I've gotten numerous requests for guidance in researching ancestors in Wabasha County. The following list is where I'd begin my research:
Explore "Resources". In this section you will also find many links to great sites for beginners.
Use ALL types of spellings when you look for records. Many times the spelling changed (Hawley to Holley) or the person writing down the information had trouble deciphering the script. Sometimes names are spelled so "screwy" that your best bet is just to go through the pages. The "s" looks like "f" in some old script, so Smith could look like Fith to a beginning transcriber.
Use the search engine on this website and others to locate surnames.
Post a query on the Wabasha County Message Board. There are additional query boards including Surname Boards -Gen Forum.
Check census records in the county and in surrounding counties. The 1850 census records begin listing all of the family members and where each was born.
Check the Cemetery records. There are quite a few on Wabasha County and there are links to other pages that have more records.
Check funeral home listings. Many times people did not have money to buy a tombstone, but their remains were handled by an undertaker.
Check the Wabasha County library and/or libraries in cities and towns to see if they have any biographical information on the family you are searching for.
Check the birth, death and marriage records. Those may list parents names, etc. Get copies of these records by ordering them from the appropriate source.
Check old newspapers. You may need to write one of the libraries to see if your family member's name is listed in the index. I have some old newspapers online, but not enough of them!
If the ancestor was in the Civil War, order the records! They have a great deal of information in them!
Talk to everyone in your family about what they know about their ancestors, keeping in mind that memories can fade and that some of their information is inaccurate. (Great Grandma was a full-blooded Indian or we came over on the Mayflower are two examples of information that is said over & over that is often found to be untrue.) Write down what you've found out.
Use a genealogy program to organize your information. Cyndi's List has a plethora of resources, including some free genealogy software. This way all of your information is organized and can be emailed to someone easily.