Nelson County, North Dakota
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 6 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1991. Most listings are in or near Lakota, McVille, Pekin.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for North Dakota is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Nelson titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP6 of 6 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
6 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Episcopal Church of the Good Shepard-Lakota | Lakota | 2017 |
| Nesheim Bridge | McVille | 1997 |
| Old Settler's Pavilion | Pekin | 2010 |
| Ophaug, Nels, Barn | McVille | 2024 |
| Petersburg Auditorium | Petersburg | 2025 |
| Tofthagen Library Museum | Lakota | 1991 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBNelson was formed in 1883 (1883-03-02) from Foster, Grand Forks, Ramsey.
NELSON created by Dakota Territory in present North Dakota from FOSTER, GRAND FORKS, RAMSEY, and Non-County Area 15.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusNelson County population from 1890 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1890 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,293 | 7,316 | 10,362 | 9,129 | 8,090 | 7,034 | 5,233 | 3,715 | 3,015 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS34 cemeteries and 2 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 34 of 34 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Adler Union Cemetery |
| Behnke - Sommerfield Cemetery |
| Bergen Cemetery |
| Center Lutheran Cemetery |
| East Sarnia Lutheran Cemetery |
| Finnish Lutheran Cemetery Finnish Cemetery |
| Gethsemane Cemetery |
| Hamlin Cemetery |
| Hoff Cemetery |
| Lakota Cemetery |
| Logan Cemetery |
| Lom Lutheran Cemetery |
| McVille Cemetery |
| Melrose Cemetery |
| Melvin Cemetery |
| Michigan Cemetery |
| New Luther Valley Cemetery |
| Norway Lutheran Cemetery |
| Norway Lutheran Church Cemetery |
| Our Savior's Church Cemetery |
| Pekin Cemetery |
| Petersburg City Cemetery |
| Sacred Heart Cemetery |
| Saint Johns Cemetery |
| Saint Marys Cemetery |
| Sheyenne Cemetery |
| Sigdal Church Cemetery |
| Silent Hill Cemetery |
| Sundahl Cemetery |
| Tolna Cemetery |
| Valley Grove Cemetery |
| West Forest Cemetery |
| Zion Cemetery |
| Zion Lutheran Free Church Cemetery |
Historical populated places — 2 of 2
| Name |
|---|
| Harrisburg |
| Wamduska |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Historical markers
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Search HMdb for Nelson County, North Dakota
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