Forwarded to List by List Administer... Subj: Snag with MN Historical Society Date: 11/03/2002 9:44:29 AM Central Standard Time From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Please allow me to introduce myself: My name is Dennis, and I am on a search for my family's history. My father was an indentured servant in MN as a child. He was given to a farm family in 1927 at the age of three. The family that raised him was party to a contract with the state of MN. The contract required the family to provide food, clothing, and shelter to my father, and to send him to school long enough for him to learn to read and to write. The contract required my father to do what work was assigned him till age eighteen, at which time he would be free of the contract of servitude. One of my sisters researched this about twenty years ago, and came up with this info (she showed me a copy of the contract briefly). My sister has refused to share the info she found with her siblings, but at least I know it exists. I think I have found a place that has the info that I am seeking. The MN Historical Society has told me that they have info on over 10,000 of these indentured servants. But, they are refusing to do a search for me till I come up with a death certificate for my father. My father is not dead, he is still with us. I questioned the Hist. Soc. about this, and was told "It's for privacy." They did not explain further. Question: is the MN Hist. Soc. required by statute to keep this "indentured servitude" info closed, or is it just a matter of policy and procedure? Thanks much, Dennis