North Dakota is another state where many counties had no written history for many years. A number of the counties that show NONE in this list, have published county histories from the time of the U.S. Bicentennial and later, but are still under copyright.
FAQ
1. While every county in the state is listed, links are only provided for titles that no longer fall under U.S. copyright laws. All (almost) links connect to free websites.
2. There are a few instances when a book has been digitized, but is only found on a paid site. In that case, no link is inserted, but a note as to the website where it has been found is given.
3. When a state history has also been found in digital format, it is listed in the STATE section that precedes the county list. I have limited STATE entries to those with county histories/biographical volumes in them.
4. There are a number of counties that DO have histories written, BUT they remain copyrighted material. Therefore, if a county has NONE after its name, it doesn’t mean there is no county history, just that none has been digitized. It’s also possible that the only digitized county history is included in one of the state volumes, so be sure to check those entries.
5. If the book is on FamilySearch, you will need a free account to access it. This list does NOT include town histories.
6. When all fifty states have been completed, I will post a PDF of them all.
7. One last note – it is very possible that a book is digitally available on more than one website. I’ve only included links to one site per book.
NORTH DAKOTA
STATE – Compendium history and biography of North Dakota; a history of early settlement, political history, … and biography; reminiscences of pioneer life .., G.A. Ogle, Chicago, 1900.
STATE – History of North Dakota: embracing a relation of the history of the state from the earliest times down to the present day, including biographies of the builders of the commonwealth. . ., Part 1, William B. Hennessey, Bismarck Tribune, Bismarck, North Dakota, 1910.
STATE – History of North Dakota: embracing a relation of the history of the state from the earliest times down to the present day, including biographies of the builders of the commonwealth. . ., Part 2, William B. Hennessey, Bismarck Tribune, Bismarck, North Dakota, 1910.
STATE – Mothers of North Dakota : pioneers, educators, home builders, church workers and civic leaders–mothers all, Hedvig Clausen Svore & Eva Voris Case, North Dakota Mothers Association, Bismarck, North Dakota, 1978.
STATE – North Dakota history and People, outlines of American history, Volume 1, Clement Augustus Lounsberry, S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1916.
STATE – North Dakota history and People, outlines of American history, Volume 2, Clement Augustus Lounsberry, S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1916.
STATE – North Dakota history and People, outlines of American history, Volume 3, Clement Augustus Lounsberry, S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1916. STATE – Once their home, or, Our legacy from the Dahkotahs : historical, biographical, and incidental from far-off days, down to the present, Frances Chamberlain Holley, Donohue & Henneberry, Chicago, 1892.
ADAMS – Prairie Pioneers; a story of Adams County, Mrs. Harley Erickson & Mrs. Dan Merwin, editors, Taylor Publishing Company, Bismarck, North Dakota, c1973.
BARNES – NONE
BENSON – NONE
BILLINGS – NONE
BOTTINEAU – Bottineau Illustrated, Henry Thomas McPhillips, 1902.
BOWMAN – Prairie Tales, Rural Area Development Committee, Midwest-Beach Printing Company, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 1965.
BURKE – NONE
BURLEIGH – NONE
CASS – Centennial; first one hundred years: centennial project of the Fargo Genealogy Society, Volume 1, Fargo Genealogy Society, Fargo, North Dakota, 1975.
CASS – Centennial; first one hundred years: centennial project of the Fargo Genealogy Society, Volume 2, Fargo Genealogy Society, Fargo, North Dakota, 1975.
CAVALIER – Memories of a county agent: Cavalier County, N.D., 1928-34, Emmons County, N.D., 1934-59, 32 years, Ben H. Barrett, Linton, North Dakota, c1976.
DICKEY – A History of Dickey County, North Dakota, Ryland Melville Black, Dickey County Historical Society, Ellendale, North Dakota, c1930.
DIVIDE – NONE
DUNN – NONE
EDDY – NONE
EMMONS – Memories of a county agent: Cavalier County, N.D., 1928-34, Emmons County, N.D., 1934-59, 32 years, Ben H. Barrett, Linton, North Dakota, c1976.
EMMONS – As we reminisce; souvenir memory book, Strasburg Schools Alumni Association, Strasburg, North Dakota, 1967.
