Local and Ethnic History
The Institute has collected and preserved an impressive collection of records and papers of organizations and individuals who promoted North Dakota history and the history of different immigrant groups who settled in North Dakota.  The Myrtle Porterville collection document the history of Griggs County and the people who lived in the area no matter how briefly.  Thorstine Jackson Walters, a well known author, traced the settlement of Icelandic immigrants in North America.  The Institute continues to collect and solicit the records and papers of organizations and individuals who promote North Dakota history and the history of the ethnic groups that settled in North Dakota.

The Germans from Russia Heritage Collection was established in 1978, as a part of the Institute. Today it houses a major research publications collection, and promotes many outreach activities. The collection is located in the NDSU Library.
 

Local and Ethnic History

Daughters of Dakota Pioneers Records, 1936-1998 (Mss 207)
Local organization founded to honor the memory and spirit of the women pioneers in North Dakota, to perpetuate and preserve the history of North Dakota and to promote interest in the resources and activities of North Dakota.

William A. Falconer Papers, 1930s (Mss 228)
Longtime Bismarck city official who kept handwritten notes on the back of pre-printed personal tax forms.

Germans from Russia Heritage Society (unprocessed)

Germans from Russia Heritage Society, Red River Chapter (unprocessed)

Katherine Hughes Gumb Papers (Mss 993)
Iowa native who came to Fargo in 1887 and later became interested in the history of Steele County, N.D.

Roy P. Johnson Papers, 1870-1969 (Mss 147)
Local newspaper man who collected articles and wrote articles on different events and people significant to North Dakota and western Minnesota.

Know Your North Dakota Records, 1958-1971 (Mss 45)
Collection of articles written by a variety of authors featuring North Dakota historical events, people and subjects and intended for publication in state weekly newspapers.

North Dakota Historical Collection (Mss 53)
Eclectic collection of pamphlets, brochures, newspaper clippings, etc. compiled by Institute staff covering a broad range of North Dakota topics.

North Dakota Local History Collection, 1880s-1990s (Mss 130)
An ecletic collection of documents related to North Dakota communities and counties.

Allen Osmundson Papers, 1924-1999 (Mss 250)
McVille, North Dakota native who has an interest in local history and his Norwegian Lutheran heritage.

Myrtle Bemis Porterville Papers, 1879-1960 (Mss 296)
Griggs County, N.D. native and resident whose avocation was collecting the history of Griggs County, amassing an amazing collection on the county's history and the people who lived there. The collection is a major genealogical resource for Griggs County.

Walter D. Powell Papers, 1901-1959 (Mss 244)
Local businessman who moved to western North Dakota and was interested in archaeology and early history.  He is credited with the discovery of a Mandan Indian Village neat Menoken, N.D. that is believed to have been visited by La Verendrye in 1738.

Red River Valley Heritage Society Essay Contest Entries, 1965-1987 (Mss 5, 44, 69 & 252)
Essay contest that began in 1965 and continued into the 1990s.

Red River Valley Historical Society Records, 1964-1971 (Mss 243)
Historical society founded to expand the public's knowledge of the Red River Valley of the North.

Frank Richard Papers, 1758-1875, 1940-1985 (bulk 1940-1985) (Mss 187)
Local man and engineer interested in his family's history who spent a great deal of time collecting documents and doing research.  Some documents are written in French-Canadian. 

Eben Saunders Collection, 1914-1926 (Mss 61)
An Englishman whose family immigrated to Michigan who became an ordained Congregational minister and published numerous newspaper articles on the history of North Dakota and the Red River Valley.

James P. Schell Papers, 1869-1961 (Mss 96)
Reverend who served many of the churches in the Red River Valley who wrote In the Ojibway Country as well as other historical manuscripts.

Thorstina Jackson Walters Papers, 1918-1959 (Mss 630)
North Dakota native who wrote Modern Sagas and other works that examined Icelandic settlements in North Dakota and collected biographical material on prominent people of Iceland descent.

William Wemett Papers, 1909-1962 (Mss 449)
A New York native who became Valley City State College history professor from 1910 to 1954 after a brief high school teaching career.
 

Manuscript Subject Listing