Ward County, North Dakota Genealogy

Historical populations
	Source: "Wikipedia.org".

United States

North Dakota

Ward County

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

County Facts
County seat:	Minot
Organized:	April 14, 1885
Parent County(s):	Stevens (Old), Wynn (Old), and Renville ^[1]
Neighboring Counties
Burke • McHenry • McLean • Mountrail • Renville See County Maps
Courthouse

Location Map

Adoption
This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

Named for Mark Ward, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Counties. The county government was first organized on November 23, 1885 with Minot as the county seat.^[2]

County Courthouse

Ward County Courthouse
315 3rd St SE
Minot, ND 58701-6498
Phone: 701.857.6460
Ward County Website

District Court Clerk has birth, death, burial and divorce records from 1900;
County Judge has marriage and probate records;
Register of Deeds has land records.^[3]

Ward County, North Dakota Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major Records^[4]
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1900	1888	1900	1885	1885	1885	1836
*State Dept. of Vital Records started births and deaths in 1923. Full compliance by 1924.^[5]

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Parent County Ward County was created 14 April 1885 from Stevens (Old), Wynn (Old), and Renville Counties.
County seat: Minot ^[6]
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

The following are locations in the county^[7]

Cities
Berthold Burlington Carpio Des Lacs	Donnybrook Douglas Carpio Makoti	Minot (county seat) Ryder Sawyer Surrey
Unincorporated communites
Aurelia - "ghost town" south of Donnybrook Drady Gassman - founded as the Gassman Creek; Gassman Coulee;Coulee trestle was being built, now referred to as "Trestle Valley" Hartland - "ghost town" north of Berthold	Hesnault Lonetree - small 100 person community northwest of Des Lacs and southeast of Berthold Rice Lake - small community around Rice Lake south of Minot Rice Lake Park	South Prairie - small community with modern school, south of Minot Wolseth - diminishing community, south of the Renville County border, and Granville
Census-designated places
Foxholm	Logan	Ruthville
Townships
Afton Anna Baden Berthold Brillian Burlington Burt Cameron Carbondale Carpio Denmark Des Lacs Elmdale Eureka Evergreen Foxholm Freedom Gasman Greely	Greenbush Harrison Hiddenwood Hilton Iota Flat Kenmare Kirkelie Linton Lund Mandan Margaret Maryland Mayland McKinley Nedrose New Prairie Newman Orlien Passport	Ree Rice Lake Rolling Green Rushville Ryder St. Marys Sauk Prairie Sawyer Shealy Spencer Spring Lake Sundre Surrey Tatman Tolgen Torning Vang Waterford Willis
Historical townships
Harrison - early sister community of Minot, annexed into Minot Ralston - railroad siding	Roach - railroad siding	Waldorf - annexed into Minot boundaries in its early years

Indian Reservation

A portion of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation is located in Ward County. The remainder of the reservation is in Mountrail, McKenzie, Mercer, and Dunn Counties.

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Index to Ward County Biographies and Family Histories (USGenWeb Project)
Ward County Biographies on North Dakota Genealogy Trails website - alphabetical list of early settlers and prominent individuals from county histories
North Dakota Biography Index at North Dakota State University Archives - Index only; gives references to publications containing information on North Dakotans, living and deceased

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Ward County, North Dakota online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave USGenWeb Archives USGenWeb Tombstone Project ND Gravesrones Billiongraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave BillionGraves
See North Dakota Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

Before North Dakota was a state in 1889, parts of North Dakota were included in the 1836 Iowa Territory census (also known as Wisconsin Territory), 1840 Iowa Territory census, 1850 Minnesota Territory census, and the 1860-1880 Dakota Territory censuses.^[8] See links listed below.

Territory and State Census Records

1836 - 1836 Wisconsin Territory Census – index only; North Dakota was included in the 1836 Wisconsin Territory Census
1840 - United States Census, 1840 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1840 Iowa Territory Census
1850 - United States Census, 1850 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1850 Minnesota Territory Census
1860 - United States Census, 1860 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1860 Dakota Territory Census
1870 - United States Census, 1870 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1870 Dakota Territory Census
1880 - United States Census, 1880 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; North Dakota was included in the 1880 Dakota Territory Census
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 North Dakota Census, 1915 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images
1925 North Dakota Census, 1925 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images

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.

1900 Index of Ward County Census - images. (USGenWeb Archives)
1910 Index of Ward County Census - images. (USGenWeb Archives)
1920 Index of Ward County Census - images. (USGenWeb Archives)
1930 Index of Ward County Census - images. (USGenWeb Archives)

Church Records

Church records can be found online, kept onsite at the church, or housed in a church archive or library. See North Dakota Church Records for more information on how to locate the records.

Online Church Records
Lutheran Church

1875-1940 - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
Records of First Lutheran Church, Minot, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).^[9]

Court Records

Directories

1822-1995 - U.S. City Directories 1822-1995 at Ancestry ($) - collection for the City of Minot
1909 - Ward County Attorneys (USGenWeb Archives)

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

When the United States acquired North Dakota, most of the land became available for homesteading or purchase from the federal government. After land was transferred from the government to private owners, the registrar of deeds in each county recorded the land transactions in the form of deeds and mortgages. For more information, see North Dakota Land and Property.

