North Dakota State Archives

Overview

The State Archives is the department of the State Historical Society of North Dakota (SHSND) responsible for the Society's documentary collections and serves as the official state archives, preserving North Dakota government records of enduring value.

History

A State Historical Commission and authorization for a state historical society were established by the North Dakota Legislature in 1895, when the Ladies' Historical Society of Bismarck merged with the newly formed North Dakota Historical Society. In 1905 the Legislative Assembly provided an appropriation and facilities in the Capitol and named the Society trustee for the state. The Society remained a quasi-public institution until 1965, when legislative action created the State Historical Board as its governing body; in 1967 the private membership organization was severed from official connection with the state agency. SHSND has been headquartered in the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck since 1981.

Collections, Holdings, and Publications

The State Archives acquires and preserves research materials relating to North Dakota and the Northern Great Plains, including manuscript collections, books, periodicals, maps, newspapers, and audiovisual materials, held in the Orin G. Libby Memorial Reading Room. SHSND also oversees roughly 60 state-owned historic sites and publishes the journal "North Dakota History: Journal of the Northern Plains."

Access and Usage

The State Archives is located at 612 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, North Dakota, within the North Dakota Heritage Center on the Capitol grounds.