The North Dakota records related to the Works Progress Administration's Historical Data Project are housed at the State Historical Society of North Dakota.  The Department of Special Collections purchased a microfilmed set of the records in March 1989, consisting of thirty-four microfilm rolls of over 5000 files.  The records were filmed alphabetically by county, and within each county, alphabetically by name. The last roll is an alphabetical name index which includes the following information: pioneer's name, city or town, county, occupation, nationality, date and place of birth, whether still living or date and place of death, and marital status. If married, the above information is included for the spouse.

The files themselves consist of a Pioneer Data Form or Old Settler Questionnaire filled out by either a Project survey worker or the pioneers themselves. The Data Forms provide the following information: pioneer's name, birth and death dates, nationality, occupation, name of spouse, parents, and children, marital status, dates of immigration to the United States and arrival in Dakota Territory, education, religion, political affiliation, and family and community historical sketches. Also frequently included are small township maps, archaeological and historical survey forms, pioneer biographical sketches, reminiscences, and newspaper clippings.

The records in this collection are indexed in the North Dakota Biography Index: http://library.ndsu.edu/db/biography/