Clackamas County, Oregon Genealogy

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

Oregon Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
County Clerk has marriage and land records 1846. State Archivist has custody of some old county records.

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

Quick Facts


Named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, part of the Chinookan people.

Parent County
5 July 1843: Clackamas county was created from the Oregon Territory.

Boundary Changes
11 January 1854: Wasco County set off.

22 December 1854: Multhomah County set off.

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.

Populated Places
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:

Neighboring Counties
Hood River | Marion | Multnomah | Wasco | Washington | Yamhill

Cemeteries

 * Oregon Metro
 * Oregon Genealogy Cemeteries

Church History and Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

County Records

 * County Records Inventory lists record collections and locations held.

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:


 * Willamette River
 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
 * Applegate Trail 1846 from Winnemucca, Nevada 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
 * 1921-1938 at FamilySearch — index and images

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

Historic Oregon Newspapers as a division of the Oregon Digital Newspaper Program has digitized more than 644,000 pages of newspapers throughout Oregon. Dates range from 1846-1922 with selected issues continuing through 1973.

Of particular interest to Clackamas researchers:

Clackamas County Record (Oregon City) Oregon City Courier (Oregon City) oregon courier (Oregon City)

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1864-1922 Clackamas County Oregon list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills. - free
 * 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. &gt;&gt; Rivers and Waterways

Vital Records
The Family History Library has copies of some county records as following:

Clackamas County Coroner's Inquest 1859-1883, Certificates of Death 1921-1944

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.

Birth Records

 * 1842-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images (*); Also at: Ancestry
 * 1860-1952 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1876-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Delayed Birth Certificates

Birth Registers

Marriage Records

 * 1826-1975 Oregon, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1842-1917 Oregon, U.S., State Births, 1842-1917 at Ancestry - index and images ($); Also at: 
 * 1849-1884; 1991-2006 at FamilySearch — index and images; collection is incomplete.
 * 1906-1968 Oregon, U.S., State Marriages, 1906-1968 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
 * Extractions of early marriages are listed on the Western States Marriage Index
 * Marriage Index 1885-1896 Actually is a book of affiants reporting the marriages. Historical Records Collection

Societies, Libraries and Museums
Clackamas County Family History Society PO Box 995 Oregon City 97045 Website

Museum of The Oregon Territory 211 Tumwater Drive Oregon City, OR 97045 503-655-5574 Website Facebook Page

End of the Oregon Trail 1726 Washington St Oregon City, OR 97045 503-357-9336 Website

Stevens-Crawford Heritage House 603 6th St Oregon City, OR 97045 503-655-2866 Website

Clackamas County Public Libraries 16201 SE McLoughin Blvd Oak Grove, OR 97267 503-655-8543 135 E Dartmouth ST Gladstone, OR 97027 503-655-8540 Website

Family History Centers

 * Lake Oswego Oregon Family History Center
 * Milwaukie Oregon Family History Center
 * Mount Hood Oregon Family History Center
 * Oregon City Oregon Family History Center
 * Portland Oregon Family History Center
 * The Genealogical Forum of Oregon - an affiliate library
 * Lake Oswego Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Wilsonville Public Library - an affiliate library

Websites

 * Clackamas County, OR History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Oregon Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Clackamas County GenWeb Project part of The ORGenWeb Project
 * Linkpendium
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project (backup site)
 * FamilySearch Catalog for Clackamas County