Montana, Pondera County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of images to the following records for the years 1910 to 2012 from the county courthouse in Conrad:
 * Birth, marriage, death and land records from the County Clerk/Recorder's office. The birth and death records are indexed.
 * Probate and naturalization records from the Clerk of Court

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

County
 * Name of primary individual
 * Event date
 * Event place
 * Residence
 * Age
 * Sex
 * Names of parents
 * Biographical information about parents such as date and place of birth
 * Names of heirs, such as spouse, children, other relatives, or friends
 * Names of the executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Dates the documents were written and recorded (used to approximate event dates since a will was usually written near the time of death)
 * Description and value of property or land
 * Occupation
 * Military information such as company, rank, and enlistment date
 * Farm information such as number and value of acres and details of crops raised
 * Statistical information about members of the household

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The age of your ancestor
 * The names of relatives
 * The type of event such as marriage or naturalization
 * The approximate date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Search for vital records, such as birth, marriage and death
 * Use the probate date as a substitute for the death date
 * Search for the family in census records
 * Use the occupations to find employment or military records
 * Search for church, land and probate records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Montana.
 * Montana Guided Research
 * Montana Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Montana Research, 1880-Present

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Pondera County, birth records, 1910-1982
 * Pondera County, death records, 1914-2012
 * Pondera County, marriage records, 1919-1965
 * Pondera County, land records, 1910-1974
 * Pondera County, naturalization records, 1913-1956
 * Pondera County, probate records, 1913-1933 Case Files and Court Minutes

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Pondera History Association. Pondera. Conrad, Montana? : Pondera History Association, 1968

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.