Hello and happy American Archives Month from the staff of the State Archives! With thousands of record collections documenting the history of North Dakota from the territorial period to yesterday’s news, there is so much to learn from our holdings here. I’m always interested in finding out what information can be found in collections that might not have been the original intention of its creators or what you might think based on the title and summary. To find out, I selected a collection at random from the State Historical Society’s online catalog, fiNDhistory, and asked State Archives staff to tell me what other aspects of history they think this collection can shed some light on, apart from its main subject of genealogy.

The collection I chose is MSS 11059: Muir and Kloubec Families Papers. It contains letters, census records, photographs, and other genealogical records documenting the Kloubec and Muir families.

Let’s see what they came up with!

Lindsay Meidinger, deputy state archivist 
Researchers can use census records (originally used for genealogy research in this collection) and family histories to study occupations, including how particular types of work changed over time and how those changes affected the daily lives of workers and their families. For example, the Kloubec and Muir Families Papers could provide insight into how occupations such as laborer, farmer, or “at home” shaped family life or how an individual’s occupation changed after immigrating to the United States.

Emily Kubischta, manuscript archivist
The census records included in these papers can also shed light on differences in data collection points between the Canadian census, U.S. federal census, and various state censuses. Understanding which data points were prioritized may bolster research on national, regional, or local politics.

Sarah Walker, head of reference services
There is a lot to be gleaned from genealogical collections and in a multitude of ways! In this collection, there is a photo of a woman standing in a garden in front of a house. The handwritten note on the back states that this was “Uncle Laughlan’s daughter Janet” and details the land description documenting where this family home was situated. That alone is a goldmine for researchers looking into the family, irrespective of the genealogical value.

However, what really catches my eye is a small rectangular label on the back containing internal information from the photography studio that issued this print, including the photo number and the studio’s name. So cool! We can use this to look up information about the photography studio that produced this photo, learn more about how such a business operated and how photo orders were carried out (an additional copy cost 50 cents!), and get the bonus of seeing a very personal behind-the-scenes view of a family that wanted to preserve their history pictorially. How relatable it is to see that they, like us today, wanted to hold a picture near to them of their family and home—perhaps it was once over a mantelpiece or on display elsewhere in the very family home pictured.

Front: Undated photo of the home of John McLean, a relative of the Muir branch of the family, Hilbert Township, Ontario.
Back: Don’t forget to flip a picture over! Information about the family, location of the home, and the photo studio that produced this print can all be found on the reverse. SHSND SA 11059-00001

Virginia Bjorness, head of technical services
The primary contributor to this collection, Wallace Muir, wrote of growing up in LaMoure during the Great Depression (Box 1, Folder 22), which gives us insight into everyday life at a critical moment in our nation’s history. He writes about years of want and foreclosures, the general attitude to federal programs, and, of course, the terribly dry, hot summers during this time. Lighthearted stories of childhood experiences with his twin brother, Willis, are woven throughout this short biography.

Additionally, this collection is an amazing example of how to conduct genealogy generally, or at least how to conduct it in the 1980s and 1990s (before Google and Ancestry became household names). In addition to photocopies of census records, plat maps, marriage records, and newspaper clippings, this collection is loaded with correspondence and research notes. Wallace (Wally) Muir wrote numerous letters to far-flung relatives in the hopes of getting a more complete understanding of the whereabouts and lives of his ancestors, and he took and included copious notes and quizzical, or perhaps frustrated, musings, such as “Having two Anthony Kloubecs is a little confusing. They both were the same age and lived next door to each other” (Box 1, Folder 2). You never know what speedbumps will arise when researching family history or how many others will gladly pitch in to connect the dots.

Greta Beck, audiovisual archivist 
I took a closer look at correspondence between Wallace Muir and Elaine Lundberg who were coordinating efforts to research their families’ genealogy in the 1990s. Future historians could use the correspondence to study how two people chose to communicate in a time when one had the option of using a word processer on a computer to type and print a letter, sending a physical letter through the mail, or using computers to send emails.

