Cass County, N.D. Divorce Cases Index
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In 2001 the Cass County District Court transferred its civil case files covering from the 1870s to 1942 to the Institute for Regional Studies. Included in the civil cases were the divorce proceedings handled in the Cass County District Court. Over the past several years, the divorce cases were identified within the civil cases and removed to form a separate collection. The sixty-four linear foot collection of divorce files is fully processed, arranged by case number. The earliest divorce case dates from 1878.

The divorce case files at the Institute span from the beginning of the administering of divorce proceedings in Cass County in the 1870s through 1942 Individual files vary as to the type and number of documents and the information included. A typical file includes legal documents filed with the court: testimony, depositions, final decree and occasionally evidence such as photographs, letters and artifacts. Of particular interest are the divorce proceedings prior to July 1, 1899. Prior to that date the residency requirement to begin divorce proceedings was only ninety days. Thus many individuals from others states, particularly eastern states, and even from foreign countries traveled to Fargo to take up residency in order to obtain a divorce.

A database to the litigants and attorneys has been developed to aid the researcher in using these records. The database was developed by the Institute staff, using the original index ledgers and verifying against the actual files. The original indexes are maintained at the Institute. The database contains data for over 3300 cases handled in Cass County District Court. For records after 1942, contact the Cass County Clerk of Court office, 211 9th Street South, Fargo, ND 58103.

Access and Making Copies

The Cass County divorce cases are open for public use in the Institute for Regional Studies Research Room. Photocopying is available. Mail and e-mail photocopy requests are also available at a minimum charge of $5.00 per divorce file. Due to the varying number of documents in a particular case the final cost can only be determined upon staff inspection of the actual case file and its contents. The minimum charge of $5.00 includes up to 25 pages of photocopying. Copies over 25 pages cost 40 cents per page. An estimate to the number of pages will be provided if requested.

Mail and e-mail requests should include the name of the people involved and the case number. For e-mail requests please be sure to include your postal address. We do not require prepayment, rather a university billing will be sent with the photocopies. In order for you to be billed by NDSU, your full date of birth is now required. This new requirement comes from the North Dakota University System office. Your birth date is used as a means to avoid conflicts between people who may have the same name in the NDSU Business Office database. This information is not retained by the Institute for Regional Studies & University Archives. If you wish not to provide your birth date, you will need to pre-pay. Materials requested will be mailed when payment is received. Please send pre-payments to Institute for Regional Studies, NDSU Libraries, PO Box 5599, Fargo, ND 58105-5599.

Contact Information:

Street Address:
Institute for Regional Studies & University Archives
1305 19 th Ave. North
Skills and Technology Training Center, Room 117
Fargo, ND

Telephone: 701-231-8914
Fax: 701-231-5632
E-mail: archives@www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu

Mailing Address:
Institute for Regional Studies
NDSU Libraries
PO Box 5599
Fargo, ND 58105-5599

Update history

Database mounted September 2005