Wells County, North Dakota

Societies and Family History Resources ∣ County Courthouse and Government Records ∣ County Genealogy Links

Wells County was established as Gringras County in 1873 from Buffalo County, it as renamed Wells County on February 26, 1881 (organized on August 28, 1884).

The Wells County Seat is situated in Fessenden and the county government website is unknown

Areas next to Wells County are Benson County, Eddy County, Foster County, Stutsman County, Kidder County, Sheridan County, Pierce County.

Townships include Berlin, Bilodeau, Bremen, Bull Moose, Cathay, Chaseley, Crystal Lake, Delger, Fairville, Forward, Fram, Germantown, Haaland, Hamburg, Hawksnest, Heimdal, Hillsdale, Johnson, Lynn, Manfred, Norway Lake, Oshkosh, Pony Gulch, Progress, Rusland, Saint Anna, Silver Lake, South Cottonwood, Speedwell, Sykeston, Valhalla, Wells, West Norway, West Ontario, Western, Woodward.

Wells County does have Federal Census Schedules to help in looking into your family tree. Government Population Schedules are available for 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

Wells Co. Wells Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1880. Wells Co. Industry and Agriculture Schedules is available for 1880. Wells Co. Union Veterans Schedules can be found for 1890. There are free online in addition to printable census forms to assist with your research.

Wells County Society and Family History Resources

A list of Wells County Historical  and Genealogical Societies, Forums, Message Boards, Libraries, Archives.

https://www.archives.gov/research/census
• North Dakota State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• Wells County Historical Society, 903 4th St. N.E., Fessenden, ND 58438, 701-547-3684
• Bowdon Museum & Library, 232 40th Ave. NE, Bowdon, ND 58418
• Manfred Heritage Museum, Inc.P. O. Box 321, Harvey, ND 58341-0321, 701-547-2564 (summer) or 701-324-2027
• Wells County, North Dakota Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com)
• Wells County, North Dakota Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
• USGenWeb Archives for Wells County (usgwarchives.net)

Wells County Courthouse and Government Records

Genealogist often overlook the value of Wells County court, probate, and land records data as a useful resource of family history and genealogy information. Buried away in North Dakota courthouses and archives just about everywhere are often the aspirations and worries of countless North Dakota residents. The odds are excellent that your chosen ancestors and forefathers have left a detailed record of at least some elements of their lives in the Wells County court records. Even if your forefathers is not mentioned in a Court case, give some thought to all of the other procedures which may have lead to her or him showing up in court records.

• Wells County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
  • Address: 120 West 8th Street, Harvey, ND 58341
  • Phone: 701-324-2000
• Wells County Register of Deeds / Recorder
  • Land Records: 1873
• Wells County Clerk of Courts
  • Marriage Records: 1887
  • Probate Records: 1873
  • Court Records: 1873
• North Dakota Office of Vital Records has copies of birth, marriage, divorce and death records. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in North Dakota for current fees and application process. Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events.
  • Ordering Vital Records – You can also order Order Electronically Online or You can download an application for North Dakota Birth Certificate, Death Certificate Applications. Certified copies of marriage records must be issued by the county where the license was originally filed. Copies of divorce records can only be obtained from the county clerk or recorder in the county in which the divorce filed.

Wells County Links

The following are links to Family history and genealogy, Records and Resources relevant to Wells County. Feel free to provide your own favorite Wells County genealogy or family history related sites.

Wells Co. ND Books, Newspapers & Publications

• North Dakota Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
• North Dakota historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
• Historical Newspapers from North Dakota (1879–1923) (genealogybank.com) Rapidly discover names and key phrases in over 450 million content articles, obituaries, marriage announcements, birth notices along with other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. All new content and articles added every month!
• Wells County, North Dakota Books (amazon.com)
• Search North Dakota Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
• Wells County Genealogy Books (books.google.com)

Wells Co. ND Birth, Marriage & Death Records

• North Dakota Vital Records Research Guide
• Social Security Death Index (search.ancestry.com)

Wells Co. ND Court, Probate Land and Tax Records

• North Dakota Court Records Research Guide
• BLM Land Records (glorecords.blm.gov)

Wells Co. ND Census Records

• North Dakota Census Records Research Guide
• Wells County, ND Census Records Links
• Wells County, ND Census QuickFacts

Wells Co. ND Cemeteries & Church Records

• North Dakota Cemetery Research Guide
• Wells Co., North Dakota Graves (findagrave.com)
• Wells County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
• Wells Co., North Dakota Cemeteries (Internment.net)
• Topographic Cemetery List and Map for Wells County, North Dakota
• Wells Co., North Dakota Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
• North Dakota Church & Bible Research Guide
• Topographic Church List and Map for Wells County, North Dakota
• Wells County, North Dakota Church Books (amazon.com)

Wells Co. ND Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

•  North Dakota Family Group Sheet Project (fgs-project.com)

Wells Co. ND General and History Websites

• See Also State History for North Dakota
• Wells County, North Dakota Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
• Wells County, North Dakota Wiki (familysearch.org)
• Wells Co. ND Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
• Family History Library (familysearch.org)
• Wells County, North Dakota (linkpendium.com)
• Cyndi’s List – United States – North Dakota – Counties – Wells (cyndislist.com)
• Wells County North Dakota (genealogytrails.com)
• Wells Co. NDGenweb (rootsweb.ancestry.com)
• Wells County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
• Wells Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)

Wells Co. ND Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

• See Also Map of North Dakota Links and Information
• 1895 Wells County Map (livgenmi.com)

Wells Co. ND Military Records

• North Dakota Military Records Research Guide
• North Dakota Military Records (fold3.com) will provide easy access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents of the North Dakota individuals that served. Just the thing for Wells County genealogists, researchers, historians and much more.