TYPES OF FAMILY HISTORY RESOURCES

Health and Welfare Records

Child Welfare
- Child Welfare Survey Cards (Ramsey County only), 1918

Poor Farms
- Search the library catalog by the county you are interested in and the term "poor farm," e.g. Washington County poor farm
  - May include records for both inmates and employees
- A Historical Directory of Minnesota Homes for the Aged may be useful in identifying records of poor farms and municipally-owned nursing homes

Private Hospitals/Facilities
- Abbott-Northwestern Hospital (Minneapolis) records, 1882-1982
- Fairview Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing (Minneapolis) records, 1888-1987
- Maternity hospital registers, 1918-1951, for hospitals in Aitkin, Anoka, Belgrade, Blackduck, Elk River, Ellsworth, Forest Lake, Grandy, Halstad, International Falls, Minneapolis, Pequot Lakes, St. Paul, Sandstone, Sleepy Eye, and Stanchfield
- Babies Home (St. Paul) records, 1890-1900
- Edward F. Waite Neighborhood House (Minneapolis) records, 1922-1962
- Ellsworth Hospital (Nobles County) patient admission registers, 1907-1942
- Luther Hospital (St. Paul) patient admission registers, 1907-1942

Public Hospitals/Facilities
- State Mental Hospitals/Institutions
  - Many of these records may be restricted for 50 years from date of last entry; submit an Application and Use Agreement for Access to Restricted Records on Individuals (pdf) form to use restricted records
  - Listed under each hospital are the records most commonly-used for family history; check the library catalog for other records
  - Anoka State Hospital (opened in 1900)
    - Employees: Monthly Employee Time Records, 1901-1921
    - Employees: Payroll Registers, 1915-1940, of employees
    - Patients: Patient Registers and Indexes, 1894-1923
    - Patients: Population Records, 1900-1972
    - Patients: Record of Operations, 1952-1971
    - Patients: Subject Files, including lists of patients received, 1923-24, 1932-35
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Brainerd State Hospital (opened in 1958)
    - Patients: Death Record, 1958-1994
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Cambridge State Hospital (operated 1925-1997)
    - Employees: Payroll Abstracts, 1925-1933
    - Employees: Photographs, 1926-1984, of staff and residents
    - Patients: Cemetery Records, 1926-1977
    - Patients: Daily Diaries, 1928-1947
    - Patients: Daily Movement of Population Record Book, 1925-1950
    - Patients: Patient Files, 1967-1985
    - Patients: Photographs, 1926-1984, of staff and residents
    - Patients: School Records, 1928-1951
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Faribault State School and Hospital (operated 1879-1998)
    - Employees: Employment Applications, 1881-1912
    - Employees: Payroll Records, 1885-1924, of employees
    - Patients: Admission Records, 1879-1998
    - Patients: Audio-Visual Materials, 1898-1997, including admission portraits, candid snapshots
    - Patients: Birth Registers, 1931-1963
    - Patients: Case Conference Minutes, 1939-1960
    - Patients: Death and Burial Records, 1881-1996
    - Patients: Individual School Records, 1885-1903
    - Patients: Miscellaneous Medical Records, 188?-1949
    - Patients: Miscellaneous Record Book, 1879-1886, including record of admissions
    - Patients: Movement of Population Record, 1886-1888; 1920-1974
    - Patients: Record of Sterilization Cases, 1916-1937
    - Patients: Superintendent's Correspondence, 1879-1953
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Fergus Falls State Hospital (operated 1890-2004)
    - Patients: Admission and Discharge Records, 1890-1951
    - Patients: Casebooks, 1890-1904
    - Patients: Commitment Papers, 1890-1967
    - Patients: Patient Records, 1890-1971
    - Patients: Patient Registers and Indexes, 1898-1924
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Gillette State Hospital for Crippled Children (opened in 1897)
    - Patients: Admission Registers, 1906-1951
    - Patients: Case Files, 1897-1916
    - Patients: Movement of Population Records, 1914-1929
    - Patients: Photographs, ca. 1920-1974
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Hastings State Hospital (operated 1900-1978)
    - Employees: Employee Card Files, 191?-195?
    - Patients: Admission Register, 1966-1978
    - Patients: Casebooks, 1900-1909
    - Patients: Index to Burials in Hospital Cemetery, 1901-1964
    - Patients: Obituary Records, 1900-1977
    - Patients: Patient Card Index, 1900-1978
    - Patients: Patient Record Books, 1900-1962
    - Patients: Patient Registers and Indexes, 1878-1922
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Lake Owasso Children's Home
    - Patients: Population Movement Reports, Dec. 1955-1957
  - Minnesota Security Hospital/Asylum for Dangerous Insane (St. Peter, opened 1907)
    - Patients: Daily Movement of Population Record, May 1911-1912
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Moose Lake State Hospital (1938-1995)
    - Patients: Admission Books, 1938-1971
