Step-by-Step South Dakota Research, 1850-1905

South Dakota Step-by-step online research 1850--1905 Step-by-step research 1905--present Step-by-step research 1850--1905

A suggested approach to genealogy research in South Dakota online family history records.


 * 6. Military records online.
 * 7. Search census records again.
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 * 8. Immigration and naturalization records online.
 * style="background:Wheat; border:3px solid DarkBlue" | If Your Family Immigrated
 * }
 * 9. Printed local histories or biographies online.
 * 10. Wills and probate.
 * 11. Land records online.
 * 12. Historical or genealogical societies.
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 * '''13. Indian agency records.
 * style="background:Wheat; border:3px solid DarkBlue" | If Your Family Was Native American
 * }
 * }


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Step 1. Find out everything you can from living relatives and their family records:
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues you can gather from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What should you ask?
In order to extend your research on your ancestors, you are looking for names, dates, and places. Everything you learn that tells you about when and where a relative lived is a clue to a new record search. Be sure to ask questions that lead to that information, including about their occupations, military service, or associations with others, such as fraternal organizations. See also:


 * Fifty Questions for Family History Interviews What to Ask the Relatives
 * Genealogy: 150 questions to ask family members about their lives
 * Creating Oral Histories

Family Members Born After 1940
Because the most recent census available was taken in 1940, family documents and the knowledge of living family members play a vital role in identifying these people. Once you have learned names, places of residence, and clues to estimate approximate birth date, the next important step is to send for birth, marriage, and death records for them. Skip to Step 3: Find birth, marriage, and death certificates for your ancestors and their children.

Using the clues to lead to census record searches.
CASE STUDY: Grandpa Kenneth Picotte tells you that he remembers his own grandparents, John and Julia, from South Dakota. He doesn't remember Julia, because he was a toddler when she died, but his grandfather, John, lived to be 84, and died when he was a teenager. You have gathered many records about your father, George Picotte, grandpa Kenneth, and their children. But now you want to learn about the family of your great-grandparents, John and Julia Picotte. A good starting place is to look for them in census records, which were taken every ten years while they were living. You find census records for the John and Julia in the 1930 Census, 1920 Census and 1910 Census, when they are elderly and living with their adult children. But you really want to find their children living with them and, hopefully, them living with their own parents. Therefore, you should start looking in earlier census records--1905, 1900, 1895, 1885, and 1880. Click on the blue links to see what was found on John and Julia in the 1880 and 1900 census records with their sons: Paul, Herbert, John, Thomas, and George. They were also found on Indian census rolls: in 1890 and 1892, showing different sons, Ambrose and Timothy (possibly the same boys using their middle names.)

Step 2: Search the 1900, 1895, 1885, 1880, 1870, 1860, and 1850 census records online.
A census is a count and description of the population of a country, state, county, or city for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day. For each person living in a household you might find (depending on the year) their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military.

To learn more about census records, including search strategies, see United States Census Records for Beginners.

Look at the samples of census records below to become familiar with the types of information found in each.

What types of useful information can I find in them?

 * The 1790--1840 censuses are more limited, naming only the head of household and headcounts. Beginning in 1850, the census records began asking for more information.
 * Notice in the following chart additional information helpful for genealogists added each year.

1900 U.S. Census

 * The 1900 census is particularly helpful because it states month and year of birth, how many children a woman has born, the year of immigration to the U.S., among other things.

South Dakota state census records

 * Here are some samples of typical state census records:

1905 South Dakota State Census

 * Searching the 1905 South Dakota state census will be a slightly different experience because they have an individual card for each person, instead of a list of each person in the household as in the U.S. Federal censuses. Search the indexes name by name for each family member. Once you find one family member in a county, try searching the index by entering only the last name and the county in the search fields. That should return images of cards for every member in the family.

United States Indian Census Rolls

 * This database contains an index to the Indian census rolls from 1885-1940 for those living on Indian Reservations in the United States. *Information contained in this database includes: name (Indian and/or English), gender, age, birth date, relationship to head of family, marital status, tribe name, agency and reservation name
 * Other information about an individual, such as degree of Indian blood, as recorded in the later census years, may be available on the original record.
 * The Indian Census schedules are census rolls usually submitted each year by agents or superintendents in charge of Indian reservations. There is not a census for every reservation or group of Indians for every year. Only persons who maintained a formal affiliation with a tribe under federal supervision are listed on these census rolls.

