Resources for Local History
Northfield and Rice County:
A Finding Guide
Hans Muessig
September 2009
Updated by
Debby Nitz
May 2012
Version 1.1
This Finding Guide lists numerous resources – county histories, city directories, county atlases, etc. –
that are invaluable for local history research. Most are available locally at the Northfield Public Library
or the Northfield or Rice County Historical Society libraries. More importantly, several good indices of
these resources are available to aid researchers. A list of these indices is included in the annotated
Finding Guide.
The structure of the guide implicitly suggests a research strategy for local history that begins with
understanding basic historical information as well as spatial and demographic information and builds as
needed from that foundation.
County and City Histories
Rice County Histories: Two “county histories” of Rice County were compiled by commercial
publishers. The first was published in 1882 and a second, larger work, in 1910. Both county histories
have been digitized and can be found online at the following links. Note that one can read the histories
online or download PDFs of the scans.
1882:
1910, v. 1:
1910, v. 2:
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofricecou00neil
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofriceste01curt
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofriceste02curt
While such “county histories” are often considered as subjective, biased, glorified local history they are
nonetheless great resources on events, buildings, people, and sometimes motivations, conflicts, and
aspirations. Note that the Dalby database (see below) indexes both of these histories.
The third county history is Arthur J. Larson’s 1931 MA thesis at the University of Minnesota entitled The
Settlement and Development of Rice County, Minnesota, to 1875. It is regarded as an excellent account,
particularly of early transportation and politics, and is available at the Minnesota Historical Society
library.
The WPA Inventory of Rice County Records (see below) includes an excellent but short county history
Four locally produced histories must also be mentioned:
The first is Continuum: threads in the community fabric of Northfield, Minnesota, published by the Northfield
Bicentennial Committee and the City of Northfield in 1976. The second is the Northfield Heritage
Preservation Commission’s 1999 Northfield: The History and Architecture of a Community. Both works draw
heavily on the collections of the Northfield Historical Society and include many historic maps and
photographs.
To celebrate Northfield’s first one hundred years, the Northfield Centennial Corporation produced
Northfield Minnesota Centennial, 1855 – 1955: Century of Progress. And finally, the Northfield Historical
Society collected Nuggets from Rice County and Southern Minnesota History (Bob Ward, ed.) in 1977.
Atlases and Maps
Atlases and Maps can provide a wealth of information about land ownership, land use, transportation
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(roads and railroads) over time.
County Atlases: Maps of the roads and land ownership in Rice County are essential sources of
information about the development of urban and rural Rice County. The Northfield Historical Society
and the Rice County Historical Society have good collections of county atlases.
Historic MapWorks (http://www.historicmapworks.com) has the following atlases for Rice County:
1900, 1915, 1941, 1965, 1970, and 1971. Also available is the 1869 Bird’s Eye View of Northfield and
Andreas’ 1874 Minnesota State Atlas. HistoricMapWorks also has Dakota County atlases for 1911,
1956, 1964, 1967, and 1972.
Early County and City Maps: Rice County Historical Society has a county plat map from the period
before 1860 that shows the original land owners who purchased land from the government. The
Northfield Historical Society also has early Northfield maps (see particularly the maps in the Dale Ness
collection).
An Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Minnesota: This 1874 atlas of the state has a
great deal of information about early county history as well as social and economic development –
available at the St. Olaf and Carleton libraries.
Library of Congress digital collections (http://www.loc.gov/library/libarch-digital.html): The Library
of Congress’ digital collections are vast. Perhaps best known is their American Memory collection of
America history and culture. The size of the collections makes searching somewhat of a challenge at
times but extremely rewarding. For example, the map collection includes a number of railroad and
highway maps.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps: Absolutely the best resource for students of the built environment
starting in the 1870’s through the 1940’s. These maps show an incredible amount of detail on the
buildings in cities and towns throughout the United States. Key information in the maps includes
ownership, building use, and size, and its construction materials. When combined with historic
photographs and other documents the Sanborns make it possible to understand the history of individual
buildings, neighborhoods, factories, or business districts. The complete collection can be accessed at the
Carleton College Library. In addition, the Northfield Public Library owns an original of the 1910
Sanborn map of Northfield.
