Mountrail County, North Dakota Genealogy

Guide to Mountrail County, North Dakota ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The county was originally created as Mountraille County in 1873. It was re-created and organized in 1909. Its county seat is Stanley. The County is located in northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Mountrail County Courthouse PO Box 69 Stanley, ND 58784-0069 Phone: 701.628.2915 Mountrail County Website Clerk District Court has birth, marriage, death, divorce, probate, court and naturalization records from 1909, military discharge records from 1919 and incomplete burial records; Register of Deeds has land records

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Indian Reservation

A portion of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is located in Mountrail County. The remainder of the reservation is in McKenzie, Dunn, Mercer, and Ward Counties.

Biographies

 * Mountrail County Biographies on North Dakota Genealogy Trails website - alphabetical list of early settlers and prominent individuals from county histories
 * North Dakota Biography Index at North Dakota State University Archives - Index only; gives references to publications containing information on North Dakotans, living and deceased

Territory and State Census Records

 * 1836 - 1836 Wisconsin Territory Census – index only; North Dakota was included in the 1836 Wisconsin Territory Census
 * 1840 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1840 Iowa Territory Census
 * 1850 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1850 Minnesota Territory Census
 * 1860 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1860 Dakota Territory Census
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1870 Dakota Territory Census
 * 1880 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1880 Dakota Territory Census
 * 1885 Dakota Territory 1885 Census Index at NDSU Archives – index only
 * 1885, 1915, 1925 North Dakota, Territorial and State Censuses, 1885, 1915, 1925 at Ancestry – ($), index and images
 * 1915 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
 * 1925 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for the state of North Dakota starting in 1890, although no records survived. The 1900 Census is the next Federal Census available. For links to Federal census indexes, see North Dakota Census.
 * 1880, 1910, 1920, 1930 - Mountrail County Census Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Church Records
Online Church Records Lutheran Church
 * 1875-1940 - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county

Directories

 * 1909 - Mountrail County Attorneys from the North Dakota Blue Book, North Dakota Department of State. (USGenWeb Archives)

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records For more information see North Dakota Land and Property
 * Index to Mountrail County BLM Landowner Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796-1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1861-1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1908 at Ancestry - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * Burke County and White Earth Valley historical society, 1971. 1972. Bismarck, North Dakota] : Quality Printing Service. Online at:;.
 * Tales of mighty Mountrail : a history of Mountrail County, North Dakota. 1979. By Mountrail County Historical Society Publication Committee. Dallas, Texas : Taylor Publishing Co. Online at: ;.
 * When the trail was new in Mountraille. 1956. By Lutie Taylor Breeling. Ross, North Dakota : L. T. Breeling. Online at:;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of North Dakota - shows boundary changes for North Dakota Counties
 * North Dakota Maps at NDGenWeb -historical maps

Online Collections
These collections are unique to North Dakota. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and North Dakota Military Records.

Civil War World War I World War II Korean War Vietnam War For further information see North Dakota Military Records.
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch.
 * 1890 - at FamilySearch.
 * 1917-1918 - North Dakota Military Men 1917-1918 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1917-1918 - Roster of the men and women who served in the army or naval service (including the Marine Corps) of the United States or its allies from the state of North Dakota in the World War, 1917-1918, Vols. 1-4 at Ancestry ($)
 * World War I Casualties, Mountrail County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * World War II Army Casualties, Mountrail County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * World War II Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Casualties, Mountrail County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * Korean War Casualties, Mountrail County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * Vietnam War Casualties, Mountrail County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Territory and State Census Indexes and Records
 * North Dakota Naturalization Records Index at NDSU Archives – index only, covers various dates and counties

Newspapers
 North Dakota Newspapers Online North Dakota Newspaper Catalogs
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of North Dakota newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of North Dakota newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some North Dakota newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper
 * State Historical Society of North Dakota - contains inventory and catalog of all known ND newspapers

Obituaries

 * Mountrail County Obituaries and Death Notices (Genealogy Trails)

Other Records

 * Muslim Cemetery at Ross

Probate Records
Online Probate Records


 * 1800 – 1985 North Dakota and South Dakota Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Marriage

 * 1872-1958 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Mountrail County Marriage Announcements (Genealogy Trails)

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records
 * 1892-present - NDDH Public Death Index, 1892-present at North Dakota Dept. of Health – index only
 * Mountrail County Obituaries and Death Notices (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Mountrail County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives]

Archives
North Dakota State University Archives West Building 3551 7th Avenue N Fargo, ND 58102 Mailing Address: NDSU Archives Libraries NDSU Dept #2080 PO Box 6050 Fargo, ND 58108-6050 Phone: 701-231-8914 Fax: 701-231-5632 Email: [mailto:ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu] Website

Museums
Plaza Community Museum PO Box 65 Plaza, ND 58771 Phone: 701-497-3454

Three Affiliated Tribes Museum PO Box 147 New Town, ND 58763 Phone: 701-627-4477

Societies
Mountrail County Historical Society PO Box 582 Stanley, ND 58784 Telephone: 701-628-2772 Facebook

New Town Historical Society PO Box 342 New Town, ND 58763-0342 Telephone: 701-627-3518

Websites

 * Mountrail County, North Dakota, USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Mountrail County, North Dakota, USGenWeb Archives
 * The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
 * Mountrail County, North Dakota Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Mountrail County Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * Mountrail County, North Dakota Genealogy and History (Genealogy Trails)