    - Patients: Patient Records, 1938-1976
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Owatonna State School [for mentally-handicapped children] (operated 1945-1970)
    - There are no records at MHS on individual patients or employees
    - See the Using Owatonna State Public School Records section for information from the state orphanage
  - Rochester State Hospital (operated 1879-1982)
    - Employees: Employment Applications and Correspondence
    - Employees: Payroll Records, 1878-1951, of employees
    - Employees: Supervisor's Record of Male Employees, 1890-1906
    - Patients: Admission and Discharge Records, 1879-1963
    - Patients: Miscellaneous Patient Records, 1879-1955
    - Patients: Movement of Population Records, 1900-1982
    - Patients: Patient Case Books, 1879-1903
    - Patients: Patient Indexes, 1879-ca. 1951
    - Patients: Patient Registers, 1879-1965
    - Patients: Patient Registers and Indexes, 1899-1924
    - Patients: Removal of Body Certificates, 1933-1975
    - Patients: Superintendent's Letters Sent Regarding Patients
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - St. Peter State Hospital (opened in 1866)
    - Employees: Employee Card Files, ca. 1885-1955
    - Employees: Nurse Employment Record Books, 188?-195?
    - Patients: Admission and Discharge Books, 1866-1904
    - Patients: Case Books, 1866-1896
    - Patients: Cemetery Records, 1896-1985
    - Patients: Commitment Papers, 1941-1964
    - Patients: Daily Movement of Population Records, 1876-1913
    - Patients: Patient Registers and Indexes, 1864-1924
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Sandstone State Hospital (operated 1950-1959)
    - Patients: Admission Ledger, 1952-1957 [PALSN=800001818]
    - Patients: Death and Autopsy Record, 1953-1958 [PALSN=800001821]
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Willmar State Hospital (opened in 1912)
    - Patients: Commitment Papers, 1912-1920 [PALSN=900036084]
    - Patients: Index to Burials in Cemetery, ca. 1912-1976
    - Patients: Patient Registers and Indexes, 1887-1924
    - Check the library catalog for other records
- State/County Tubercular Hospitals
  - Many of these records may be restricted for 50 years from date of last entry; submit an Application and Use Agreement for Access to Restricted Records on Individuals (pdf) form to use restricted records
  - Listed under each hospital are the records most commonly-used for family history; check the library catalog for other records
  - Minnesota Sanatorium for Consumptives [popularly known as Ah-Gwah-Ching] (operated 1907-1963)
    - Employees: Miscellaneous Employee Records, 1945-1967
    - Employees: Oral History Interviews, 1970s, with former staff
    - Employees: Payroll Registers, 1907-1908, 1918-1945, of employees
    - Patients: Oral History Interviews, 1970s, with former patients
    - Patients: Patient Index Cards, 1907-1962
    - Patients: Photographs, ca. 1927-1953, including patients, many unidentified
    - Patients: Patient Records, 1908-1975.
    - Patients: Records, 1950-1990, including placement and transfer records, 1962-1975, an admission register for 1971-75, resident injuries and accidents, 1976, mostly unidentified snapshots of patients, 1962-1974, and other records.
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Glen Lake Sanatorium (operated as Hennepin County tuberculosis hospital, 1916-1961, and as Glen Lake Sanatorium, 1961-1991)
    - Employees: Payroll Registers, 1920-1938, of employees
    - Employees: Photographs, ca. 1917-198?
    - Patients: Medical Staff/Administrative Meeting Minutes, including clinical conferences, 1930-1973, on individual patient cases
    - Patients: Medical Summary Cards, 1916-1976
    - Patients: Patient Information Cards, 1916-1991
    - Patients: Patient Records and Registers, 1916-1991
    - Patients: Photographs, ca. 1917-198?
    - Patients: Pupil Index Cards, ca. 1932-1958
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Buena Vista Sanatorium (operated 1917-1955)
    - Employees: Annual Reports, 1918-1954, including lists of staff members
    - Employees: Subject Files, including a 1949 list of staff
    - Patients: Admission Book, 1917-1954
    - Check the library catalog for other records
  - Lake Julia Sanatorium (operated 1916-1948)
    - Patients: Patient Registers, 1916-1948
  - Riverside Sanatorium (operated 1917-1964, and as Riverside Out Patient Clinic, 1964-1973)
    - Patients: Sanatorium Records, including an Admission Book, 1917-1963
  - Nopeming Sanatorium (operated 1912-1971)
    - Employees: Records, including an Employees Register, 1946-1972
    - Patients: Records, including Out-Patients Register, 1936-1969
  - Southwestern Minnesota Sanatorium (operated 1917-1957)
    - Patients: Admission Books, 1917-1957
  - Sunnyrest Sanatorium (operated 1916-1967)
    - Employees: Minutes, 1913-1967, including payrolls of employees
    - Patients: Minutes, 1913-1967, including lists of patients admitted for free care
- State Orphanage
  - Owatonna State Public School