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Minnesota County
McLeod County, Minnesota
Hutchinson and the 1862 Dakota War in McLeod County - from the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 (the six-week war that began on August 17, 1862 when Dakota warriors attacked settlers along the Minnesota River - the deadliest conflict between the US government and a Native nation in Minnesota history - swept through McLeod County, with attacks on Hutchinson and the surrounding farms killing dozens of settlers and displacing thousands - the war ended with the largest mass execution in American history when 38 Dakota men were hanged in Mankato on December 26, 1862) and the German Lutheran immigrant communities that resettled McLeod County after the war.
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Services: The City of Glencoe contracts building permit administration to SAFEbuilt, Inc., (952) 442-7520.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: McLeod County Veterans Services – Glencoe, MN 55336
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Glencoe Public Library – Glencoe, MN 55336 (also serving Hutchinson and other county communities via the regional library system)
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: McLeod County’s largest city, Hutchinson, has a genuinely distinctive founding story: the town was established in November 1855 by the Hutchinson Family Singers – brothers Asa, Judson, and John Hutchinson, a nationally celebrated 19th-century musical group known for singing about abolition, women’s suffrage, and temperance as they toured the country. The brothers chose a site overlooking the Crow River Valley and drew up 13 founding “Articles of Agreement,” which set aside 15 acres for parks (making Hutchinson’s park system the second-oldest in the nation), 5 acres for a church, and land for education, while also declaring that Hutchinson women would have equal rights in the town – a notably progressive stance for the era. During the 1862 Dakota War, Hutchinson repelled an attack from behind its stockade. A 1942 New Deal-era mural, “The Hutchinson Singers” by artist Elsa Jemne, still hangs in the town’s historic post office, and a public square sculpture honors the founding brothers today
Notes: Hutchinson, McLeod County’s largest city, was genuinely founded in 1855 by the famous abolitionist Hutchinson Family Singers, and its progressive founding charter – including equal rights for women and one of the nation’s oldest park systems – is a distinctive piece of Minnesota history.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: McLeod County GIS – accessible via mcleodcountymn.gov
Parcel Search: McLeod County Assessor – McLeod County Government Center, Glencoe, MN 55336
Addressing/911: Coordinated through McLeod County Sheriff’s Office/Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Heart of Minnesota Animal Shelter – Hutchinson, MN 56350
Services: A no-kill shelter serving the McLeod County area, providing veterinary care, housing, and adoption services for stray, owner-surrendered, and abused animals.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – pca.state.mn.us
Notes: McLeod County Environmental Services also administers solid waste and household hazardous waste programs; contact (320) 484-4300 for details.
NOTES
Hutchinson, McLeod County’s largest city, was genuinely founded in 1855 by the famous abolitionist Hutchinson Family Singers, and its progressive founding charter – including equal rights for women and one of the nation’s oldest park systems – is a distinctive piece of Minnesota history. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About McLeod County
McLeod County carries the history of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War – attacks on Hutchinson and surrounding communities during the deadliest conflict between the US and a Native nation in Minnesota defined the county’s early history, and the German Lutheran immigrant farmers who resettled the Crow River valley built the agricultural community that persists today.
Glencoe (the county seat, population ~5,600) and Hutchinson (population ~14,000) serve McLeod County’s agricultural and manufacturing communities.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
McLeod County Assessor at 520 Chandler Avenue N., Glencoe, MN 55336, phone 320-864-1333. MN homestead exclusion reduces taxable market value.
Courts & Legal
McLeod County District Court at 830 11th Street E., Glencoe, MN 55336, phone 320-864-5551, handles probate.
Genealogy
County-level record sources
McLeod County District Court (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated McLeod County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
McLeod County District Court McLeod County Courthouse, 830 11th Street East, Glencoe, MN 55336 (320) 864-5551
McLeod County was founded March 1, 1856, named for Martin McLeod, in south-central Minnesota, seated in Glencoe (though Hutchinson is the largest city).
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Minnesota follows the Uniform Probate Code, which keeps most estates on a streamlined informal track. Minnesota’s small-estate shortcuts are unusual among states in that they can include real property, not just personal property.
Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property (Minn. Stat. § 524.3-1201) – for personal property only. The entire probate estate – including the contents of any safe deposit box, less liens and encumbrances – must be under $75,000. Joint tenancy property and assets that pass by beneficiary designation (life insurance, transfer-on-death accounts) don’t count toward the threshold. A 30-day waiting period applies after death, and no court filing is required – the affidavit is presented directly to the institution holding the property.
Summary Assignment – can include real property, and is court-based. Covers estates up to $75,000, including real property. A certified copy of the court’s Decree of Distribution is filed in the county real estate records to transfer title.
Summary Administration (Minn. Stat. § 524.3-1203) – the higher-threshold real-property option, covering estates up to $150,000, exclusive of the exempt homestead. The homestead itself is excluded from the value calculation entirely for both Summary Assignment and Summary Administration – Minnesota’s homestead exemption protects the family home from most creditor claims and it descends to the surviving spouse free of most claims against the estate. If closing and distribution follow the terms of a will, a formal probate hearing for the will is still required before a summary decree can issue.
STEP 2: FORMAL/INFORMAL PROBATE (for estates above the thresholds)
File with the District Court in the county where the decedent was domiciled; informal probate is available for most estates, with the personal representative appointed by the Registrar and minimal ongoing court interaction.
The personal representative publishes a creditor notice and directly notifies known creditors, opening a 4-month creditor claim period.
Once the creditor period closes and debts are paid, assets can typically be distributed and the estate closed without returning to court, unless there’s a dispute or a beneficiary requests a formal accounting.
Formal probate – requiring a hearing before a judge – is used in more complicated situations, such as will contests or disputes over the personal representative.
THE 3-YEAR DEADLINE – MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN MOST STATES Informal probate is no longer available after 3 years from the date of death, though formal probate may still be possible in limited circumstances.
What it costs
Small estate procedures can move relatively quickly once the 30-day wait passes. Standard informal probate is largely governed by the 4-month creditor period, so most straightforward estates take at least that long to close.
Minnesota has its own state estate tax, but the exemption threshold is relatively high – $3 million – so most Minnesota families aren’t affected. Rates on the amount above the exemption range from 13% to 16%, applied on a graduated scale; the exemption is not portable between spouses. Minnesota has no state inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
801 10th St. E., Glencoe, MN 55336
(320) 864-5581
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
830 11th St. E., Glencoe, MN 55336
(320) 864-1200
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MN DHS — South Central Region
(320) 864-3184
Glencoe Regional Health
grhsonline.com (Glencoe — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: McLeod County Health and Human Services – 520 Chandler Avenue North, Glencoe, MN 55336, (320) 864-3144
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Glencoe
Population: 37,000
Area: 491 sq mi
Established: 1856
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for McLeod County residents.
