McLean County, North Dakota Genealogy

United States North Dakota McLean County

Guide to McLean 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 organized on November 1, 1883. It was named for John A. McLean, a prominent citizen and the first mayor of Bismarck, North Dakota. Washburn is the county seat.

County Courthouse
McLean County Courthouse 712 5th Avenue Washburn, ND 58577 Phone: 701.462.8541 McLean County Website Clerk District Court has marriage records from 1887, burial records from 1920, divorce and court records from 1891 and probate records from 1900; 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

Indian Reservation


 * Fort Berthold (Caros Ventres, Mandan and Arickara tribes)
 * Devils Lake Agency (Sioux tribe)

Biographies

 * McLean County, North Dakota Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to McLean County, North Dakota Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)

State Census Records

 * 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 North Dakota starting in 1910. For links to Federal census indexes, see North Dakota Census.
 * 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 - Index to Federal Census Records, McLean County, North Dakota (images). Scroll down to "Federal Census Records." USGenWeb Archives

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records For more information see North Dakota Land and Property
 * 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

 * McLean County heritage : McLean County, North Dakota. 1978. Washburn, North Dakota : McLean County Historical Society (North Dakota). 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

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

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

Probate Records
''Online Probate Records


 * 1800 – 1985 North Dakota and South Dakota, Wills and Probate Records, 1878-1928 at Ancestry — index and images $

Death
'Online Death Indexes and Records''


 * 1892-present - NDDH Public Death Index, 1892-present at North Dakota Dept. of Health – index only

Societies
McLean County Historical Society PO Box 345 Washburn, ND 58577-0345 Telephone: 701-462-3744 or 701-462-3660 Email:[mailto:vmerkel@westriv.com vmerkel@westriv.com] Website

McLean County Genealogical Society PO Box 99 Garrison, ND 58540-0099 Telephone: 701-463-2834

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * 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.


 * McLean County, North Dakota Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)