Letters from Box 1, Folder 5 of the Muir and Kloubec Families Papers. Along with the required postage, some of the letters are decorated with fun seasonal stamps. SHSND SA MSS 11059

Thinking outside the box or thinking outside the collection title/description, can open up so many more information sources, ideas, and avenues for interpretation to researchers, though it might not be easy to do! If you have questions about researching North Dakota history or the State Archives collections, send us an email, archives@nd.gov. Our reference staff would love to assist you in finding the right collection to help with your research!

Here in the State Archives, we have hundreds of thousands of records that document and tell the story of North Dakota and its people. These records can be used to help answer many questions and provide insights into the state’s history that can’t be found elsewhere. From state government records to home movies, information about the past can be found here.

I’ve learned over my time here there may be more to a collection of records than what meets the eye. What can be learned from one collection might not even be how the creator even intended these records to be used. So, I picked a random collection from the fiNDhistory, the State Historical Society of North Dakota’ s collection web portal, and asked some of our staff members for what they think researchers could learn from using these papers.

The collection is State Series 32355: Legislative Research Committee, Capitol Office Space Questionnaire, 1957. This collection contains a questionnaire on capitol office space, a summary of questionnaires for present space requirements and 1967 space requirements, and questionnaire results by agency. It also includes floor plans for every office in the Capitol building.

So, what can a researcher use this collection for? Let’s find out!

State Series 32355

Virginia, Head of Technical Services
This collection would help answer questions about changes in the needs of office environments over time (such as density of desks and layout) as the floor plans clearly outline functions for office use (desks, office equipment) and storage use (vaults, filing cabinets, bookshelves). The collection would also be helpful when studying building needs and growth, as the survey captured issues with existing spaces in 1957, such as the Highway Department offices (now Department of Transportation) being divvied up among six floors of the Capitol.

Larissa, State Government Records Archivist
This collection reflects the different uses of office and storage spaces used by North Dakota State Agencies and how that use changes over time. A researcher can use this collection to map the changes in workplace demographics and state agencies’ use of space by comparing 1967 needs to today.

Lindsay, Deputy State Archivist
This collection, at first glance, documents office layouts of state agencies in the Capitol building. But it also shows how agencies communicated their needs to the Legislature through large paper plans rather than the digital files of 2025. Even the material details, such as the paper and ink used to create the item, could be useful for someone interested in how government records were designed and produced, along with the printing and publishing technologies available in the mid-20th century.

6th floor office plan for the Land Department and Agriculture and Labor (Dairy Division). SHSND 32355

Emily, Manuscript Archivist
The floor plans in State Record Series 32355 could be used by a researcher who is interested in how technology affects office space and environment. This could include comparing changes in the size or layout of a workspace as various technologies are introduced or widely used, or examining changes in the social nature of a workspace (such as from communal worktables to desks in cubicles). Analysis could focus on the North Dakota Capitol specifically (if additional records are available), or it could use North Dakota in a larger regional or national sample size.

Sarah, Head of Reference Services
My takeaway from these records is the state agency history that can be gleaned from the survey. It’s an interesting peek back in time to see what agencies there were, where they were located, even what duties they may have had. In fact, I had to check out the agency abbreviated as “Poultry Imp. Bd.” This was the State Poultry Improvement Board, and we have their records, listed under our state series under the Department of Agriculture!

Megan, Local Government Records Archivist
These plans would be useful to a researcher interested in office workplace design evolution. In the 1950s, the “Fordist” method was being widely implemented because it valued efficiency and standardization. These floor layouts are detailed and could be evaluated for how well they did or did not follow this method. A researcher could also use the questionnaire to see how the thoughts and opinions of the workers in these spaces did or did not influence the planning and implementation of certain design layouts.

