Myrtle Bemis Porterville

Myrtle Bemis was born at Newton, Wisconsin.  In 1882 the family moved to Steele County near Cooperstown, North Dakota.  At the age of eighteen, Miss Bemis began to teach in rural schools.  Mrs. Porterville took an early interest in the history of Griggs County, which started her long career in collecting almost everything documenting the history of the county.  She began to do extensive research and collecting while teaching in Cooperstown, enlisting the help of her students.  She also wrote a history of the county, which was serialized in the Griggs County Sentinel-Courier.

The Porterville Collection is arranged into three series: Mrs. Porterville's personal papers, the material collected on Griggs County history, and a small collection on Steele County history.

Photograph Collection Finding Aid

Local and Ethnic HistoryWomen