Census Links to Start Your Own Research in Census Records
Now you will want to find your family members in every possible census, using these convenient links:

'''In steps 3 and 4, we will use what we learned from the census records to help search for birth, marriage, and death records. But first, we will try to gather more clues from several collections of death, obituary, and cemetery records that may give other places their birth and marriage records might be located.'''
 * 1895 state census ($)
 * 1885 territorial census ($)
 * Indian census rolls from 1885-1940 - for those living on Indian Reservations in the United States
 * Note: The 1890 census was destroyed in a fire.
 * You will want to find and keep notes on census records from every census during each ancestor's lifetime.
 * Using the census records, you will be able to estimate approximate birth dates and marriage dates. These records will lead you to additional census searches because you will find the names of other members of the family you will need to find. You may also find clues to other states and countries your family lived in before coming to South Dakota.
 * Indian census rolls from 1885-1940 - for those living on Indian Reservations in the United States
 * Note: The 1890 census was destroyed in a fire.
 * You will want to find and keep notes on census records from every census during each ancestor's lifetime.
 * Using the census records, you will be able to estimate approximate birth dates and marriage dates. These records will lead you to additional census searches because you will find the names of other members of the family you will need to find. You may also find clues to other states and countries your family lived in before coming to South Dakota.
 * You will want to find and keep notes on census records from every census during each ancestor's lifetime.
 * Using the census records, you will be able to estimate approximate birth dates and marriage dates. These records will lead you to additional census searches because you will find the names of other members of the family you will need to find. You may also find clues to other states and countries your family lived in before coming to South Dakota.

U.S. Social Security Death Index
The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962. The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits. The index entries give the person's full birth date, last known residence, and residence at the time they first enrolled. Women are listed under their married name at the time of their death. You can search these records online at. Also at Ancestry.com, ($), index.

The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process, including valuable details such as birth date, birth place, and parents’ names. The deceased would have to be at least 75 years old today for their parents' names to be published in the index. You will not find everybody who is listed in the SSDI, as criteria for inclusion differs.

If you find your ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed, the date and place of birth, currenr residence and employer.

Obituaries and cemeteries

 * Frequently, a death is announced in the newspaper with an obituary.
 * These obituaries may supply missing birth or death dates and name the parents of the deceased.
 * Obituaries may also name family members, their spouses, their current residences, and whether they died before the person or are still surviving, especially in obituaries written in the last half of the 20th Century.
 * Try these South Dakota links:


 * Ancestor Hunt South Dakota Obituaries
 * South Dakota Obituaries Help. Click here to see an example. In this site, you will select a newspaper, then select the "Obituaries" link at that newspaper. Sometimes there is a required subscription fee.
 * ObituaryLinks South Dakota, index. This site gives lots of death record "how-to" advice before you come to obituary links. Scroll down quite a way to find the obituary links. Click here to see at example.

Cemeteries

 * Cemetery records may only give the names and dates stated on the tombstone, but as in the case of FindAGrave, sometimes pictures of the deceased and their tombstone, children's or parents' names and links to their graves, and marriage information have been added. Always verify information added by others.
 * Frequently family members are buried in the same cemetery often in neighboring plots.
 * Try these South Dakota links:


 * NOTE: Each database covers different cemeteries, although some may overlap. Don't be discouraged if you do not locate your individual in the first database. Check each collection.


 * South Dakota Cemetery Record Search.
 * South Dakota Cemetery Records at Interment.net. Click here to see an example.
 * Findagrave.com South Dakota Cemetery Records. Click here to see an example.
 * Billiongraves.com South Dakota Cemeteries.
 * USGenWeb South Dakota Tombstone Transcription Project. Click here to see an example.
 * I Dream of Genealogy South Dakota Cemeteries

Here are John and Julia Picotte's online cemetery records from FindAGrave. Notice that here we find Julia's maiden name, a vital clue. Also, we find that her father was Andrew Drips, and the names of her sisters. There are additional links to many other family members on these records. All of these clues should be verified by doing more research:

Step 4: Search delayed birth certificates and county birth and marriage records online.
States, counties, or even towns in some states recorded births, marriages, and deaths. You have probably seen these types of certificates and have your own. In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations. A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.

