Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Late 19th century photograph of Nels T. Hendrickson and his family. They settled land near Sheyenne in 1884. Nearly a century later, their homestead became Hendrickson Park. Courtesy photo.
History is all around us – from old buildings and signage to mementos and memories. Sometimes when we start looking for it, we find more and more to uncover.
When Patty Johnson Hilbert joined the museum board in 2019, she began spending a lot more time in the museum and ultimately finding more interesting threads to weave into her family history. She was delighted to find school mementos belonging to her son and her aunt, Gretchen Bass. Even more exciting was when she learned that her father Jim Johnson, after being injured in World War II, was named to the All Star Team – the same year New Rockford reached the state tournament in 1946!
Certainly involvement leads to learning, but unfortunately, the museum is not the first stop to make whilst embarking on a genealogical journey. Instead, the museum is more a place to find extra pieces of the puzzle, like icing on the cake.
As it turns out, Patty, who recently retired from her position as Eddy County Recorder and Clerk of District Court, knows a thing or two about how to go about collecting primary records to inform genealogical research. She notes that while sites like Ancestry.com and familysearch.com are valuable resources, sometimes it is best to go directly to the source.
Land records and marriage certificates are on file with the county recorder. Additional homestead files can be found through the Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office Records website at https://glorecords.blm.gov/default.aspx.
History hunters can refer to the North Dakota State Vital Records at https://www.hhs.nd.gov/vital to access information on birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates statewide. Note, it wasn't until 1925 that the State of North Dakota required families to record at-home births and deaths, so there are significant gaps in the record. As an alternative to a birth certificate, you might find luck searching baptismal records. Immigration and naturalization files, as well as service records are on file with the National Archives https://www.archives.gov/.
The State Historical Society has a wealth of information on file in the state archives. You can visit https://www.history.nd.gov or https://www.history.nd.gov/archives/ to learn more about this resource. In addition, you can visit their online database at https://digitalhorizonsonline.org/digital/.
Another resource we have close to home is the James River Genealogical Society. The group meets in Jamestown and Carrington April through November. They also offer a newsletter and workshops!
Patty's final bit of advice on genealogical research is simple – ask questions. Family and friends can be a great source of information. The only "dumb" question is the one you don't ask.
Happy hunting!