Drawings for Department of Public Instruction and Commissioners of Railroads, Agriculture, and Insurance. SHSND 32355

Greta, Audiovisual Archivist
I found it interesting to consider what office spaces within the Capitol building looked like during the time of the questionnaire and how one could use the questionnaires and floor plans to create and decorate the ideal office space for state employees. This photo from 1967 provides insight to 1960s office décor; the background shows a framed photograph of a herd of cattle on a North Dakota pasture, full bookshelf, American flag, North Dakota State flag, and a desk with scattered papers.

Governor Guy and Secretary of State Ben Meiers in Governor’s office, 1967. SHSND SA 00018-00004

Despite the modern addition of computers, office layouts still look similar to the '60s. The need for desks, chairs, and reference books remains, and we continue to decorate our office areas with personal items. Government offices within the North Dakota Capitol building carry on the tradition of proudly displaying the state and national flag.

So, next time you look at archival materials, be sure to think beyond what meets the eye. There is so much more to learn in every detail!

This month, the State Archives marks American Archives Month by highlighting the memory keepers at work behind the scenes collecting, preserving, and sharing North Dakota’s documentary history. I asked some of our hardworking memory keepers—the amazing State Archives staff—what their favorite thing about being an archivist is and about the special moments that make this job worth doing. Check out their answers below!

Matt Ely, photo archivist

My favorite part of my job is working with obsolete photographic formats such as daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and tintypes.

Daguerreotypes were the first commercially viable and publicly available style of photography and capture an image directly on a piece of metal, which is then housed in a case. Wet collodion direct positives, such as tintypes and ambrotypes, came next. These types of photography use the same process as daguerreotypes but capture images on a thin sheet of metal or a piece of glass respectively.

It’s very interesting to see how much photography has changed over the years, both in the process and the product. I think it’s great to work with historical photographs so closely, and it’s also neat that examples of these processes in our collections range from over 150 years ago to just a couple months old!

From left: An 1875 tintype of Ellen Malloy and Mollie Taggert next to one of Millie and Madeleine Hyatt at the Former Governors’ Mansion State Historic Site in Bismarck, created just this year by Kary Janousek from Fargo. SHSND SA 2010-P-025-00002, 2024-P-016-00013

Daniel Sauerwein, reference specialist

Working in reference allows me to use my research skills to assist people find records and answers to their questions. Helping them solve historical mysteries and leaving patrons better informed than when they entered is a great feeling. I especially enjoy aiding genealogy researchers and kids learn more about themselves and the history of North Dakota and its people. Working with the collections is also a wonderful part of being at the State Archives.

Megan Steele, local government records archivist

My favorite thing about being an archivist is browsing through the past. Seeing snapshots in time from someone else’s life can be an almost surreal realization. Second to that feeling is the joy and excitement I see when a volunteer or patron makes a connection or finds an interesting tidbit that they cannot wait to tell others about. I always encounter something fun or interesting when processing collections that makes me laugh or smile.

Sarah Walker, head of reference services

We take the term “memory keepers” quite seriously. The items held in our collections are direct collections and recollections of individuals who lived here, worked here, and loved here. We are keeping their memories alive for their family and friends and for future generations. How can you not get goosebumps thinking about that? What an honor to work in this field, at this agency, and help preserve the history of this state.

The author and coworker Lindsay Meidinger excited to capture oral histories for the State Archives’ collections while at the Stutsman County Courthouse State Historic Site in Jamestown, spring 2024.

Kylie Ward, newspaper archivist

As an archivist, my favorite part of the job is touching history. Our newspaper collection is extensive and having the opportunity to handle old papers from the late 1800s or early 1900s is always exciting. The pages are worn with age and detail the lives of countless North Dakotans who made an impact on their communities. From marriage announcements to crop harvests to the prices of products advertised—nearly every aspect of these historical newspapers is interesting to look through. One of my favorite finds is this cute dispatch from a dog show that ran in a 1950 edition of the Bowbells Tribune below.

