Multnomah County, Oregon Genealogy

Guide to Multnomah County, Oregon ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Oregon Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the Chinookan word for the "lower river". The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
County Clerk has divorce, court and land records from 1854


 * Multnomah County Courthouse

Boundary Changes
22 December 1854: Multnomah county was created from Clackamas and Washington Counties. Named after Native American people first recorded in the journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Mulknomans, who inhabited the area of Portland, most specifically on Sauvie Island.

For animated maps illustrating Oregon County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Oregon County Boundary Maps" (1843-1975) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.


 * County Records Inventory listing Multnomah County records as of October 2006 inventory.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places / Localities
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator.

The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Defunct Post Offices
 * Albina: Albina post office was in service from 1876 to 1892.

Trivia Tidbits
Information about localities, too small or too brief to describe in separate pages. Exception to this are Post Offices. Trivia Tidbits

Cemeteries

 * Mt. Calvary &amp; Gethsemani Catholic Cemeteries, online index.
 * Oregon Metro
 * Oregon Genealogy Cemeteries

Lutheran

 * Records of Central Lutheran Church, Portland, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Maps

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from for European and African American settlers included:


 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
 * Barlow Road 1846 from The Dalles to Oregon City
 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
 * Barlow Road 1846 from The Dalles to Oregon City

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index

World War I

 * 1919-1920 - at FamilySearch — index

World War II

 * 1921-1938 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1942-1945 - at FamilySearch — index

Newspapers
Oregon Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both free and pay-to-access websites.

Poor Farm Records

 * 1900-1962 - at FamilySearch — index

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1833 – 1963 Oregon Wills and Probate Records 1833-1963 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Rivers and Waterways
Details about the rivers and waterways where farms and settlements are often found along them. Rivers and Waterways

Birth Records

 * 1842-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images (*); Also at: Ancestry
 * 1860 - 1952 at FamilySearch — index

Delayed Birth Certificates

Birth Registers

Marriage Records
The Genealogical Forum of Oregon has placed an index on-line to the following marriage books: (FI$)


 * 1826-1975 - Oregon, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index
 * 1842-1917 Oregon, U.S., State Births, 1842-1917 at Ancestry - index and images ($); Also at: 
 * 1849-1884; 1991-2006 - at FamilySearch — index and images; collection is incomplete.
 * 1906-1968 Oregon, U.S., State Marriages, 1906-1968 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
 * 1855 - 1901 of the Multnomah County Marriage Books

See also How to order Oregon Vital Records, order electronically online $ or download an application for Oregon Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Application to mail.

Death

 * 1915-1924 Portland, Oregon Deaths, 1915-1924 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Voter Registration Records

 * 1908-1958 - at FamilySearch — index

Societies, Libraries and Museums
 Genealogical Forum of Oregon 2505 SE 11th Ave., Suite B-18 Portland, OR 97202 503-963-1932 Website Online Library Catalog [mailto:info@gfo.org Email] Facebook Page

East County Historical Organization PO Box 946 Fairview, OR 97024 503-618-0946 Website

Multnomah Historical Association PO Box 19785 2929 SW Multnomah Blvd Portland, OR 97219 503-893-5549 Website Facebook Page

David Douglas Historical Society 11300 NE Halsey St Portland, OR 97220 503-252-2900 Website

Multnomah County Library Administration 919 NE 19th Ave Suite 250 Portland OR 97232 503-988-7870 Website Facebook Page

Family History Centers

 * Cedar Mill Oregon West Union Family History Center
 * Gresham Oregon Family History Center
 * Lake Oswego Oregon Family History Center
 * Portland Oregon Family History Center

Websites

 * Multnomah County, OR History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Oregon Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Multnomah County GenWeb Project, part of The ORGenWeb Project
 * Linkpenium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * USGenWeb Archives (backup site)