Montana, Cascade County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
The collection consists of county record collections from the following record custodians.

History Museum in Great Falls:
 * Probate
 * Voter register
 * Naturalization and immigration records

Great Falls Genealogy Society:
 * Probate case files, # 535-3165, 1903-1926
 * Court orders for dependent children, 1903-1937
 * Old age applications
 * Naturalization records, pre 1945

County Clerk's Office:
 * Deeds from 1880-1941 and index to 1995.

This collection covers the years 1880 to 2009.

Coverage Map
To see a coverage map of FamilySearch's holdings of Montana marriages click here.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
Information in the birth index includes the following:


 * Date of filing
 * Parents' names
 * Parents' birth place
 * Parents' residence
 * Child's date of birth
 * Child's gender
 * Child's race

Information in the death index includes the following:


 * Filing date of death record
 * Name of deceased
 * Age in years, months and days
 * Gender, race, marital status and residence of deceased
 * Birth date and place of birth
 * Date of death
 * Cause of death
 * Name of spouse, if married
 * Date and place of burial
 * Book and page number where recorded

Information found in marriage records may include:


 * Groom's name, age, race and residence
 * Groom's date of birth and place of birth
 * How many times previously married
 * Groom's parents' names, including maiden name of mother
 * Bride's name, age, race and residence
 * Bride's date of birth and place of birth
 * How many times previously married
 * Bride's parents' names, including maiden name of mother
 * Names of witnesses

Information in declarations of intent to naturalize includes:


 * Court and date of filing
 * Name, age and occupation of applicant
 * Physical description
 * Birth date and place of birth
 * Current residence
 * Last residence before immigration
 * Marital status
 * Name of spouse
 * Spouse's birth date and place of birth
 * Spouse's last place of residence
 * Date and place of arrival in the U.S.

Information in naturalization certificates include the following:


 * Name
 * Age
 * Court where declaration of intent was filed
 * Spouse's name and residence
 * Names of dependent children
 * Volume and page number where certificate is filed

Information in court orders may include the following:


 * Court where will is filed
 * Date of filing
 * Name of deceased
 * Name of executor
 * Conditions of the will
 * Name of spouse
 * Names of dependents or minor children
 * Name of other relatives
 * Names of neighbors and witnesses
 * Land descriptions
 * Inventory of property or estate

Information in military rolls usually include the following:


 * Names of citizens subject to military duty
 * If citizen is able-bodied
 * If citizen is between the ages of 18 and 45
 * If citizen is a civil military officer
 * If citizen is a civil officer of the state
 * If citizen is subject to military duty

Information found in the school records include:


 * County, town and school district
 * Name and age of child
 * Month of birth
 * Gender
 * Names of parents or guardians
 * Address

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search, it is helpful to know at least some of the following:
 * 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.

Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information in the list to what you already know about your ancestor to determine if it is the correct family or person. You may need to compare several persons in the list before you find your ancestor.

Search by Name by visiting the Collection Page:

View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Pagethen: ⇒Select the appropriate "Record Category" ⇒Select the appropriate “Record Type, Volume, and Year Range" which takes you to the images

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

What Do I Do Next?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the age to calculate the birth date to find other records such as birth, christening, marriage, census, and death records.
 * Use the probate date as a substitute 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 additional family members.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * [Montana Church Records|Church Records]] often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can’t Find Who 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 in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. 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. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of Montana, United States Genealogy.
 * Search in the Montana Archives and Libraries.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

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.


 * Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

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