Montana, Sweet Grass County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of images to birth, death, coroner, naturalization, probate (including estate files) and deed records from the Clerk of the District Court, County Clerk, and Recorder's Offices in Big Timber. The birth and death records have been indexed. The collection includes records from 1887-201.

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 a death date
 * 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

 * An Illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana. Spokane, Wash. : Western Historical Pub. Co., 1907
 * Sweet Grass County, birth and death register, v.1, 1895-1918
 * Sweet Grass County, birth certificates,v.1-8, 1892-1930
 * Sweet Grass County, death certificates,v.1-11, 1904-2011
 * Sweet Grass County, deed records, 1885-1967
 * Sweet Grass County, estate case files, 1895-1940
 * Sweet Grass County, naturalization records, 1895-1944
 * Sweet Grass County, probate records, 1895-2010

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.