State Archives Collection

The function of the North Dakota State Archives is to identify, collect, and preserve the historically valuable records of state and local government. Government records of the territorial, state, and political subdivisions date from pre-statehood to the present day and come from the Executive, Legislative, and the Judicial Branch. Some local government records may also date prior to statehood. Local government records include material from North Dakota counties, cities, school districts, courts, and township government organizations. A percentage of government records (including permanent records ) are important for research, reference, or other use appropriate to document the organization, function, policies, and transactions of government and must be transferred to the state archivist for preservation as archival resources. The records are usually arranged by same topic, function, or activity. Presently the State Archives has over 3,000 record series varying in size and form. The basic descriptive unit is the record series and may include correspondence, reports, minutes, memoranda, published records, maps, photographs, architectural drawings, microfilm, sound recordings, ephemera, film, and videotapes. After transfer to the archives, each series is assigned a permanent number. State government series start with the number three [3] and local government records are assigned number four [4]. This number is followed by the series title, dates, volume of records, and a brief description. Over two thirds of the state record series are cataloged on ODIN and both the state and local government guides are scheduled for update.

Records of the Dakota Territory and state of North Dakota are available for use in the State Archives and Historical Research Library Division of the State Historical Society of North Dakota, North Dakota Heritage Center. Inquiries should be directed to:

State Archives and Historical Research Library
State Historical Society of North Dakota
North Dakota Heritage Center
612 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck ND 58505

You can use historical records to:

• prove ownership of property
• establish eligibility for retirement or veterans' benefits
• uncover your family history
• renovate a historic neighborhood
• hold elected officials accountable to the public
• write a historical drama
• give kids a vivid, first-hand look at their past
• conduct scholarly research
• explore the social and economic trends of your county
• discover the origins of local ethnic customs
• protect archaeological sites.
  " Council of State Historical Records Coordinators, April 1993"

Copyright ©1999-2002 State Historical Society of North Dakota. You are free to use information from these pages for any non-commercial purpose. Any use of this information should credit the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Photographs shown on the State Historical Society of North Dakota's web site are taken from the collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota and may not be included in any publication, printed or online, without the written permission of the Society.