Step-by-Step South Dakota Research, 1817-1880

South Dakota Step-by-step research 1817--1849 Step-by-step research 1905--present Step-by-step research 1817--1879 Step-by-step research 1880--1905 Step-by-step research 1817--1879

A suggested approach to genealogy research in South Dakota family history records.

Step 1: Search the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 census records online.
A census is a count and description of the population of a country, state, county, or city for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day. For each person living in a household you might find (depending on the year) their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were military veteran. To learn the basics about what a census is, and tips for searching it effectively, first read United States Census Records for Beginners.

Look at the samples of census records below. Then you will want to find your family members in every possible census, using these convenient links:


 * 1880
 * 1870
 * 1860
 * 1850

United States census records

 * Here are samples of 1880, 1870, 1860, and 1850 United States census records. You can see all the different information you can glean from this record once you find your family in the census.
 * You will want to find and keep notes on census records from every census during each ancestor's lifetime. Most of the records you find will be printable.
 * With the census records you will be able to estimate approximate birth dates and marriage dates. These records will lead you to new searches because you will find the identities of other members of the family. You will find clues to other states and countries your family lived in before coming to South Dakota.


 * Next you will use all the clues you find in the census records to search for birth, marriage, and death records. Possibly the clues you find in the certificates will lead you back to look in the census records again for new names you discover.

Obituaries and cemeteries

 * Frequently, a death is announced in the newspaper with an obituary.
 * These records frequently supply missing birth or death dates and name the parents of the deceased.
 * Obituaries usually name family members, their spouses, their current residences, and whether they died before the person or are still surviving.
 * Cemetery records may only give the names and dates stated on the tombstone, but in the case of FindAGrave, sometimes pictures of the deceased, children's or parents' names and links to their graves, and marriage information have been added.
 * Frequently family members are buried in the same cemetery or even in neighboring plots.
 * Try these South Dakota links:

Obituaries

 * Ancestor Hunt South Dakota Obituaries
 * South Dakota Obituaries Help. Click here to see an example. In this site, you will select a newspaper, then select the "Obituaries" link at that newspaper. Sometimes there is a required subscription fee.
 * ObituaryLinks South Dakota, index. This site gives lots of death record "how-to" advice before you come to obituary links. Scroll down quite a way to find the obituary links. Click here to see at example.

Cemeteries
Different organizations will have recorded different cemeteries. Don't be discouraged if your first search is a dead end. Check out each collection.

This example of an online cemetery record is from FindAGrave"
 * South Dakota Cemetery Record Search.
 * South Dakota Cemetery Records at Interment.net. Click here to see an example.
 * Findagrave.com South Dakota Cemetery Records. Click here to see an example.
 * Billiongraves.com South Dakota Cemeteries.
 * USGenWeb South Dakota Tombstone Transcription Project. Click here to see an example.
 * I Dream of Genealogy South Dakota Cemeteries

Step 3: Search delayed birth certificates and county birth and marriage records online.
States, counties, or even towns in some states recorded births, marriages, and deaths. You have probably seen these types of certificates and have your own. In addition to the child's name, birthdate, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations. A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.

Civil registration of births and marriages at the state level started in 1905. Prior to that the individual counties kept the records. The starting dates of those records vary from county to county, depending on when the county was formed. The state also invited citizens born before 1905 to file delayed birth records. All of these records were collected by the state. They may be found in the FamilySearch record: South Dakota, Department of Health, Birth and Marriage Indexes, 1843-2014.

Birth records lead to other searches

 * Once you find a birth record, supposing you did not know the parents name before, you can now go back and search census records again for the whole family.
 * You can also search the index for other children's birth records, by leaving the given name out of the search engine and adding the parents' names.
 * If the birth record is late enough, you can search the index for the parents' names as children, and perhaps find their birth records also.
 * You can search for the parents' marriage record now. You could also look for the marriage of each child in the family.

Marriage records lead to other searches

 * Usually, the best thing about locating a marriage record is finding the wife's maiden name. You can now look for her, hopefully living in her parents' home, in census records prior to the marriage date.

Local histories

 * Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families. They describe the settlement of the area and the founding of churches, schools, and businesses.