Bowbells Tribune, March 9, 1950, p. 7

Ashley Thronson, reference specialist

As for me, my favorite thing about being an archivist is helping researchers access the State Archives' collections. So much history can be found within our collections, but it can be a confusing experience if you don’t know where to start looking or what topics/events we have information on. Talking to people about their research and helping them search our website and the resources we have available to navigate our collections is my favorite part of the job. Not only am I answering their questions, I am also helping patrons learn about the State Archives’ resources and teaching them skills they can take with them on their research journey.

One day while I was working at the State Archives, a patron approached the reference desk and asked me why Little Egypt Park, located in Williams County, was called Little Egypt? The person was interested in finding out why and how the park ended up with that name. I was intrigued myself, as I couldn’t think of any historical or geographical reasoning behind the name and set to work searching through various resources at the State Archives. This is what I found.

Little Egypt Park, located 30 miles south of Ray on Lake Sakakawea, features picnic areas, camping, and direct access to the lake so visitors can boat, fish, and swim at the park as well. In the late 1980s, plans were made to improve the park by creating a swimming area and bathhouse as well as upgraded picnic shelters and camping areas. And that’s all I was able to find. I looked through the State Archives resources I knew of, including “The Wonders of Williams: A History of Williams County, North Dakota,” local newspapers, and collections relating to parks and the creation of the parks, with no luck. This was odd, since it is common to find information about a park’s origins or name significance in our collections. Feeling stumped and not sure where else to search, I asked other State Archives staff members if they had any ideas, perhaps they had researched Little Egypt Park in the past. Shane Molander, the state archivist, reached out to State Historical Board member Richard Stenberg, an associate professor in the Arts and Human Sciences Department at Williston State College, with my question and provided me with the first lead I had so far: The old-timers in Williams County would say that the land had good soil or dirt. But what was the connection?

The sprawling Little Egypt Park on the shores of Lake Sakakawea. Courtesy Williams County

This research got me thinking about how and why place names were chosen during European immigration and settlement in the Midwest and Western states. The capital city of Bismarck is famously named in honor of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. A settlement in Traill County was given the name Little Chicago, and later in Dunseith, Little Chicago of the West was formed in the hopes that it would soon rival the city in Illinois. Towns across the Midwest were named Little Norway or Little Sweden by Norwegian or Swedish immigrants. So what inspired the people of Williams County to choose Little Egypt as their new park’s name? Continuing my search, I started looking for places named Little Egypt outside of North Dakota to see if any other information could be gathered about this interesting place name.

I came across this advertisement during my search for Little Egypt place names. The Devils Lake World, October 4, 1922, p. 15

Southern Illinois is nicknamed “Little Egypt,” with several towns in the southern half of the state named after Egyptian cities. This nickname was inspired by comparisons of the geographic features of the Mississippi River and flood plains of southern Illinois to the fertile Nile Valley in Egypt. Poor harvests in the northern regions of the state also contributed to this nickname, as the land in southern Illinois provided food relief to the struggling north during the winter of 1830-31.

Suddenly the dots began to connect. The “good dirt” that the old timers in Williams County thought the name came from could have been an allusion to the fertile soil found in that region of the county or to the fertile soil they hoped the region would have. The name also evokes the feeling of a prosperous community, like the settlers in Little Chicago would have wanted. Or perhaps people from southern Illinois settled in Williams County and chose to name the park after their home in Illinois. One single answer may not exist with multiple inspirations possible. But as it doesn’t appear the reason for the name was recorded, my quest continues.

October is American Archives month. To celebrate, we are sharing all things related to the State Archives! Our staff works very closely with our collections, which allows us to gain unique insights into these documents and materials. In this post, we highlight some of our favorite resources that we think have great value for personal history and should be utilized more by the public for genealogical research. Check out the list below, and if you have any questions along the way or are interested in accessing these treasures, don’t hesitate to reach out to our reference staff at archives@nd.gov or 701.328.2091.

