Wells County, North Dakota Genealogy

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

Description
Wells County was named after Edward Payson Wells, a Jamestown banker, early promoter of the James River Valley, and member of the legislature in 1881. The county government was organized on August 28, 1884. Its county seat is Fessenden.

County Courthouse
Wells County Courthouse 700 Railway St N PO Box 596 Fessenden, ND 58438 Phone: 701.547.3122 Wells County Website Clerk District Court has birth, marriage, death, burial, divorce probate and court records; Register of Deeds has land records

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

Populated Places
The following are locations in the county

Biographies

 * Index to Wells 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

 * Odessa Digital Library has cemetery transcriptions for cemeteries in Wells County], providing name, date of birth, and date of death where available.

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.com – ($), 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.
 * 1890 Veterans Census, Wells County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1900 Wells County Census Index of Names (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1900 Index of Wells County Census - images. (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1910 Index of Wells County Census - images. (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1920 Index of Wells County Census - images. (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1930 Index of Wells County Census - images. (USGenWeb Archives)

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

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records For more information see North Dakota Land and Property
 * Index to Wells County BLM Land Records by Surname (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 - 1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * '76 thru '66: a pioneer story. 1966. By James D Weckerly. Lake Forest, Minnesota : Forest Lake Printing. Online at: ;.
 * Fessenden diamond jubilee, 1893-1968. 1968. By Fessenden Diamond Jubilee Book Committee. (Fessenden, N.D.): Fessenden Diamond Jubilee Book Committee. Online at: ;.
 * Growing with pride; the Harvey, N.D. area, her history, her people. 1981?. Harvey, North Dakota: Harvey 75th Jubilee Committee. Online at:.
 * The history of Wells County, North Dakota: and its pioneers with a sketch of North Dakota history and the oregin [sic] of the place names. 1929. By Walter Earnest Spokesfield. (S.l.: s.n.) 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.
 * 1890 - Veterans Census, Wells County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * 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, Wells County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * World War II Army Enlistment Records, Wells County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * World War II Army Casualties, Wells County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * World War II Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualties, Wells County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1950-1957 - Korean War Casualties, Wells County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1957-1995 - Vietnam War Casualties, Wells County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization 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

 * Wells County Obituaries and Death Notices (Genealogy Trails)

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

 * Wells 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

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
Bowdon Museum and Library 232 40th Ave. NE Bowdon, ND 58418

Manfred Heritage Museum, Inc. PO Box 321 Harvey, ND 58341-0321 Telephone Number: 701-547-2564 (summer) or 701-324-2027 Website

Societies
Wells County Historical Society 903 4th St. N.E. Fessenden, ND 58438 Telephone: 701-547-3684

Websites

 * Wells County, North Dakota, USGenWeb Project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Wells 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.
 * Wells County, North Dakota Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Wells County Genealogy (LDS Genealogy)
 * Genealogy Trails: Wells County, North Dakota, Genealogy and History