Benson County, North Dakota Genealogy

United States North Dakota Benson County

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

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Description
The county was created by the 1879 territorial legislature and named for B.W. Benson, a member of the Dakota Territory legislature at the time. The county government was first organized on June 4, 1884 The county seat is Minnewauka

The Devils Lake Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs was formed in 1871 and was located in North Dakota. It served the Sisseton, Wahpeton, and Cut Head (Pabaska) Sioux living on the Devils Lake Reservation in Dakota Territory. Beginning in 1884, it also served the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians. In 1906 it became known as the Fort Totten Agency. Agents and Appointment Dates: William H. Forbes, January 23, 1871; Paul Beckwith, August 7, 1875, and James McLaughlin, June 8, 1876

County Courthouse
Benson County Courthouse 311 B Ave Street Minnewaukan, ND 58351 Phone: 701.473.5345 Benson County Courthouse Clerk District Court has birth records from late 1890’s, marriage records from late 1800’s, divorce, probate and court records from 1895 and burial records from 1900; Register of Deeds has land records

Benson County, North Dakota Record Dates

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 * width="84%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" colspan="7" | Beginning Dates for Major County Records
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Birth*
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Marriage
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Death*
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Court
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Land
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Probate
 * width="12%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Census
 * width="12%" align="center" |1903
 * width="12%" align="center" |1885
 * width="12%" align="center" |1903
 * width="12%" align="center" |1883
 * width="12%" align="center" |1883
 * width="12%" align="center" |1883
 * width="12%" align="center" |1890
 * colspan="7"|
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 * width="12%" align="center" |1890
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Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes
1883--Benson County was created 9 March 1883 from DeSmet and Ramsey Counties. County seat: Minnewaukan
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of North Dakota - shows boundary changes for North Dakota Counties
 * North Dakota Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Populated Places

 * Fort Totten
 * Oberon

Indian Reservations Spirit Lake Reservation is located primarily in Benson County, with a portion in Eddy County. Historically it was also known as Devils Lake Reservation, and sometimes incorrectly referred to as Fort Totten Reservation.


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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.

Church Records
Lutheran


 * Records of Flora Lutheran Church 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
 * 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

 * Knox area history. 1977. Newgard, Thomas Phillip. Self Published. ;.

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 [http://familysearch.org/search 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 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Death

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

Museums
Fort Totten State Historic Site PO Box 224 Fort Totten, ND 58335 Phone:701-766-4441 Website

Lake Region Pioneer Daughters Museum at Fort Totten State Historic Site c/o Bonnie McNaughton 817 7th St. NE Devils Lake, ND 58301-2634 Phone: 701-662-7345

Societies
Brenorsome Historical Society c/o Louis Garcia PO Box 232 Tokio, ND 58379 Telephone: 701-294-3351

Minnewaukan Historical Society c/o Richard Peterson PO Box 183 Minnewaukan, ND 58351-0183 Telephone: 701-473-5436

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