A good guide to reading and interpreting Sanborns can be found at
http://www.learn.columbia.edu/newyork/pdf/sanbornMap_instruct.pdf
Availability: At this point the Sanborns for Northfield are available on microfilm at the Minnesota
Historical Society library and the University of Minnesota libraries. Xeroxed copies are available at the
Northfield Historical Society in the box 2 of Dale Ness’s collection of Northfield Architectural Survey
material.
Minnesota County Biological Survey: The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has an
ongoing project to produce county-level maps of the ecology (natural species and landscapes) in
Minnesota. These maps show both current conditions and the natural landscape at the time the public
lands surveys were completed in the 1850’s. The completed maps in the series, including Rice County,
can be found online in Adobe PDF format at:
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/maps.html
Also available is a state map showing the natural landscape as noted during the public lands surveys:
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/prairie_map.pdf
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No list of map resources on Minnesota is complete without mention of David A. Lanegran’s wonderful
and detailed Minnesota on the Map published in 2008. At once a history of cartography and the variety of
maps as well as broad collection of maps of Minnesota, this richly illustrated book is an excellent
resource.
Indices: People, Events, Books, Articles
Four key Internet resources focus on individuals and local history:
dalbydata.com: In 1983 John Dalby started recording the names on headstones in cemeteries in Rice
County. In the past twenty-five years John’s database has grown to include all the names in those
cemeteries, as well as in the federal and state censuses, city directories, birth and marriage records,
newspapers, obituaries, church records, and people mentioned in books on local history (especially the
two Rice County histories of 1882 and 1910). Although the Dalby database (http://www.dalbydata.com)
is aimed primarily at genealogists, it can be extremely useful for historians interested in individuals and
groups. Note that the information is compiled by volunteers and the information should be verified
before use. It is freely available to anyone.
Ancestry.com: Although there are a number of online sites for genealogical research ancestry.com
appears to be the most comprehensive in terms of indexes and other resources (on a global scale) and
therefore the most useful to individuals seeking to locate individuals or groups of individuals. The ability
to search for individuals online makes it possible to do research that was impossible twenty years ago.
Availability: Students and faculty at St. Olaf College can access this database online through the
Databases tab on the library homepage as the “Ancestry Library.” The Northfield Public Library owns a
subscription but can only be accessed in the library. It is available by subscription for individuals.
HeritageQuestOnline.com is a collection of databases and resources for local history and
genealogical research. It includes the federal manuscript census schedules – as does Ancestry.com – as
well as indexes to 25,000 local history books and 2.1 million local history articles.
Availability: The Northfield Public Library now owns a subscription to HeritageQuest, which can be
accessed online with a valid Northfield library card barcode – go to www.northfieldmn.info and click
on “Electronic Resources.”
More generally America: History and Life is an index of approximately 2,800 journals as well as
dissertations and books on North American history published after 1964.
Availability: Students and faculty at St. Olaf College can access this database online through the Databases
tab on the St. Olaf Libraries homepage.
Census Material and Demographics
The federal government conducts a census of all inhabitants every ten years. The first census was
conducted in 1790. The information contained in the manuscript census schedules – the handwritten
sheets completed by the enumerators (census takers) varies by year; becoming more comprehensive
with each census.
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The state of Minnesota also conducted population censuses (see below).
