Otter Tail County Historical Society, Fergus Falls, Minnesota

Location:  The Otter Tail County Historical Society is located at 1110 West Lincoln, Fergus Falls, Minnesota 56537. 

Hours:  
    Museum hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday
                1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Saturday
                1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Sunday from June to September  
    Research library hours: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday

The Society can be contacted by calling (218)736-6038, by faxing (218)739-3075, by e-mail: otchs@yahoo.com, or by writing the Society at the address above.

Historical Collections at the Society:  The E. T. Barnard Library collects and preserves both manuscript materials and artifacts dealing with the history of the county.  These materials include letters, census records, township records, land records, platbooks, maps, newspapers and photographs.

Recently, the Society has begun compiling materials concerning the rural schools and the churches of Otter Tail County.  These materials, which are being located by the Township Historians organization of the Society, are currently being organized.

Genealogical Materials at the Center:  The Barnard Library’s genealogical materials include both Federal and Minnesota census records for the county newspapers.  Access to county birth and death records can be arranged.  In addition the Library has citizenship records, biography files, and the Alien Registration records of 1918.

Services Offered by the Center:  The Center staff will do research for patrons who submit mail or telephone questions, for a fee of $10.00 per hour (minimum of one hour charged).

For genealogy searches, the Society requires a minimum fee of $20.00 per surname for the search, which includes Courthouse research (birth, death, marriage, and land records). Material can be copied for $0.20 per photocopy, and varying charges for photograph and oral history tapes.  Consult the Society’s web site for a table of charges.

In order to do the best possible job in the search, patrons need to state specifically what information you request. Please give the Society as much background information as possible, including:
        Full Name - include Maiden
        Birth Date - Mo/Day/Yr
        Death Date - Mo/Day/Yr
        Residence - Township & Village

For further information, see the Society’s web site http://www.otchs.org.  

Last modified:  05/04/07
Send comments to: archives@mnstate.edu