Online Land Records

Index to Ward County BLM Land Records (USGenWeb Archives)
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

For more information see North Dakota Land and Property

Local Histories

Local histories, including those of the county, are available for Ward County. These histories can include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information.

People, places & events, Minot-Ward County: bridging the century. 1986. By Janet Rosecrans. Minot, North Dakota : Centennial Book Committee (Minot, North Dakota). Online at: At various libraries (WorldCat).
Yesterdays of the Sawyer area. 1989. By Patty Francis Heldenbrand. PMinot, North Dakota : Mouse River Loop Genealogical Society. Online at: FamilySearch Books Online; At various libraries (WorldCat). see index.
Ward County History (Genealogy Trails)

Maps and Gazetteers

Interactive Formation Boundary Map of North Dakota - shows boundary changes for North Dakota Counties
North Dakota Maps at NDGenWeb - historical maps
Ward County Township Maps (USGenWeb Archives)

Migration

Military Records

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

1861-1865 - Dakota Territory Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch.
1890 - United States Census of Union Veterans and Widows of the Civil War, 1890 at FamilySearch.

World War I

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, Ward County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)

World War II

World War II Army Casualties, Ward County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)
World War II Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualties, Ward County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)

Korean War

1950-1957 - Korean War Casualties, Ward County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)

Vietnam War

1957-1995 - Vietnam War Casualties, Ward County, North Dakota (Genealogy Trails)

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

For more information, see North Dakota Newspapers.

North Dakota Newspapers Online

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

North Dakota Newspaper Catalogs

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

Obituaries

Ward County Obituaries and Death Notices (Genealogy Trails)
Ward County Obituary Index (USGenWeb Project)
Index to Ward County Obituaries - Scroll down to "Obituaries." (USGenWeb Archives)

Other Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

Probate records, including wills and estates, are at the county clerk's office. See also North Dakota Probate Records.

Online Probate Records

1800 – 1985 North Dakota and South Dakota Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

School Records

Tax Records

County tax records are at the county treasurer's, auditor's or clerk's office in the county courthouse. Some tax records may have been moved to the North Dakota State Archives.

Vital Records

Birth, marriage, death, and divorce records may be recorded on registers, certificates, or other documents at the county clerk's office. Many records are also being digitized and put online. See North Dakota Vital Records for more information about availability and how to access them.

Ward County Vital Records - Scroll down to "Vital Records." (USGenWeb Archives)

Birth

Marriage

Ward County Marriage Announcements (Genealogy Trails)

Death

Online Death Indexes and Records

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

Divorce

Research Facilities

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

Minot North Dakota Family History Center

Libraries

Museums

Societies

Ward County Historical Society
PO Box 994
Minot, ND 58702
Telephone: 701-838-9679
Website

Lake County Historical Society
PO Box 83
Kenmare, ND 58746
Telephone: 701-385-4248

Ryder Historical Society
20510 184th St. S.W.
Ryder, ND 58779
Telephone: 701-758-2527

Scandinavian Heritage Association
1020 S. Broadway
Minot, ND 58701
Telephone: 701-852-9161
Website

Websites

Ward County, North Dakota, USGenWeb Project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
Ward County, North Dakota, USGenWeb Archives
FamilySearch Catalog 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.
Ward County, North Dakota Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
Ward County Genealogy (LDS Genealogy)
Genealogy Trails: Ward County, North Dakota, Genealogy and History

Research Guides

References

↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
↑ Genealogy Trails: Ward County, North Dakota, Genealogy and History
↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ward County, North Dakota. Page 527 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ward County, North Dakota. Page 527 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 519.
↑ Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Rev. ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 1992), 562; Alice M. Hetzel, U.S. Vital Statistics System: Major Activities and Developments, 1950-95 (Hyattsville, Md.: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, [1997]), 58.
↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Ward County, North Dakota," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia.
↑ Alice Eichholz, ‘’Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources,’’ 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 2004), 511. Free online version; FHL Book 973 D27rb 2004; WorldCat entry.
↑ "Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: An Inventory of Selected Congregational Records of the American Lutheran Church in Minnesota at the Minnesota Historical Society," Collection Finding Aids, Minnesota Historical Society.

[1] The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).

[2] Genealogy Trails: Ward County, North Dakota, Genealogy and History

[HBG-3] Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ward County, North Dakota. Page 527 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.

[4] Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ward County, North Dakota. Page 527 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 519.

[5] Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Rev. ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 1992), 562; Alice M. Hetzel, U.S. Vital Statistics System: Major Activities and Developments, 1950-95 (Hyattsville, Md.: U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, [1997]), 58.

[6] The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).

[7] Wikipedia contributors, "Ward County, North Dakota," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia.

[8] Alice Eichholz, ‘’Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources,’’ 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 2004), 511. Free online version; FHL Book 973 D27rb 2004; WorldCat entry.

[ev-9] "Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: An Inventory of Selected Congregational Records of the American Lutheran Church in Minnesota at the Minnesota Historical Society," Collection Finding Aids, Minnesota Historical Society.

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Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1890	1,681	—
1900	7,961	373.6%
1910	25,221	216.8%
1920	28,811	14.2%
1930	33,597	16.6%
1940	31,981	−4.8%
1950	34,782	8.8%
1960	47,072	35.3%
1970	58,560	24.4%
1980	58,392	−0.3%
1990	57,921	−0.8%
2000	58,975	1.8%
2010	61,675	4.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".