Manuscript Census Schedules for Rice County, Minnesota. St. Olaf owns microfilm copies of the
1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 manuscript census schedules. (Note that the original 1890
manuscript census schedules were destroyed by a fire in Washington, D.C. in the 1920’s). In addition,
the Northfield Public Library owns microfilm for the 157, 1865, 1875, 1880, 1885, 1895, and 1905
censuses. A card index is available for the state census 1865-1895 for Northfield and Bridgewater
Townships in Rice County and the City of Northfield
1790-1930 Federal Population Censuses. The National Archives maintains an excellent web site
devoted to the federal census.
http://www.archives.gov/publications/microfilm-catalogs/census/1790-1890/index.html
It provides a wealth of information about the federal population census including what questions were
asked each decade, histories of the census, research hints, maps and descriptions of the enumeration
districts, and a bibliography.
And the Census Bureau did more than count the nation’s inhabitants; it collected data on agriculture,
industry, education, transportation, and more. Much of this additional information is compiled in the
detailed historical abstracts and census summaries. These can be analyzed using the Historical Census
Browser at the University of Virginia.
The Northfield Public Library also has microfilm of the U.S. Federal Census for the entire Minnesota
territory (1850); Rice and Dakota County (1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920); and Rice,
Dakota and Goodhue Counties (1930).
University of Virginia Scholars’ Lab (http://www.lib.virginia.edu/scholarslab/resources/index.html):
The section on “Statistical Resources” is a link to UVa’s Historical Census Browser. This tool can be used
to quickly analyze the aggregate state and county level census data – statistical data – between census
years or across states or counties. The data and terminology presented in the Historical Census Browser
are drawn directly from (printed) historical volumes of the U.S. Census of Population and Housing.
Censusfinder.com: Although this site bills itself as a source for “free” census information it contains
links to many of the fee-based census indexes including accenstry.com (below). For social historians (as
well as genealogists) this site has hundreds of links to census records and other “registers.” For
example, a list of Pensioners (Civil War veterans and widows) on the rolls in Rice County in 1883.
Ancestry.com: Quickly emerging as the largest “index” of census records ancestry.com is another
invaluable resource for locating individuals and groups of individuals and then following the “trail” to
uncover other information about them. One advantage of ancestry.com over the Dalby database is that
it contains links to the original records, e.g., manuscript census schedules, which are indexed.
dalbydata.com: Another index of federal and state census records.
Minnesota State Census: The State of Minnesota conducted censuses in 1853, 1855, 1865, 1875,
1885, 1895 and 1905. The 1895 census could be especially valuable given the loss of the 1890 federal
census. Microfilm copies of the census schedules are available at the Minnesota Historical Society and
through Interlibrary Loan. Images of the census schedules appear to be available online through
ancestry.com so it probably is not critical to obtain copies.
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School and Government
WPA Inventory of Rice County Records: Completed in 1940 by the Minnesota Historical Records
Survey Project this mimeographed book is a “complete” inventory of the governmental records of Rice
County. It includes a twenty-page sketch (footnoted) of Rice County History. Some of the records
inventoried include:
Commissioners’ Records from 1858 onward
Assessment records from 1876 onward
Tax records from 1880
Deeds and mortgages from 1855
County Surveyor records (plats and notes) from 1888, etc.
Although the Minnesota Historical Society’s copy is in good shape there are likely to be very, very few
copies extant. Anybody interested in Rice County history would find this an invaluable guide to county
records, many of which likely still exist.
Rice County (Faribault). Prepared by the Minnesota Historical Records Survey Project, Division of
Professional and Service Projects, Work Projects Administration. Saint Paul, Minn., The
Project, 1940. (Minnesota Historical Society Reading Room CD3317 .H67 no.66)
Rice County School District Agency Records: A large collection of school district records are now
held by the Minnesota Historical Society. Independent School District 659 was originally organized
August 12, 1856 as Rice County School District No. 3. In 1952, numerous school districts were
consolidated into District No. 3, which was renumbered Independent Consolidated Joint School District
No. 42 of Rice, Dakota, and Goodhue Counties. Became Independent School District No. 659 in 1957.
