Montana, Big Horn County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of:


 * Deeds
 * Homesteads
 * Probate records
 * Naturalization records
 * Vital records (The birth and death records have been indexed)

The records are located at the county clerk/recorder's and clerk of court's offices in Hardin, Montana.

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

County
 * Individual names
 * Ages
 * Birth dates and places
 * Death dates and places
 * Marriage dates and places
 * Relationships
 * Residences

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?

 * Use the age to calculate the birth date to find vital records such as birth, christening, marriage, and death
 * Use the probate date as a substitute for the death date
 * Use the name of the undertaker, mortuary, or cemetery to find funeral and cemetery records
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * Use the occupations to find employment or military records
 * Use the information to find the family in census 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 research your family in the state of Montana.
 * Montana Guided Research
 * Montana Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Montana Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Big Horn County Genealogical Society newsletter 13 volumes. Hardin, Montana : Big Horn County Genealogical Society, 1981-1997. FHL 978.638 D25b v. 1-13
 * Big Horn County, birth records, 1891-1982
 * Big Horn County, death records, 1911-2011
 * Big Horn County, marriage records, 1913-1996
 * Big Horn County, deed records, 1908-1921
 * Big Horn County, miscellaneous probate records, 1913-1947
 * Big Horn County, naturalization records, 1907-1956
 * Big Horn County, probate estate files, ca. 1913-1947

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.