Vital records registration of births and marriages at the state level started in 1905. Prior to that the individual counties kept the records. The starting dates of those records vary from county to county, depending on when the county was formed. The state also invited citizens born before 1905 to file delayed birth records. All of these records were collected by the state. They may be found in the 

Samples of index entries
Notice that although this is a 1911 delayed birth record, it tells us that Paul Picotte, son of John and Julia, married Anna Archambeau. Records of close relatives should be looked for to help verify information that may not be on your direct-line ancestor's records:

Records at the County Courthouse
From the date of the formation of a county until the establishment of state civil registration, birth and marriage records were kept by the County Clerk. They may have been microfilmed, or you can write for them. It is appropriate to write asking for either a single record or for a list of all the marriages for a given surname. This Letter Writing Guide will help you with phrasing a letter. This online directory by Genealogy Inc. will give you the address of the County Clerk. Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the "Courthouse and Government Records" to find the address and phone number. If you are at the main Family History Library, check first to see if microfilms of the county vital records are available. In the search field of the FamilySearch Catalog, enter the state and county. Then click on the "Vital Records" subject. The cost of renting the microfilms at a Family History Center probably makes it less expensive to just write to the County Clerk.

Birth records lead to other searches

 * If a birth record gave you parents names you did not have before, you can return to the census records again and search for additional family members.
 * Search the birth index again using only the surname and the parents' names to find other additional children.
 * If the records start early enough, try searching for the parents as children in the birth index.
 * With the additional family names discovered, look for marriage records for the parents and their children.

Step 5: If your ancestors were German, search Germans from Russia collections online.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there was a mass migration from German colonies in the Black Sea region of Russia to the state of South Dakota. Most individuals of German descent in South Dakota were Black Sea Germans from Russia. You can search a fairly complete collection of the parish registers of German churches in South Dakota at the Odessa3 website of the Germans from Russia Society for births, marriages, and deaths. Click here to see a sample of the records.

Step 6: Search military records: World War I and II draft cards and Civil War pension records online.

 * There are many different types of military records, some covered in online collections, some microfilmed, and some requiring you to order them from government repositories with a fee. For more information, read the U.S. Military Records Class Handout. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information.

World War 1 Draft Registration

 * One of the most helpful military records is the draft registration of 1917-1918. During three separate registrations, men born between 1873-1897 were required to register in the draft for World War I. Cards may give birth date, birth place, residence, occupation, employer, physical description, next of kin (usually the wife or mother), and number of dependents. Search for your male relatives born in this time period at.

World War II Draft Registration
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Civil War Pensions

 * Pensions were given to Union Civil War soldiers who sustained war-related disabilities from the Federal Government.
 * There are several Civil War pension indexes online:
 * at FamilySearch
 * General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, Civil War at Ancestry - $
 * Civil War Pensions Index at Fold3 - $


 * This collection indexes approved pension case files of widows and other dependents of soldiers submitted between 1861 and 1934 and sailors between 1910 and 1934. The pension files are being uploaded and attached to this index as they become available. If the pension images are not available, they must be obtained from the National Archives. The wife's maiden name is used in the index along with her married name.





This collection consists of two card indexes to widows who had applied for a pension renewal. The first covers service between 1812-1860 and the second covers service in the Civil War and later. This is helpful in locating a woman in census and death records under her new surname.



Pension Records for Other Wars

 * This record might help by naming a wife or widow of a Revolutionary War veteran who settled in South Dakota: Index


 * This record gives name, rank, regiment, company commander, regimental commander, height, weight, color of eyes, hair, complexion, age, occupation, county or state of birth, date and place of enlistment, miscellaneous remarks. Additional records include Indian Scouts, 1878-1914: Index and images.


 * These records might help by naming a wife or widow of a veteran who settled in South Dakota:
 * Index Only.
 * Index only.
 * Index only.
 * For a more complete list of available online military records and indexes, see United States Online Military Records.

Step 7: Use the clues you have gathered to search in earlier censuses than before.
Now you will use the clues you have gathered from the more recent census records, cemeteries and obituaries, and birth, marriage, and death records to search even earlier census records. Searching additional census records may give clues that take you back to birth, marriage, and death records. You will probably go back and forth between all these record groups again and again.


 * Now we will look at even earlier censuses to see if we can find John Picotte living with his parents in the 1860 and the 1870 census, thus identifying the next generation back. These links show a child, John, living with his father, Paul Picotte, who was born in Canada. Checking back with the 1880 census, we verify that John said his father was born in Canada.  Since John named his first son Paul, and this Paul Picotte dies in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, the indirect evidence strongly shows that this is most likely John's father.  Further records for him might be found in Canadian records.