 * The authors usually invited the residents of the county to submit their personal family histories, in order to create an automatic market for the book. County residents whose families were in the book were sure to buy a copy.


 * You can also find lists of pioneers, soldiers, and civil officials. Even if your ancestor is not listed, information on other relatives may be included that will provide important clues for locating your ancestor.


 * Here are several websites the feature online copies of printed county histories:
 * Hathi Trust Digital Library. Don't use the keywords South Dakota; that will bring up too many hits.  Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
 * Google Books. Use keywords "South Dakota" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
 * Internet Archive.Use keywords "South Dakota" and the county name.
 * Genealogy Book Links, South Dakota. Browse list; county histories are interspersed.
 * South Dakota Genealogy. Don't use the sidebar county list; scroll down and, in the body of the article, find the list "County Historical Records". These county links lead directly to book listings.
 * Ancestry.com, ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use South Dakota and the name of the county.


 * Local histories are extensively collected by the Family History Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. If you have access to the Family History Library or a Family History Center, you can find out about local histories the library has by checking the FamilySearch Catalog. In the "place" field, type the name of your county and select it from the drop down list, then click "Search". A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy,  History, and History - Indexes.


 * Also, in Step 10, you will be contacting a county history society. The society probably has a good selection of printed histories about the area. They may be able to search them for you for a fee.

Biographies
These collections of South Dakota biographies can be searched online. Most have a table of contents and an index. Or you can use the "Find" function on your computer. Here is an example of the genealogical information you might find in South Dakota history with biographies:
 * SDGenWeb Biographies Includes biographies from History of South Dakota.
 * Biographical Index of South Dakotans.
 * Doane Robinson's encyclopedia of South Dakota, ($), index/images
 * History of South Dakota / by Doane Robinson, together with personal mention of citizens of South Dakota. v. 1, Vol. 2
 * Biographies from the Memorial and Biographical Record
 * Memorial and biographical record; ... including biographical sketches of...prominent old settlers and representative citizens of South Dakota....
 * History of Dakota Territory: South Dakota; its history and its people Vol.1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4, Vol. 5
 * History of southeastern Dakota, ....biographical sketches of the pioneers and business men,...
 * Warner's history of Dakota County, Nebraska, from the days of the pioneers and first settlers to the present time, with biographical sketches, and anecdotes of ye olden times

Step 5: Write to a county for wills and probate indexes.

 * "Probate is the legal process through which an individual’s real estate (property) and personal estate (possessions) are distributed to his or her heirs, whether or not there is a will. Testate is the term used when a will existed in the settling of the estate.  Intestate is the term used when there was no will written and the court decides how the estate is to be distributed.


 * "Not everyone in the United States wrote a will or went through probate. Nearly 10% of the pre-1900 adult population made wills, usually males with property.  Before 1900, about 25% of estates were probated, even though no will had been written.  However, this percentage is higher for rural areas because that is where the land was owned.


 * "The single most important value of probate records is the proof of relationships. In a will, people are identified as a wife, son, daughter, nephew, niece, brother, sister, etc.  If there is no will, the distribution is made by the court to the heirs who are usually family members.  Other helpful and interesting information that may be learned from probate files are: date and place of death, name of the spouse and other possible family members and relationships, location of the heirs, property ownership, and guardianship of minor children." Jill Shoemaker,  U.S. Probate Records Class Handout

'''County probate records

 * South Dakota probate records include probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration. In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet. Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.


 * Currently, these counties are microfilmed and digitized:
 * South Dakota, Minnehaha County, Probate Case Records, 1873-1935. Also at Ancestry.com ($).
 * South Dakota, Pennington County Probate Case Files, 1880-1937. Also at Ancestry.com ($)
 * South Dakota, Marshall County Probate Records, ($).


 * Eventually more of these records will become available online.
 * Watch FamilySearch Historical Records--South Dakota for updates on their collection.
 * Watch Ancestry.com--North Dakota and South Dakota, Wills and Probate Records, 1800-1985 which has begun posting a new collection of probate records "brought together from multiple courthouses over time to give you a single source to search."
 * In the meantime, this online directory by GenealogyInc. will enable you to arrange to have them searched for a fee: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the Courthouse and Government Records to find the address and phone number of the County Clerk of Court. Ask them about the years covered by their probate records and their procedure and fees for ordering copies probate packets. When you write, always ask for the full probate packet, not just the will or administration.

