Idaho County, Idaho Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for a steamer called Idaho that was launched on the Columbia River. The County Seat is Grangeville and was founded February 4, 1864. It is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Idaho County Courthouse 320 West Main St. Grangeville, ID 83530 Phone: 208-983-2776 Idaho County 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:

History Timeline

 * 9 January 1869: Lemhi County created from part of Idaho County
 * 26 February 1917: Valley County created from parts of Boise and Idaho Counties

Census Records
The 1890 federal census for Idaho was destroyed. However, the Idaho State Historical Society Public Archives and Research Library is creating a list of 1890 Idaho residents by indexing a variety of records, 1885-1894. This reconstructed list will substitute for the destroyed 1890 federal census. For a summary of census records for the state of Idaho, see Idaho Census Records.

Church Records
In 1930, Idaho County was part of Northwestern States Mission
 * The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (208) 983-2110
 * The following are local congregations (wards) which existed in Idaho County, Idaho prior to 1950.
 * For original or later records, check with the Church History Library in Salt Lake City.
 * Many of the records to about 1948 are available at the FamilySearch Libraryin Salt Lake City and at its FamilySearch Centers. original county.

 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church (208) 983-0403 stspeterandpaulparish.org/
 * United Methodist Church of Grangeville (208) 983-0310
 * Saint Catherine of Siena Parish (208) 935-2130 http://saintcatherines.weebly.com/
 * Church of the Nazarene (208) 983-0552
 * Grangeville Seventh Day Adventist Church (208) 935-0388 [www.grangevilleadventist.org Grangeville Church]
 * Trinity Lutheran Church of Grangeville (208) 983-0562 Grangeville Lutheran
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * (*) at the FamilySearch Catalog

 Judgment Books
 * Judgments, 1870-1930; index, ca. 1870-1900

Land and Property Records
Included with the standard county land records are Indian patents, 1895-1909, mostly for some of the Nez Perce Indians.

Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

 * Idaho County website includes an "Our History" page.
 * An illustrated history of north Idaho embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho at archive.org.
 * Pioneer days in Idaho County, by M Alfreda Elsensohn; Eugene F Hoy
 * Idaho County voices a people's history from the pioneers to the present, by Zona Chedsey; Carolyn Frei
 * Major Fenn's country, by Neal Parsell
 * Idaho County newspaper items, 1886-1903, by Carol Anglen
 * River &amp; prairie "news", 1904-1913 (Idaho County's brides, babies, burials n' bullets), by Carol Anglen
 * Times past a photographic history of Idaho County, by the Idaho County Free Press
 * Over a century of murder in Idaho County, 1861-1994, by Idaho County Historical Society and the Bicentennial Historical Museum

Maps and Gazetteers

 * An 1895 map of Idaho and surrounding counties is available online.
 * A digital Idaho County Idaho map is available online.
 * Map of Idaho County, Idaho is available online.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records
World War I
 * 1917-1918
 * 1917-1918 World War I draft registration cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry.com

World War II
 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1892-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

 Current
 * Cottonwood Chronicle
 * Idaho County Free Press (a weekly)

 Historical Boise News- 1863:9:29-1864:10:22 Idaho mountaineer - 1941:5:15-1958:6:26 Idaho patriot - 1864:10:9 Idaho times - 1866:11:2 Idaho world, 1864 - 1864:10:29-1918:11:1 Idaho world, 1958 - 958:1:2-9999 Ladies mite - 864:7:10

Obituaries

 * 1943-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images

County Commissioners' Records
The minute books of the County Commissioners contain interesting tidbits of history about the county as well as the names of individuals appealing to the County Commissioners for action on issues of concern to them. Minutes of those meetings were recorded from the formation of the county, for most counties. Some counties now post the minutes of current meetings online.

Most of these records have been preserved in the county courthouses of the State of Idaho. Few have been microfilmed. Contact the county clerk for information about years covered and availability.

Miscellaneous Series
Often overlooked by the genealogist, this group of volumes may contain affidavits for citizenship, final disposition of estates, divorce decrees, and many other types of valuable documents. The content varies from county to county, year to year and from clerk to clerk. When the estate case files, civil or criminal files are not available or have been destroyed, you may find key documents recorded here. Most counties will have an index to this series and it is a must search if the information you are seeking is not found elsewhere.

Both the Idaho State Archives in Boise, Idaho, and the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah have copies of the miscellaneous record of Idaho County. The originals are held in the Idaho County courthouse in Grangeville, Idaho and can be accessed by visiting there. Copies in the Idaho State Archives are available for viewing in Boise. Those held by the FamilySearch Library can be viewed either at the Library in Salt Lake City or at any of its FamilySearch Centers.

Pension Records
Mothers' Pensions were provided by the State of Idaho for widows and/or orphans, under certain conditions. Petitions for those pensions were filed with the probate court in each county. The original papers for several counties have been transferred to the Idaho State Archives in Boise and have been indexed. Idaho County Mothers' Pensions are included in that index.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1857-1989 Idaho Wills and Probate Records 1857-1989 at Ancestry.com $
 * (*) at FamilySearch Catalog

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1861-1911 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1883-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images

Marriage
Online Records
 * 1800-1987 Idaho, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1864-1976 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Privacy law can't publish
 * 1864-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images
 * 1878-1898;1903-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1947-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * Western States Marriage Index

Death
Online Records
 * 1883-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images
 * 1938-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index

Divorce

 * 1947-1963 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index

Archives

 * Idaho State Archives Digital Collections - Enter County in Search Bar
 * Idaho State Archives

FamilySearch Centers

 * Enterprise Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Grangeville Idaho FamilySearch Center
 * Hamilton Montana FamilySearch Center
 * Kamiah Idaho FamilySearch Center
 * Lewiston Idaho FamilySearch Center
 * Orofino Idaho FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Idaho County Genealogical Society 215 W North St Centennial Library Grangeville, ID 83530 208-983-0951 Facebook PageWebsite Historical Museum at St. Gertrude 465 Keuterville Rd. Cottonwood, ID 83522-5183 208-962-2050 Website Salmon Public Library 300 Main St Salmon, ID 83549 208-756-2311 Website Salmon River Public Library 126 North Main St Riggins, ID 83549 208-628-3394

Museums

 * Historical Museum at St. Gertrude 465 Keuterville Rd. Cottonwood, ID 83522-5183 208-962-2050

Societies

 * State Historical Society 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd Boise, Idaho 208-334-2774 Website Facebook
 * National Society Daughters of the American Revolution-Idaho Chapter
 * The Idaho Welsh Society

Websites

 * Official Idaho County website
 * Idaho County Idaho GenWeb, a member of ID GenWeb


 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.