EMMONS – Emmons County History, Emmons County Historical Society, c1976.
FOSTER – A History of Foster County, Lucile Zink, Pearl Linderman, & Ross Bloomquist, Foster County History Book Committee, North Dakota, 1983.
GOLDEN VALLEY – NONE
GRAND FORKS – Grand Forks County, North Dakota in the World War, Page Printers, Grand Forks, North Dakota, c1920.
GRAND FORKS – History of Grand Forks County . . ., Henry Vernon Arnold, Pioneer Office, Larimore, 1900.
GRAND FORKS – Forty Years in North Dakota in Relation to Grand Forks County, Henry Vernon Arnold, Larimore, North Dakota, 1921.
GRANT – Prairie Pioneers of Grant County, North Dakota, Quentin T. Michelson & Carrie Weinhandl, Grant County Historical Society, Carson, North Dakota, 1976.
GRIGGS – NONE
HETTINGER – Our Hettinger County Heritage, Enid Bern, Mott Pioneer Printing, 1975.
HETTINGER – Regent Reviews, 1910-1985, Marlene Kouba, Ragna Halverson & James D. Gion, North Dakota, c1985.
KIDDER – NONE
LAMOURE – NONE
LOGAN – NONE
MCHENRY – McHenry County; its history and its people, Corabelle Brown, Midwest Printing, Towner, North Dakota, c1985.
MCINTOSH – Along the Trails of Yesterday: a Story of McIntosh County, Nina Farley Wishek, Ashley Tribune, Ashley, North Dakota, 1941. [Item 2 on FamilySearch film]
MCKENZIE – NONE
MCLEAN – NONE
MERCER – History of Mercer County, North Dakota, 1882 to 1960, C.B. Heinemeyer & Mrs. Ben Janssen, Hazen Star, Hazen, North Dakota, 1960.
MORTON – NONE
MOUNTRAIL – NONE
NELSON – NONE
OLIVER – Oliver County Centennial Book: 1885-1985, compiled by Peg Ruether, Millie Bueligen & Debra Tellman, Oliver County Historical Society, 1985.
PEMBINA – A History of Pembina County, Pembina Centennial Committee, 1967.
PIERCE – A history of Pierce County compiled in connection with Diamond Jubilee, Rugby, North Dakota, 1961.
RAMSEY – NONE
RANSOM – The early history of Ransom County, including references to Sargent county, 1835-1885, Henry Vernon Arnold, Larimore, North Dakota, 1918.
RENVILLE – NONE
RICHLAND – A history of Richland County: its geographical boundaries, township organizations, soil, improved and unimproved lands, early settlers, leading farmers …, Horace B. Crandall, Colfax, Dakota, 1886.
ROLETTE – History of Rolette County, North Dakota and yarns of the pioneers, Laura Thompson Law, Lund Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1953.
SARGENT – The early history of Ransom County, including references to Sargent county, 1835-1885, Henry Vernon Arnold, Larimore, North Dakota, 1918.
SHERIDAN – NONE
SIOUX – NONE
SLOPE – NONE
STARK – NONE
STEELE – NONE
STUTSMAN – NONE
TOWNER – NONE
TRAILL – NONE
WALSH – Walsh heritage : a story of Walsh county and its pioneers, Volume 1, Gunder V. Berg & Myrtle Balkee, Walsh County Historical Society, 1976.
WALSH – Walsh heritage : a story of Walsh county and its pioneers, Volume 2, Gunder V. Berg & Myrtle Balkee, Walsh County Historical Society, 1976.
WALSH – Walsh heritage : a story of Walsh county and its pioneers, Volume 3, Gunder V. Berg & Myrtle Balkee, Walsh County Historical Society, 1976.
WALSH – Walsh heritage : a story of Walsh county and its pioneers, Volume 4, Gunder V. Berg & Myrtle Balkee, Walsh County Historical Society, 1976.
WARD – NONE
WELLS – NONE
WILLIAMS – Trail of the pioneers, 1900-1967 : Barr Butte, Good Luck, Orthell and Scorio townships, Gladys, Hanks, Howard and Zahl, North Dakota, Project Committee, 1967.