Richland County, North Dakota Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for Morgan T. Rich of Wahpeton. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Richland County Courthouse 418 2nd Ave N PO Box 966; Wahpeton, ND 58075 Phone: 701.642.7818 Richland County Website Clerk District Court has birth and death records from 1900, divorce and court records from 1833 and some burial records. County Judge has marriage records from 1890 and probate records from 1876. 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:

Indian Reservations A portion of the Traverse Indian Reservation is in Richland County. The remainder of the reservation is in Marshall, Roberts, Day, and Codington Counties in South Dakota and in Sargent County in North Dakota.

Biographies

 * Index to Richland County Biographies on North Dakota Genealogy Trails website - alphabetical list of early settlers and prominent individuals from county histories
 * John Pelzl & Rosalia Chepa Family (Richland County, USGenWeb Project)
 * 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

Census Records

 * 1880, 1885 Richland County Mortality Schedules (Genealogy Trails)

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.
 * 1860 Federal Census, Dakota Territory on the Red River (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 Richland County Census Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

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

Directories

 * 1902 Fairmount Medical Directory, 1902, Richland County, North Dakota. (USGenWeb Archives)

Emigration and Immigration

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

Funeral Homes

 * Frank Family Funeral Home in Hankinson and Lidgerwood
 * Index to Richland County Funeral Home Records at USGenWeb Archives
 * Vertin-Munson Funeral and Cremation Service in Wahpeton

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records (Index to Richland County BLM Land Records (USGenWeb Archives) 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
 * 1863 - 1908 U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * Richland County Histories (Genealogy Links)
 * History of Abercrombie Township, Richland County. n.d. By Alma Tweto. n.p.: n.p. Online at: Collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
 * A history of Richland County. 1977. By Vernon E. Hektner. Dallas, Texas : Taylor Publishing Company (TX)..
 * Index of Pages of Family Names & Histories in the Hankinson, North Dakota Centennial Book 1886-1986 (Richland County, North Dakota, USGenWeb Project)
 * Index of Family Names & Histories in Lidgerwood-Today, Yesterday & Tomorrow (Richland County, North Dakota, USGenWeb Project)
 * Index of Family Names & Histories in the History Of Richland County Book, 1886-1986 (Richland County, North Dakota, USGenWeb Project)
 * Index of Pages of Family Names & Histories in the Wyndmere, North Dakota Centennial Book (Richland County, North Dakota, USGenWeb Project)

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
 * 1890 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Partial List of soldiers and others who died at Ft Abercrombie (Genealogy Trails)
 * Citizens Mustered in at Fort Abercrombie (Genealogy Trails)
 * The Northern Rangers: Roster of Captain Ambrose Freeman’s Company of Mounted Men (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1883 Pensioners on the Roll as of January 1, 1883, Richland 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, Richland County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * Congressional Medal of Honor Citation, William J. Frank (Genealogy Trails)
 * World War II Army Casualties, Richland County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * World War II Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Casualties, Richland County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * Korean War Casualties, Richland County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
 * Woodrow W. Keeble: First Sioux to Receive Medal of Honor (Genealogy Trails)
 * Vietnam War Casualties, Richland 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
 * 1880-1948 - (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — general index, images
 * 1880-1954 - (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1885-1954 - (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — general index, images


 * North Dakota Naturalization Records Index at NDSU Archives – index only, covers various dates and counties

Newspapers
Leach Public Library Newspaper Database - contains over 85,000 pages from fifteen newspapers published between 1883 and 1962. Titles include the Richland County Farmer Globe (1927-1962), The Globe Gazette (1907-1921), Richland County Gazette (1883-1902), Richland County Farmer (1919-1935), Wahpeton Globe (1899-1927), The Wahpeton Times (1888-1903), North Dakota Globe (1890-1898), Wahpeton Gazette (1902-1907), and The Medina Citizen (1929-1932).

North Dakota Newspaper Catalogs'

North Dakota Newspapers Online'
 * 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


 * 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

 * Richland County Obituaries and Death Notices, A-L (Genealogy Trails)
 * Richland County Obituaries and Death Notices, M-Z (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Richland County Obits (USGenWeb Project)

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
 * 1872-2017 North Dakota, U.S., Select County Marriage Records, 1872-2017 at Ancestry - index & images, ($)
 * Pre-1925 Richland County Marriages (USGenWeb Project)
 * Richland County Marriage Announcements, Groom Surnames A-L (Genealogy Trails)
 * Richland County Marriage Announcements, Groom Surnames M-Z (Genealogy Trails)

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Detroit Lakes Minnesota FamilySearch Center
 * Fargo North Dakota FamilySearch Center
 * Wahpeton North Dakota FamilySearch Center


 * Lake Agassiz Regional Library - Barnesville Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Lake Agassiz Regional Library - Breckenridge Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Leach Public Library 417 2nd Ave N Wahpeton, ND 58075 701-642-5732 Email: [mailto:leachplib@midconetwork.com leachplib@midconetwork.com] Website Facebook

Museums
Richland County Historical Museum 11 7th Avenue North Wahpeton, ND 58075-3931 701-642-3075 Website

Societies
Richland County Historical Society 11 7th Avenue North Wahpeton ND 58075-3931 701-642-3075 Website

Websites

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