 Wisconsin obituaries and biographical sketches published before 1999, as well as 1,000,000 births, 400,000 deaths and 1,000,000 marriages registered before September 1907.
From: Handbook of Wisconsin by S. Silas, 1855;
pg. 52-54
One of the largest counties of the State, extending from the line between towns 24 and 25 north, to the line between 40 and 41, being 91 miles long, and averaging about 66 broad. Not one-half of the County is yet surveyed and brought into market. The County is watered by the Chippewa and Yellow Rivers, and their numerous branches, both large and small. It is, in its full sense, a well watered County. Our further description will apply only to the surveyed or Southern part of the County, which will undoubtedly soon be subdivided into several Smaller Counties.
The soil in the western part of the County is good, and great progress has been made in settlements for agricultural purposes. In the northeastern part, the soil is less valuable for farming purposes, but rich soil for the lumbering business, as it is covered with excellent pine.
Chippewa county contains one of the best and most extensive pineries in the State. There are now in successful operation twelve saw mills on the Chippewa River, capable of cutting 40,000,000 feet of lumber annually. The largest of these mills is located at Chippewa Falls and is commonly known as Allen's Mills; Menomonee, Mills; and at the month of the Eau Galla, is Carson and Eaton's. These mills average about 6,000,000 feet annually, and furnish employment for about 600 men.
The most of the land in the county is still subject to entry. It affords inducements to the immigrant both agricultural and mechanical, as the resources of the county are such as to give permanency to business, and a sure market is always to be found for the products of the forest.
Chippewa Falls, on Chippewa River, is the County seat. It is the principal depot of the lumbering operations on that River, the pines being above this village. Messrs. H. S. Allen & Co. have an extensive sawmill at these falls, sawing daily about 60,000 feet, and giving employment to about 400 men in the business connected with it. A road from Steven's Point to Hudson, passing this place, is soon to be opened.
We are indebted for most to the Hudson Journal, whose assistance we have occasion to acknowledge in another part of this work. Did the papers of other localities take the same pains to give local information as this, the Pinery at Steven's Point, and the Crescent at Appleton, we should possess much more sure and valuable information respecting the resources of our State. Such journals are worth more than the whole cost of publications to the different countries where they are located, and we do not doubt but they have been the direct means of doubting the population, and developing the resources in a corresponding ratio of the counties where they are respectively located.
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