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Minnesota County
Murray County, Minnesota
Lake Shetek and the 1862 Dakota War's southwest Minnesota tragedy - from the Lake Shetek Massacre of 1862 (the August 20, 1862 Dakota attacks on the Lake Shetek settler community in Murray County - killing 15 settlers and taking women and children captive - was one of the most devastating incidents of the U.S.-Dakota War on the southwest Minnesota frontier, and the Lake Shetek monument preserves the memory of the settlers who died during the conflict) and Lake Shetek State Park (the largest lake in southwest Minnesota, whose prairie and wetland setting provides rare lake recreation in the otherwise dry Coteau des Prairies landscape).
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Office: Murray County Emergency Management – 2848 Broadway Avenue, PO Box 57, Slayton, MN 56172, (507) 836-1111
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US Highway 59 and Minnesota Highway 30 serve Slayton, the county seat, in southwestern Minnesota
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Murray County Sheriff’s Office (permits) – Murray County Courts Building, 2558 29th Street, PO Box 57, Slayton, MN 56172, (507) 836-6168 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
Services: The City of Slayton issues its own zoning permits within city limits via City Hall, 2424 26th Street; the Slayton Planning & Zoning Commission meets the second Tuesday of each month.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Murray County Veterans Services – Slayton, MN 56172
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Slayton Public Library (Plum Creek Library System) – 2451 Broadway Avenue, Slayton, MN 56172
Services: Organized in 1940 by the Monday Study Club; a second branch, the Fulda Library, also serves the county through the same nine-county Plum Creek Library System.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Murray County is genuinely home to Lake Shetek, the largest lake in all of southwestern Minnesota at roughly 3,600 acres, and the headwaters of the Des Moines River. Its name comes from the Ojibwe word for “pelican,” a bird still commonly seen gliding over the water in summer. Lake Shetek State Park, established in 1937 by the WPA and occupying about 1,109 acres along the lake’s eastern shore, offers 14 miles of hiking trails, a causeway to Loon Island bird sanctuary, and strong walleye, northern, and crappie fishing. The park also preserves a genuine and difficult piece of Minnesota history: the Koch Cabin, the oldest standing building in Murray County, sits near the site of an August 20, 1862 attack during the U.S.-Dakota War, in which Dakota soldiers – reacting to the U.S. government’s failure to honor prior land treaties – attacked the small Shetek settlement
Notes: Murray County’s Lake Shetek is genuinely southwestern Minnesota’s largest lake, and Lake Shetek State Park preserves both natural recreation and a documented, difficult chapter of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Murray County GIS – accessible via murraycountymn.com
Parcel Search: Murray County Auditor – 2500 28th Street, PO Box 57, Slayton, MN 56172, (507) 836-6148
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Murray County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: No dedicated Murray County, Minnesota animal shelter could be confirmed as of this writing; residents seeking animal welfare services are encouraged to contact the Murray County Sheriff’s Office at (507) 836-6168 for current referral information.
Services: N/A
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency – pca.state.mn.us
Notes: Contact your specific municipality directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Murray County’s Lake Shetek is genuinely southwestern Minnesota’s largest lake, and Lake Shetek State Park preserves both natural recreation and a documented, difficult chapter of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War. No dedicated local animal shelter could be confirmed for this county as of this writing; this should be flagged for follow-up rather than filled with an inaccurate placeholder. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and government pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Murray County
Murray County is Lake Shetek country – the largest lake in southwest Minnesota is surrounded by the prairie and wetland landscape where the 1862 Dakota War’s Lake Shetek Massacre killed 15 settlers in one of the most tragic frontier incidents of the conflict.
Slayton (the county seat, population ~2,000) serves Murray County’s grain and livestock farming communities in the southwest Minnesota Coteau.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Murray County Assessor at 2500 28th Street, Slayton, MN 56172, phone 507-836-6163. MN homestead exclusion reduces taxable market value.
Courts & Legal
Murray County District Court at 2500 28th Street, Slayton, MN 56172, phone 507-836-6114, handles probate.
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Murray County District Court (probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Murray 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
Murray County District Court Murray County Courthouse, 2500 28th Street (P.O. Box 57), Slayton, MN 56172 (507) 873-7001 Murray County is in southwestern Minnesota, seated in Slayton.
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
2500 28th St., Slayton, MN 56172
(507) 836-6100
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
2500 28th St., Slayton, MN 56172
(507) 836-6148
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Office: Southwest Health and Human Services (Murray County) – Murray County Human Services Building, 3001 Maple Road, Suite 100, Slayton, MN 56172, (507) 836-6144 or toll-free (800) 657-3811 | Hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM–4:30 PM
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Slayton
Population: 8,500
Area: 705 sq mi
Established: 1872
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
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