Here is a simple pedigree showing what we have discovered so far: Here are some sample research projects you could continue with: Again, here are the links to these earlier census records:
 * Our other reason for returning to census searches is that we have a new family to look for: Andrew Drips, the father of Julia Drips Picotte, with her sisters: Mary Jane and Catherine. In 1860, we find Julia, Jackson, and Thomas Drips as young children, living in Missouri with their sister, Catherine Mulkey (helpfully identified in julia's Find A Grave record. Otherwise we might have doubted this connection.) These clues then lead us to Missouri searches for Andrew Dripps in the 1850 census and his Find A Grave record.
 * Continue looking up all the children of each couple in the birth, marriage, death, Social Security, cemetery, and military collections until you have complete information on each of them.

Step 8: If your ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that your ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in that country. The next goal is to search immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records. Immigration refers to people coming into a country, such as the United States, and emigration refers to people leaving a country to go to another. Usually these records are passenger lists of the ships they sailed on. A typical record will show name, age, and country of origin, but records after 1892 often list the actual town of last residence and later, the town of birth. The later passenger lists can also list the next of kin still living in the old country and their residence, and the names of relatives and the place they are traveling to.

Census clues to Immigration records
Census records can provide important clues about nationality and immigration. This chart lists data that can be found in each of the census records. Gather the information in the census records specifically about immigration, as it will help narrow down your search.

Immigration records
There are too many immigration records to list here. Click here to see a complete list of available immigration records online. Notice that they are listed by state, but under the letter "U" there is a long list of records that cover all of the United States. Unless family information tells you the port where family arrived, you will need to search all of the United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records for the time period when your ancestors arrived.

In this example of a passenger list, you see at #22, the family of Eduard Hepper of Gross Liebenthal travelling to Java, South Daokta.

Naturalization (Citizenship) Records
Naturalization is the process of becoming a citizen. Records can include the immigrant's declaration of intent to become a citizen, petition, and final citizenship papers. Also locate both the declaration of intent and the petition. Naturalization records after 1906 can give birth date and place, spouse's name, marriage date and place, and lists of children with their birth dates. Records before 1906 usually include less information although, some county clerks would add more information then necessary making it important to always search for the records even if the naturalization happened before 1906. For more information regarding the naturalization process go to: Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records wiki page. Click here to view examples of declaration of intent records and the information they give.

South Dakota naturalization records are organized by county. Look for them in any county where the person lived, unless the census tells you the year they were naturalized and they lived in a different county.

South Dakota Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

 * South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:First Papers.
 * South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:Second Papers.
 * Name Index to Naturalization Records from Dakota Territory and South Dakota, at National Archives, Kansas City
 * Name Index to Naturalization Records from Dakota Territory and South Dakota, at National Archives, Kansas City

Local histories

 * Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families. They describe the settlement of the area and the founding of churches, schools, and businesses.


 * The authors usually invited the residents of the county to submit their personal family histories, in order to create an automatic market for the book. County residents whose families were in the book were sure to buy a copy.


 * Histories can also give lists of pioneers, soldiers, and civil officials.


 * Even if your ancestor's name is not listed, information about other relatives may be included that may provide important clues for locating your ancestor.


 * Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories:
 * Hathi Trust Digital Library. Don't use the keywords South Dakota; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
 * Google Books. Use keywords "South Dakota" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
 * Family History Books
 * Internet Archive.Use keywords "South Dakota" and the county name.
 * Genealogy Book Links, South Dakota. Browse list; county histories are interspersed.
 * Ancestry.com, ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use South Dakota and the name of the county.


 * Local histories are extensively collected by the Family History Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. If you have access to the Family History Library or a family history center, you can find out about local histories the library has by checking the FamilySearch Catalog. In the "place" field, type the name of your county and select it from the drop down list, then click "Search". A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, and History - Indexes.


 * Also, in Step 12, you will be contacting a county history society. Societies often have a good selection of printed histories about the area. Some may be search history for you for a fee.

Biographies
These collections of South Dakota biographies can be searched online. Most have a table of contents and an index. Or you can use the "Find" function on your computer.


