BARNES COUNTY HISTORY AND LOOKUP

County History Books

*None Listed

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Barnes County, North Dakota: A Genealogical Overview

Situated in the fertile valley of the Sheyenne River in southeastern North Dakota, Barnes County is a classic prairie county, born from the expansion of the railroad and the great land rush of the late 19th century. Its history is deeply connected to the Northern Pacific Railway, the Homestead Act, and the waves of Scandinavian, German, and Yankee pioneers who transformed its grasslands into productive wheat farms. For genealogists, the county’s records tell the quintessential story of homesteading, community building, and agricultural life on the Northern Plains.

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I. County Formation and Evolution

Barnes County was created during the Dakota Territory era, and its organization coincided with the arrival of the first railroad tracks, which dictated the course of its settlement.

• 1873: County Created: The Dakota Territorial Legislature first created the boundaries of Barnes County on January 4, 1873.
• 1878: County Organized: Although created in 1873, the county did not have a functioning government until it was formally organized on January 6, 1878, after enough settlers had arrived to support it.
• Parent County: It was formed from portions of the massive, original Pembina County and from unorganized lands within the Dakota Territory. Research into any events or land surveys prior to the 1870s would be found in territorial papers or the records of Pembina County.
• Name Origin: The county was named for Judge Alanson H. Barnes, an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Dakota Territory at the time of the county’s creation.
• County Seat History: The county seat was established in 1878 in Valley City, a new townsite that had sprung up where the Northern Pacific Railway first crossed the Sheyenne River in 1872. Valley City has remained the county seat throughout its history.

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II. Settlement and Early History

• Early Inhabitants: The lands of the Sheyenne River Valley were traditional hunting grounds for the Sioux (Dakota), Yanktonai, and Ojibwe (Chippewa) peoples.
• Railroad and Pioneer Settlement: The primary catalyst for the county’s settlement was the Northern Pacific Railway, which laid its tracks across the region in 1872. The railroad’s arrival opened the area to homesteading and created the county’s first towns. The “Great Dakota Boom” from 1878 to 1886 saw a massive influx of settlers. These pioneers were predominantly immigrants from Norway, as well as Germany and Sweden, alongside native-born Americans from states like Wisconsin, New York, Minnesota, and Michigan.
• Key Historical Events:
  • Bonanza Farming: The region was known for its massive “bonanza farms”—enormous, corporate-style wheat farms of several thousand acres, which dominated the agricultural landscape in the early decades.
  • The Blizzard of 1888: The infamous “Schoolhouse Blizzard” or “Children’s Blizzard” of January 12, 1888, was a devastating and legendary event in the county’s history, with stories of heroism and tragedy passed down through generations.
  • Educational Hub: The founding of the Valley City State Normal School (now Valley City State University) in 1890 established the county seat as an important center for education in the state.

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III. Genealogical Records and Resources

Records for Barnes County are primarily located in the county courthouse in Valley City and at state-level archives.

• County Courthouse: The Barnes County Courthouse, 230 4th St NW, Valley City, ND 58072, is the central repository for local records.
  • Clerk of District Court: This office is the repository for marriage records (from 1878), probate and court records, naturalization records (prior to 1906), and early birth and death registers.
  • Register of Deeds: This office holds all land records from the county’s organization, including deeds, mortgages, and original homestead patents after they were filed with the county.
• Vital Records:
  • Birth and Death Records: Statewide registration in North Dakota began sporadically in 1907 and became more consistent by the early 1920s. Records from this period are held by the ND Department of Health. The Barnes County Clerk of District Court holds some local birth and death registers for the years prior to statewide registration, but these are often incomplete.
  • Marriage Records: Marriage records from 1878 to the present are held by the Clerk of the District Court.
• Libraries and Societies:
  • Barnes County Historical Society Museum: Located in Valley City, this is the premier local resource for family histories, photographs, obituaries, town histories, and artifacts related to the county’s pioneer era.
  • Valley City Barnes County Public Library: Offers local history resources, including microfilm of local newspapers, which are essential for genealogical research.
  • State Historical Society of North Dakota: Located in Bismarck, the state archives holds extensive newspaper collections, a statewide naturalization records index, and other materials essential for North Dakota research.
  • NDSU Institute for Regional Studies & University Archives: Located in Fargo, this archive holds a world-class collection of manuscripts, photos, and records pertaining to the settlement and agricultural history of North Dakota, including Barnes County.
• Bordering Jurisdictions:
  • Griggs County (north)
  • Steele County (north)
  • Cass County (east)
  • Ransom County (south)
  • LaMoure County (southwest)
  • Stutsman County (west)