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In 1913, Orin G. Libby, secretary at the State Historical Society, reported that the curator of the society was anxious to secure representative collections illustrating the early life of the state’s various nationalities. Only one had proper representation, according to Libby; and while you might think that it was the German, Norwegian or indigenous populations, you would be incorrect. The only group reported as having good representation was the Icelandic population.

In 1916, Librarian Georgia Carpenter noted that in the past year, several visitors of national reputation had visited the library, including Miss Frances Densmore, known for documenting the music of indigenous peoples. She and Orin G. Libby had recorded Arikara, Hidatsa, and Mandan songs on wax cylinders.

8/15/2013: The State Historical Society of North Dakota was a fledgling organization in 1905. Although its roots went back to Statehood in 1889, the effort to save significant sites and artifacts was ill-defined and ill financed. Several previous attempts to establish a statewide historical society, including one in 1895, had failed to gain public support, even though a room to house collections had been set up in the Capitol Building. By 1897 the organization had fallen into decay and much of North Dakota’s early history was fading away or being exported to Eastern institutions.

On this date in 1911, the Bismarck Daily Tribune ran a small ad requesting readers to submit historical material including pioneer letters, stories, and diaries to the state historical society. Today it’s known as The State Historical Society of North Dakota. It was preceded by earlier groups. The Old Settlers Historical Association was approved by the Legislative Assembly of Dakota Territory in 1862. Membership in this organization was limited to people who lived in the region before the territory’s creation. A major goal was to “collect and disseminate all useful information in relatio...

Today we continue our series on October as American Archives Month.In North Dakota, the state archives are managed by the State Historical Society. In early 1907, the society received welcome funding and some office space in the Capitol for the collections. However, by December, the Bismarck Tribune reported that the archives already needed more room and more funds, saying: “The [Society] has a good start, but we are far behind our sister states, and much of historical value that ought to be in our possession has already gone to enrich the treasures of other states.”