 * SDGenWeb Biographies Includes biographies from History of South Dakota.
 * Biographical Index of South Dakotans.
 * Doane Robinson's encyclopedia of South Dakota, ($), index/images
 * History of South Dakota / by Doane Robinson, together with personal mention of citizens of South Dakota. v. 1, Vol. 2
 * Biographies from the Memorial and Biographical Record
 * Memorial and biographical record; ... including biographical sketches of...prominent old settlers and representative citizens of South Dakota....
 * History of Dakota Territory: South Dakota; its history and its people Vol.1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4, Vol. 5
 * History of southeastern Dakota, ....biographical sketches of the pioneers and business men,...
 * Warner's history of Dakota County, Nebraska, from the days of the pioneers and first settlers to the present time, with biographical sketches, and anecdotes of ye olden times

Step 10: Write to a county for wills and probate indexes.

 * "Probate is the legal process through which an individual’s real estate (property) and personal estate (possessions) are distributed to his or her heirs, whether or not there is a will. Testate is the term used when a will existed in the settling of the estate. Intestate is the term used when there was no will written and the court decides how the estate is to be distributed.


 * "Not everyone in the United States wrote a will or went through probate. Nearly 10% of the pre-1900 adult population made wills, usually males with property. Before 1900, about 25% of estates were probated, even though no will had been written. However, this percentage is higher for rural areas because that is where the land was owned.


 * "The single most important value of probate records is the proof of relationships. In a will, people are identified as a wife, son, daughter, nephew, niece, brother, sister, etc. If there is no will, the distribution is made by the court to the heirs who are usually family members. Other helpful and interesting information that may be learned from probate files are: date and place of death, name of the spouse and other possible family members and relationships, location of the heirs, property ownership, and guardianship of minor children." Jill Shoemaker, U.S. Probate Records Class Handout

County probate records

 * South Dakota probate records include probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration. In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet. Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.


 * Currently, these counties are microfilmed and digitized:


 * . Also at Ancestry.com ($).
 * . Also at Ancestry.com ($)
 * South Dakota, Marshall County Probate Records, ($).


 * Eventually more of these records will become available online.
 * Watch FamilySearch Historical Records--South Dakota for updates on their collection.
 * Watch Ancestry.com--North Dakota and South Dakota, Wills and Probate Records, 1800-1985 which has begun posting a new collection of probate records "brought together from multiple courthouses over time to give you a single source to search." (Ancestry.com)


 * In the meantime, this online directory by Genealogy Inc. will enable you to arrange to have them searched for a fee: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the Courthouse and Government Records to find the address and phone number of the County Clerk of Court. Ask them about the years covered by their probate records and their procedure and fees for ordering copies probate packets. When you write, always ask for the full probate packet, not just the will or administration.

Territorial probate records

 * Prior to statehood, probate records were kept by the Territorial Probate Court. Contact the Archives Division of the South Dakota Historical Society for copies of territorial probate records.

Step 11: Search land records online.

 * These records will give the name of the owner, the date they obtained the land, the county, and the exact location of the land. They can contain clues to family members who shared ownership of the land, sold or gave land to a child, or witnessed the sale. Sometimes they show the previous or new residence of the parties to the deed. They can be useful in tracking an ancestor who lived in more than one county in South Dakota. With the additional county name where the family lived, the probate and vital records of that county can then be searched.
 * Bureau of Land Management Land Patents
 * South Dakota Land Patents Database.
 * South Dakota BLM Database
 * U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918

A search of the county land ownership maps shows East Goose Lake Township. Below is a blow-up of the section showing the Picotte lands.:


 * A search of the Bureau of Land Management records gives results like this: [[Image:BLM search results.png|thumb|800px|center]]

Step 12: Contact a county historical or genealogical society.
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Step 13: If your family was Native American, search Indian agency records online.

 * If your ancestor was Native American, there are Indian Agency birth records and marriage records and death records. Click on each type of record in the previous sentence for numbers of microfilm records which can be searched at the Family History Library or your local family history center.

After online research, search the collection at the Family History Library or a Family History Center.

 * Search the catalog of the FamilySearch collection.


 * Records are catalogued by location. Do these three searches for each place: South Dakota; the county (or counties) where your ancestors lived; and the town (or towns) where they lived.

Although FamilySearch is actively working to microfilm and preserve records throughout the world, this huge job is nowhere near complete. We have tried in the Wiki to provide information about collections, books, and records held in government and ecclesiastical archives beyond the Family History Library records. In South Dakota, United States Genealogy, you can find links to these records and how to access them. Also here you will find information on records from your particular South Dakota county of interest.