Here is a brief, incomplete, summary of the ISD 659 records:
Pupil records 1916 – 1933 elementary and middle school
Pupil records 1944 – 1949 elementary schools
Pupil records 1890 – 1920 high school
Clerks books 1856 – 1952
Treasurer’s books 1875 – 1931
Attendance reports 1890 – 1926
Census 1911 – 1949
Superintendent’s reports 1888 – 1914, 1935 - 1964
Alumni lists 1877 – 1940
1939 Report on Rural School Houses (inventory and condition
Rural school board Associations – 1934 – 1970
Rural School Helper 1941 – 1970 Monthly bulletin published by the superintendent for the benefit
of rural school teachers
School Census 1890’s, 1911, 1915, 1921, 1934 – 1970
School Petitions 1865 – 1870, 1890s – 1920s
School Reorganization and Consolidation Records 1939 – 1958
Teacher Records 1880 – 1970
Minnesota Historical Society has an inventory of all the records they hold. These records are an
incredible resource for anyone wishing to study the rise of public schools in the heartland and the
“rural” school consolidation movement following World War II.
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For a full description of holdings see the Minnesota Historical Society’s Agency History Record for school
districts in Rice County.
As of this writing, no inventory or guide to the records of the City of Northfield has been located.
Historic Photographs
A number of institutions in Rice County have historic photographs including the Northfield Historical
Society, Rice County Historical Society, and Northfield Public Library. Gradually these collections are
being digitized and published on the Northfield History Collaborative website
(http://collaboration.northfieldhistory.org) where they can be searched. Both the Northfield Historical
Society and the Rice County Historical Society have indexes to their photograph collections.
In addition to the excellent collection of historic photographs in Northfield: The History and Architecture of
a Community compiled 1999 by the Northfield Heritage Preservation Commission, two other collections
of historic photographs should be mentioned. They are:
Faribault Daily News and Rice County Historical Society. Rice County, Minnesota: Pictorial
History. Faribault, Minnesota, 2000.
Northfield News. Nostalgic Northfield faces and places, with introduction by Maggie Lee.
Northfield, Minnesota, Northfield News, 2001
Nostalgic Northfield has been indexed and the index can be found in the Northfield Historical Society’s
subject files under “Nostalgic Northfield: Index” and “Rice County, Minnesota: Pictorial History” as well
as at the Northfield Public Library. Unfortunately Rice County is not indexed.
Newspapers
The Northfield Public Library holds only bound volumes of the Northfield News for the last 9 years.
The Northfield Historical Society holds all of the remaining bound volumes of Northfield newspapers
going back as far as the 1870’s. Both the Northfield Public Library and the Minnesota Historical
Society have the following newspapers (mostly on microfilm):
Northfield Times 1975 - ?
United American (Norwegian) 1918 – 1923
Norwegian American 1908 – 1918
Northfield Independent 1887 – 1962
Northfield News 1879 – April 2009
Northfield Mail 1876 – 1879
Rice County Journal 1872 – 1884
Northfield Standard 1870 – 1875
Northfield Enterprise 1868 – 1879
Northern Statesman and Western Farmer (Faribault) 1861 – 1863
Northfield Telegraph 1861 – 1862
Because of the fragile nature of historic newspapers patrons are encouraged to first consult the Dalby
database and other indices in order to narrow their search for information.
Patrons are also encouraged to review the vertical subject files and newspaper scrapbooks of the
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Northfield Public Library and the Rice County Historical Society.
Vertical Subject Files and Indices
Northfield Historical Society: The Northfield Historical Society has an extensive collection of
subject files and several lists (Excel spreadsheets) that can be searched. There is a list of Maggie Lee’s
columns in the Northfield News, a list of subject files (buildings, businesses, institutions, events, etc.),
and a list folders with information on individual people.
Marston Headley diligently indexed the Northfield newspapers noting business news and other
significant events. The card catalog files appear to be somewhat out of order but Marston’s work,
particularly in recording changes in the downtown business district, appears detailed if not
comprehensive.
