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Kidder County NDGenWeb is a free genealogical site about the history of the county. It is a member of NDGenWeb, which is a member of USGenWeb®. We hope you find helpful clues for your research of Kidder County ancestors.

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County Coordinator: Norma Hass normahass01@gmail.com

COUNTY FORMATION

Kidder county dates its organization from 1881. In the spring of that year a board of county commissioners, appointed for that purpose by the governor, met at Steele to perform the duties of their office. They were the following named gentlemen: John W. Van Deusen, W. F. Steele and Frank Whipple. The county seat was located at Steele, and the following were chosen to fill the various offices: D. F. Allison, county clerk and register of deeds; J. D. Thompson, county treasure; and Leon McLaughlin, sheriff."
Compendium history and biography of North Dakota, published in 1900, page 114

Kidder County was established January 4, 1873, and was organized March 22, 1881. Steele was temporarily named the county seat, and popular vote in the fall of 1882 made it permanent. The county was named for Jefferson Parish Kidder (1815- 1883) who served as the Dakota Territorial delegate to Congress, and was an Associate Justice to the territorial Supreme Court. The courthouse had been a hotel owned by Colonel Steele, and was sold to the county in 1885. Kidder county is in grain farming and cattle country, and on the main line of the Burlington Northern Railroad, and Interstate I-94. The county is rich in history of battles fought during the Sibley Expedition of 1863 after the Minnesota uprising.