Territorial probate records

 * Prior to statehood, probate records were kept by the Territorial Probate Court. Contact the Archives Division of the South Dakota Historical Society for copies of territorial probate records.

Step 6: Search land records online.
A search of the Bureau of Land Management records gives results like this:
 * These records will give the name of the owner, the date they obtained the land, the county, and the exact location of the land. They can contain clues to family members who shared ownership of the land, sold or gave land to a child, or witnessed the sale. Sometimes they show the previous or new residence of the parties to the deed. They can be useful in tracking an ancestor who lived in more than one county in South Dakota.  Then the probate and vital records of each county could be searched.
 * Bureau of Land Management Land Patents
 * South Dakota Land Patents Database.
 * South Dakota BLM Database

Step 7: Search military records online.

 * There are many different types of military records, some covered in online collections, some microfilmed, and some requiring ordering from government repositories with a fee. If you would like to learn more about them, read the U.S. Military Records Class Handout. Information in them can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information.


 * This record might help by naming a wife or widow of a Revolutionary War veteran who settled in South Dakota:  Index


 * This record is comprised mostly of Native American names, year of birth, and date of enlistment:  Index and images.


 * These records might help by naming a wife or widow of a veteran who settled in South Dakota:
 * Index Only.
 * Index only.
 * Index only.

Step 8: Contact a county historical or genealogical society.

 * County historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked. Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.  Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the county.  Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia than you.

This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings. Note: some South Dakota counties are so sparsely populated that they do not have the population to support a society.
 * If you can find the society on the internet, they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection.  Frequently, you can hire one of their members to search the collection for you.

Here is an example of an internet website for a local genealogical society. Notice that it gives details on how to pay for searching services.

Step 9: If your ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that your ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in that country. So searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records are the next goal. Immigration refers to people coming into a country, such as the United States, and emigration refers to people leaving a country to go to another. Usually these records are passenger lists of the ships they sailed on. A typical record will show name, age, and country of origin, but many times you can find the actual town of birth, the next of kin still living in the old country and their residence, and the names of relatives in the place they are traveling to.

Census clues to Immigration records
Census records can provide important clues about nationality and immigration. This chart lists data that can be found in each of the census records. Gather the information in the census records specifically about immigration, as it will help narrow down your search.

Immigration records
There are too many immigration records to list here. Click here to see a complete list of available immigration records online. Notice that they are listed by state, but under the letter "U" there is a long list of records that cover all of the United States. Unless family information tells you the port where family arrived, you will need to search all of the United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records for the time period when your ancestors arrived.

In this example of a passenger list, you see at #22, the family of Eduard Hepper of Gross Liebenthal travelling to Java, South Daokta.

'''Naturalization (Citizenship) Records
Naturalization is the process of becoming a citizen. Records can include the immigrant's declaration of intent to become a citizen, applications for citizenship, and final citizenship papers. The records can show birth date and place, spouse's name, marriage date and place, and lists of children with their birth dates. Click here to view examples of declaration of intent records and the information they give.

South Dakota naturalization records are organized by county. Look for them in any county where the person lived, unless the census tells you the year they were naturalized, and you have evidence of where they lived that year.

South Dakota Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

 * South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:First Papers.
 * South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:Second Papers.
 * Name Index to Naturalization Records from Dakota Territory and South Dakota, at National Archives, Kansas City
 * Name Index to Naturalization Records from Dakota Territory and South Dakota, at National Archives, Kansas City

After online research, continue your adventure at the Family History Library or a Family History Center.
Records are catalogued by location. Do these three searches for each place: South Dakota; the county (or counties) where your ancestors lived; and the town (or towns) where they lived. After clicking on "Search", you will next see a list of topics. Click on any topic, and the list will expand to show the records available.
 * Search the catalog of the FamilySearch collection.
 * Records listed can then be viewed at the Family History Library or a Family History Center,


 * Search by state.
 * Search by county.
 * Search by town.
 * Expanded list of library holdings.