Kidder County, North Dakota Genealogy

Guide to Kidder 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 named for Jefferson Parrish Kidder, an 1858 settler in what became southeastern Dakota and who served as a delegate to Congress from Dakota from 1875 to 1879, and as an associate justice of the territorial supreme court during 1865-1875 and 1879-1883. The County is located in the center area of the state.

County Courthouse
Kidder County Courthouse 120 E Broadway PO Box 66 Steele, ND 58582 Phone: 701.475.2651 Kidder County Website Clerk District Court has birth, death and burial records from 1943, divorce and court records from 1885; County Judge has marriage records from 1887 and probate records from 1883; Register of Deeds has land records from 1881

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:

Biographies

 * Kidder 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

Cemeteries

 * 1877-1999 - at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

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 - How to Use this Collection
 * 1850 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1850 Minnesota Territory Census - How to Use this Collection
 * 1860 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1860 Dakota Territory Census - How to Use this Collection
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1870 Dakota Territory Census - How to Use this Collection
 * 1880 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1880 Dakota Territory Census - How to Use this Collection
 * 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.com – ($), index and images
 * 1915 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1925 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection

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, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 - Kidder County Census Records (Genealogy Trails)

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

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

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1800-1953 - at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records For more information see North Dakota Land and Property
 * Index to Kidder County Landowner Records. Scroll down to "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.com] - ($), index and images

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of North Dakota - shows boundary changes for North Dakota Counties
 * North Dakota Maps at NDGenWeb -historical maps
 * Family Maps of Kidder County, North Dakota Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Military Records
Civil War Battles

The following Civil War battles were fought in Kidder County.


 * July 24-25, 1863 = Big Mound
 * July 26, 1863 = Dead Buffalo Lake


 * Map showing Civil War battles in North Dakota.

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
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1883 - List of Pensioners on the Rolls as of Jan 1, 1883, Kidder County. (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1890 - at FamilySearch. - How to Use this Collection

World War I
 * 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, Kidder County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)

World War II For further information see North Dakota Military Records.
 * World War II Army Casualties, Kidder County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * World War II Navy Casualties, Kidder County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1868-1924 - at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1882-1947 - (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1907-1949 - (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * North Dakota Naturalization Records Index at NDSU Archives – index only, covers various dates and counties

Newspapers
North Dakota Newspaper Catalogs
 * State Historical Society of North Dakota - contains inventory and catalog of all known ND newspapers
 * 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

North Dakota Newspapers Online
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some North Dakota newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * GenealogyBank ($)
 * Newspaper Archive ($)
 * Papers from the Past at Community History Archives

Obituaries

 * Kidder County Obituaries and Death Notices from newspapers. (Genealogy Trails)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1878–1928 North Dakota and South Dakota Wills and Probate Records 1878-1928 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)

School Records

 * 1917-1939 - Dawson High School Graduates, 1917-1939 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1922-1945 - Robinson High School Graduates, 1922-1945 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1926-1939 - Tappen High School Graduates, 1926-1939 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1920-1939 - Tuttle High School Graduates, 1920-1939 (Genealogy Trails)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Marriage

 * 1872-1958 - at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * Kidder County Marriage Announcements from newspapers. (Genealogy Trails)

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records
 * 1892-present - NDDH Public Death Index, 1892-present at North Dakota Dept. of Health – index only
 * Kidder County Obituaries and Death Notices from newspapers. (Genealogy Trails)

Museums
Kidder County Museum 103 West Broadway Steele, North Dakota, 58482 701-475-2133

Societies
Kidder County Historical Society & Museum 701-475-2133

Websites

 * Kidder County at Cyndi's List — a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Kidder County at Genealogy Trails — volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Kidder County at North Dakota USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Kidder County at North Dakota USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * Kidder County, North Dakota at Linkpendium - genealogy and family history
 * Kidder County, North Dakota Genealogy at LDSGenealogy.com - collection of links by state, county, city, and record type
 * 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.