Foster County, North Dakota Genealogy

Guide to Foster 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 George I. Foster. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Foster County Courthouse 1000 5th St North PO Box 257 Carrington, ND 58421 Phone: 701.652.1001 Foster County Website Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1900, marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1884, military and naturalization records from 1900. 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:

Biographies

 * Foster County Biographies (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 - Foster County Census Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

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

Emigration and Immigration

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

Funeral Homes

 * Evans Funeral Home in Carrington

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records For more information see North Dakota Land and Property
 * Foster County BLM Land Records, A-K (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Foster County BLM Land Records, L-Z (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.com - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1863-1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * A History of Foster County, North Dakota. 1983. North Dakota. s.p.;
 * FamilySearch Digital Library

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

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. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1883 - Foster County Pensioners on the Rolls as of January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1890 at FamilySearch. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1917-1918 - North Dakota Military Men 1917-1918 at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1917-1918 - Roster of the men and women who served in the army or naval service (including the Marine Corps) of the United States or its allies from the state of North Dakota in the World War, 1917-1918, Vols. 1-4 at Ancestry.com ($)
 * World War I Casualties, Foster County (Genealogy Trails)
 * World War II Army Casulaties, Foster County (Genealogy Trails)
 * World War II Navy Casualties, Foster County (Genealogy Trails)
 * Korean War Casualties, Foster County (Genealogy Trails)
 * Vietnam War Casualties, Foster County (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1868-1924 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1883-1947 - (*); 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

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

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

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
 * Foster County Marriage Records 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
 * Foster County, ND, City of Carrington - Funeral Home Index, Surnames "A - K" (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Foster County, ND, City of Carrington - Funeral Home Index, Surnames "L - Z" (USGenWeb Archives)

Family History Centers

 * Grand Forks North Dakota Family History Center
 * Minot North Dakota Family History Center


 * Lake Region Public Library - an affiliate library

Museums
Putnam House 533 Main St Carrington, ND 58421 Phone: 701-652-1213 Email: [mailto:info@putnamhouse.org info@putnamhouse.org] Website

Societies
Foster County Historical Society 160 16th Ave S Carrington, ND 58421 701-652-2587 Email to: [mailto:fostercountyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com fostercountyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Facebook James River Genealogy Club 651 4th St Carrington, ND 58421 701-652-2587 Facebook

Websites

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