Finally, in 1979 Dale Ness undertook a survey of Northfield architecture. The two boxes of material
contain a wealth of material on the commercial and residential buildings of Northfield.
Northfield Public Library vertical files: The Northfield Public Library has a rich collection of
newspaper clippings and scrapbooks on Northfield subjects. On scrapbook, “Early Northfield
History,” is digitized and on the Northfield History Collaborative website –
www.northfieldhistorycollaborative.org
Rice County Historical Society Research Files subject headings: The Rice County Historical Society
has an extensive set of research files organized by subject. Currently the collection occupies 16 file
drawers. These are organized by subject headings and there is a subject heading list available.
Internet Bonanzas
This last category is a collection of resources that don’t really fit above but need to be mentioned
because they offer a rich collection of material and frequently sources that can lead to other sources.
Another way of putting it is “dig here” because you will find gold that will sooner or later prove
valuable.
Northfield History Collaborative (http://www.northfieldhistorycollaborative.org/): Established in
2007, the Northfield History Collaborative preserves and makes available digitized records of the
history of the Northfield, MN area. The NHC concentrated initially on education in Northfield and
the James-Younger Gang bank raid, but has since expanded their focus to general topics in Northfield
history. Their collections range from manuscripts, photographs, pamphlets, newspaper clippings,
audio recordings, and books.
Minnesota Reflections (http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm/): Minnesota Reflections offers
resources on Minnesota’s history and geography for teachers, students, researchers, and the public.
Included are over 80,000 images, maps and documents from more than 125 of the state’s cultural
heritage organizations, such as the American Swedish Institute, Luther Seminary, and the Minnesota
Historical Society.
Library of Congress digital collections (http://www.loc.gov/library/libarch-digital.html): The Library
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of Congress’ digital collections are vast. Perhaps best known is their American Memory collection of
America history and culture. Other collections include historic maps, photographs, historic newspapers,
material on the performing arts, veteran’s experiences, children’s books, a full index of the Congressional
Record and all bills, and the photographs, drawings, and histories of the Historic American Building
Survey and the Historic American Engineering Record.
The size of the collections makes searching somewhat of a challenge at times but extremely rewarding.
For example, the photographic collection includes the work of the Farm Security Administration during
the depression and includes the works of Dorthea Lange, Russell Lee, and others. The map collection
includes a number of railroad and highway maps.
National Archives and Records Administration (http://www.archives.gov): The holdings of the
National Archives are as vast as the Library of Congress but they focus on federal government
documents. Included are the manuscript census schedules, military records of all kinds, immigration
records, as well as records of the various departments and agencies. Given the reach of the federal
government you will find information here.
University of Virginia Scholars’ Lab (http://www.lib.virginia.edu/scholarslab/resources/index.html):
This is one of undoubtedly many university sites that attempt to collect, organize, and list the incredible
wealth of digital data on the web. In the section on “Geospatial Resources” can be found a wealth of links
to historical data including daily and weekly weather maps for the United States from 1871 through 2001,
the Library of Congress map collections, and the National Historical Geographic Information System
(NHGIS).
In the section on “Statistical Resources” mentioned above, includes a link to UVa’s Historical Census
Browser. The data and terminology presented in the Historical Census Browser are drawn directly from
historical volumes of the U.S. Census of Population and Housing and this tool provides an easy means to
analyze the yards of printed material in the historical volumes.
Transportation
Clark, George L. History of Rice County roads and Highway Department under jurisdiction of the Rice County
Board between 1855 & 1974. George L. Clark, [Faribault, Minn.], [1975]
Clark, George L. History of Transportation and Roads in Rice County. George L. Clark. [Faribault, Minn.] :
Clark, [1976]
Meyer, Ron, History of the Cannon Valley Railroad. Typescript,1987 (Northfield Historical Society, shelf 2,
box 3)
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