Pioneer Biography Files of North Dakota

Photo by Kevin Butz on Unsplash

It’s important for us to support and use our local genealogical resources to learn more about our pioneer families. In North Dakota there is a microfilm with over five thousand brief pioneer biographies which are arranged alphabetically by county and then by the last name of the pioneer. These hold a wealth of information. Let’s look.

In addition to being available at the State Historical Society of North Dakota, you can view these files on microfilm at North Dakota State University Fargo, ND (Institute of Regional Studies)  and the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND. The Pioneer Biography Files are more than just than this. Most contain a form or questionnaire that is completed by the survey worker or the pioneer themselves. According to the site, it includes “includes the name of the pioneer, birth and death dates, nationality, name of spouse, parents, children, and other relatives, date of marriage, occupation, date of immigration to the United States, date of migration to Dakota Territory, mode of transportation, education, religion, political affiliation, family history, etc. To show the precise homestead location, the form includes a small township map and indicates locations of schools, churches, neighbor's farms, post offices, villages, groves, cemeteries, and other landmarks.” Wow. Wouldn’t it be great if your ancestor filled one of these out?
 
I decided to see what I could find related to my family. As is often the case, no direct pioneer ancestor was found but I did find information about collateral relatives. It is truly amazing what details are included in the forms. In addition to the great info listed above, it listed the husband’s and the wife’s brothers and sisters, where they lived in Dakota as well as their birth and death dates if known. All the children are listed with their birthdates and present addresses.
 
Questions included where you traveled from, what mode of transportation, how many days did it take and when did you arrive in Dakota Territory. In the pioneer I looked up, He left Sherman, New York on train and it took 5 days to arrive in New Rockford, Dakota Territory in March of 1886.
 
Or what was your first  home and furnishings like:
In summary this pioneer said his first home was built in 1887 made of rough lumber and shingles with boxes used for tables and chairs and a wooden bunk for a bed. An old cook stove used prairie fuel and soft coal.
 
After the questionnaire, which has more questions about that particular community such as church, schools, and early settlers, there is a five-page biography of the pioneer dated 1939 which was written at the time that the questionnaire was completed. Pretty amazing, I think.
 
You can search the Biographical Index here: NDSU Libraries — Institute for Regional Studies & University Archives — North Dakota Biography Index  Please note that this index includes all biographical information from the Institute for Regional Studies at NDSU. This is helpful if you’re wondering if your ancestor is listed in a local history or church book. Once you have that information, you can either visit the library, look at the microfilm yourself, and get copies of the information for your pioneer or you can pay the library to look up the information and send it to you. You can also borrow the microfilm by county through interlibrary loan.
 
If you have ancestors who settled in other states, make sure you check to see if there are biographies there. I found a great  biography about the brother of my ancestor which talked a bit about his parents from the old country and their travel to the United States. This was located in Sterns County, Minnesota. When looking at local historical societies and museums, most have a research center and listing of resources you can search. From there, you can request a copy of the data you find.
 
You may or may not find your direct ancestor but there is information that is useful to understand the pioneer experience in the county where your ancestor settled. I love the details about the furniture they had or how they heated their modest home. These are the details that really make your story come to life. Happy Exploring!