Quick Summary
New additions to the Minnesota Digital Library include a set of Bemidji city directories and a collection of letters about the World War I service of Maurice Masterson of Barnesville, Minnesota.
The Minnesota Digital Library (MDL) recently completed two major digitization and upload projects from contributing organizations in northwestern Minnesota. The Beltrami County Historical Society contributed 35 city directories of Bemidji, and the Northwest Minnesota Historical Center shared a set of letters relating to World War I and the death of Barnesville resident Maurice Masterson. Both projects add unique and valuable content to MDL.
The Bemidji city directories were published between 1904 and 1979. Each directory includes an alphabetical list of names, addresses, and occupations of residents; a classified business directory; and lists of city and county officers, churches, schools, secret societies, streets, and wards. It contains street number and telephone number listings cross-referenced to resident names. The books also contain local advertisements, and they have been fully transcribed so you can easily search within the pages to find people and places of interest.
Most of the documents in the Masterson family collection were created during World War I. They document the wartime experiences of the Florence and Edward Masterson family of Barnesville, Minnesota, as well as their friends and relatives. Many of the correspondence materials relate to their son, Maurice, who was killed on November 1, 1918 in France. The collection also includes a selection of certificates and other Masterson family records, including one in memory of Maurice Masterson from Commander-in-Chief John J. Pershing.
Learn more and browse the full collections of the Beltrami County Historical Society and the Northwest Minnesota Historical Center in MDL, today!
Image credit: Title page of the Bemidji City Directory from 1904. Beltrami County Historical Society collection, https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/belt:650