Emily Kubischta, Manuscript Archivist

Yeehaw! In 1957, the 50 Years in the Saddle Club was organized in New Town by 22 cattlemen who had been ranching and working with cattle for at least 50 years. The group aimed to keep memories and tradition alive by annually gathering to reminisce, and their efforts resulted in the four-volume series “50 Years in the Saddle: Looking Back Down the Trail,” as well as a variety of biographies and stories of ranchers and other residents of western North Dakota. Although the biographies vary in terms of length and content, they are wonderful resources for genealogists and western enthusiasts alike. There is bound to be a person or topic of interest to anyone researching the Old West in North Dakota in the 50 Years in the Saddle Club Collection (MSS 11366).

Daniel Sauerwein, Reference Specialist

A great genealogy resource in the State Archives is our collection of yearbooks from various schools, colleges, and universities across North Dakota. While they require a little more background knowledge of your ancestors, such as knowing what school they attended, yearbooks are an exciting way to uncover photographs of ancestors from their younger days and learn what they did in school. Whether your ancestor was a star athlete or outstanding scholar, yearbooks also show familial and community ties, since by glancing at surnames you can trace your family’s trajectory through the years. We are always looking for more yearbooks to grow this resource so please consider donating your yearbooks to help preserve this history.

A selection of Bismarck High School yearbooks in the State Archives.

Ashley Thronson, Reference Specialist

A lesser-used resource at the State Archives for genealogy research is the local government collections. County court case files, including probate, civil, and criminal case files, property assessment records, and some township records are found in these collections. These records can be a little difficult to use as they are not digitized, the records are not all in one place, and the records we have for each county may vary. If you are interested in seeing what local government records we might have on your ancestor, check out the local government records pages on our website.

Virginia Bjorness, Head of Technical Services

The State Archives has nearly 1,400 family history books, many containing a treasure trove of research, stories, and pictures! Written and published by current and former North Dakotans (or relatives with ties to the state), these works can be an unexpected gem for genealogists. Some also contain valuable information about the settlement and development of places across North Dakota. Search for your family’s name here.

Lindsay Meidinger, Head of Archival Collections and Information Management

Although probably a bit of an unconventional genealogical resource, the North Dakota news film collections offer a unique glimpse at the past through a visual of the people, places, and activities that our relatives encountered during their lives. Covering nearly every corner of North Dakota and spanning the 1950s to the 2000s, the news film collections contain raw segments, complete stories, and a plethora of sports clips and games. I personally was able to find out more about my own genealogy through the WDAY-TV collection. One day while digitizing some film, I stumbled upon a segment titled “Postman Arrested and Taken to Banquet in His Honor.” My dad once told me about my great-grandfather, Thomas Cullen, who was a mailman in Fargo for 39 years and never once involved in an accident. Sure enough, the news film segment I had just digitized was footage of my great-grandfather! Through this archival news film, I learned that Fargo city officials and police officers decided to surprise him by “arresting” him and taking him to a party honoring his astounding driving record and service to the city.

Postman Thomas Cullen is "arrested" for his exemplary driving record. SHSND SA 10351-2146-00005

Sarah Walker, Head of Reference Services

We have a multitude of collections that provide solid genealogical documentation. However, our oral history collections are some of my favorite sources to use for family history research. Sometimes these oral history interviews are more focused on history than family history, and sometimes they are essentially biographies of the person or people being interviewed. No matter the focus, both history and personal history intertwine and shine through. Even if your family did not contribute an oral history themselves, their contemporaries may have. For example, I discovered in our collections an oral history of the wife of a doctor who took care of my mother’s family when she was young. That was a cool find!

Box of cassettes from the Bicentennial Oral History Collection (MSS 10157).

Here at the State Historical Society, we want to be sure your personal family collections are kept safe for future generations. With that in mind, we’ve prepared some guidance on caring for your collections in the event of potential flood events and water damage. We will look at preventative care tips and suggestions to follow or keep in mind as you work to protect and preserve your family treasures and history before a disaster strikes.

General advice for storing personal collections

Storage of your items should be in a space that has a stable and consistent temperature. The best storage space for home collections is a cool, clean, and relatively dry area with no direct light. We do not recommend storing items in attics or in most basements as these spaces can be humid, and the temperature may fluctuate drastically due to seasonal weather changes.

You should avoid placing items near heaters, radiators, chimneys, vents, electrical sources, and open windows. Take note whether your chosen storage area is at risk of water damage, such as being near plumbing pipes, sprinklers, open windows, vents, or sinks.

1) Housing your personal collection

VHS tapes should be stored upright in cases to prevent damage.

Housing options (basically the containers your collection is placed in) will vary depending on the items. The main consideration is whether these guard against insects and pests, block bright or direct light, and help keep objects clean and free of dust, which can scratch delicate surfaces like those of photographs.

We know people often default to basic plastic bins for storage, but plastic is not a good storage option because it will leach plasticizers that can affect the material within. We recommend acid-free boxes instead. That said, plastic is still better than nothing.

2) Buffered versus unbuffered?

When looking for housing materials online, you may come across both buffered and unbuffered options. If something has been buffered, calcium carbonate (better known as chalk) has been added to the cellulose material and acts as a buffering agent raising the pH level of the paper to be more alkaline. If the item being housed is paper or made of cellulose (like film, photographs, and cotton products) go for the buffered option. But for items that come from animals (e.g., leather, silk, wool, feathers, horsehair, and pearls) use unbuffered. This rule applies to file folders, tissue paper you wrap around objects, and boxes.

3) Considerations for general materials

Audiovisual and magnetic media: The ideal orientation for CDs, DVDs, audio, and video cassettes is to be stored upright like books, as stacking can cause stress and warping. The original containers work well for storage if they are clean and made of inert plastic. Video and audio cassettes should be wound to the beginning or the end, so that content on the tape is not exposed.

Photographs in the State Archives collections are sleeved due to high use by researchers and staff.

Flat/oversize items: For flat paper materials, a file folder is our go-to method, unless it is very weak, has tears, or is heavily creased. In that case, we would place the item in a polyester sleeve. The file folders can be stored flat or upright in a box. Speaking of tears, please do not use regular Scotch tape to fix them! There is special tape and other repair methods if you feel the items need conservation. We also recommend the removal of rubber bands, metal paper clips, and metal fasteners. If the item is oversize/poster size, then storing it may require a bit more creativity, but keep it flat with little to no pressure on top. If you must roll the item, do not roll it too tight, and remember to periodically unroll and roll it in the opposite direction.

Photographs: A common question is whether photos should always be sleeved? If you have many photographs and feel that putting them in sleeves is necessary, then we would recommend at least 3-millimeter-thick polyester, as it is the most chemically inert of the plastics used for archival storage products. But you only really need to sleeve photographs that are handled a lot, show signs of weakness or deterioration, or are of utmost importance to you. Otherwise, leaving photographs loose should not be an issue. Just store them flat or upright with some space in the box since you do not want to exert pressure on the photographs by shoving them tightly into the container.

Textiles, taxidermy, and natural materials: Textiles should be kept on padded hangers or placed flat in watertight buffered or unbuffered boxes (depending on the textile material). They should be stored away from leaky areas and sunlight, which can cause fading. Taxidermy should also be placed away from leaky areas and sunlight but on a high shelf. It’s important to use extreme caution when handling older taxidermy due to the risk of exposure to arsenic. Use coated watertight metal cases when storing wood, rocks, minerals, ceramic, and glass. Uncoated metal objects should be in a dry environment to reduce the risk of oxidation (rust).

Textile artifacts, like this circa 1880s blouse, should be stored in an acid-free box with tissue paper to support the garment. SHSND 1972.00169

While this certainly doesn’t cover every material type and situation you may encounter when caring for and housing your family’s historical items, it is a good place to start. If you have questions we haven’t addressed, our staff are happy to help. For questions related to paper, books, and photographs contact the State Archives at 701.328.2091 or archives@nd.gov. For artifact-related questions, contact our museum staff at history@nd.gov.

*This blog was co-authored with Local Government Archivist Megan Steele and two former museum interns, Zoe Harden and Emily Bruun.