Benewah County, Idaho Genealogy

United States Idaho  Benewah County

County Courthouse
Benewah County Courthouse 701 W College Ave. St. Maries, ID 83861

Parent County
23 January 1915: Benewah County, Idaho was created from Kootenai County.


 * Named after a chief of the Coeur d'Alene Indian tribe.

Places/Localities
The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Resources
Many of the older court, land, naturalization, probate, pension, and vital records for Benewah County have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and at the Idaho State Archives in Boise. Details of the county records in these respective institutions can be obtained from their online catalogs or listings. Original records which have been microfilmed and more recent records are in the county courthouse in Saint Maries.

Cemeteries
There are many cemeteries in Benewah County. For a list of those that have been identified, and links to transcriptions and/or photographs of tombstones, go to Benewah County, Idaho Cemetery Records.

For the cemeteries in or immediately adjacent to the cities, please see the city pages for the cities listed above.

Census
For a summary of census records for the state of Idaho, see Idaho Census Records.

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.

Directories
The Idaho State Archives has in its collections copies of many city, county, state and regional directories.

Maps

 * A digital Benewah County map of Idaho is available online.
 * Map of Benewah County, Idaho is available online.

Military History and Records
World War I draft registration cards, 1917-1918, for Benewah County have been microfilmed. Copies of these records are available at the Family History Library (their microfilm number 1452220) and are also available online at Ancestry.com, for a subscription fee. The original cards are maintained in the Southeast Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in East Point, Georgia and have been microfilmed by the National Archives as their Microcopy M1509.

Current

 * Gazette-Record

Historical
The Idaho State Archives has in its collection copies of many Idaho newspapers.

Probate Records
Any existing original probate records for Benewah County should be housed in its county courthouse in St Maries, Idaho. These can be accessed by visiting the courthouse.

The Idaho State Archives has microfilmed copies of many of the early probate records of Benewah County which can be accessed by visiting the Archives in Boise, Idaho.

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City also has copies of early Benewah County probate records, and the following can be viewed at the Library in Salt Lake City or in any of its Family History Centers:


 * Inventory and Appraisement records 1915-1927
 * Letters of administration testamentary and wills, 1915-1943; bond of executors and administrators, 1915-1955
 * Probate Court Journal, 1915-1928; general index, ca. 1915-1928
 * Register of estates, 1925-1946

Taxation
Any existing tax assessment rolls for Benewah County should be in the courthouse in Saint Maries and would need to be accessed by visiting there.

Birth
Birth records, 1911 to present, for individuals born in Benewah County are included in and recorded at the state level. These records are restricted for a period of one hundred years from the time of the individual's birth but can be obtained by following the guidelines as issued by the State of Idaho. See the Vital Recordssection under the subject Idaho for more details.

Marriage
Over 1200 marriages, 1913-1939, are listed on the Western States Marriage Index.

Deaths
Deaths occurring in Benewah County after 1915 are included in the state-wide registration program. These records are restricted for a period of fifty years from the time of the individual's death but can be obtained by following the guidelines as issued by the State of Idaho. See the Vital Records section under Idaho for details.

Copies of death certificates from 1911-1954 are on microfilm and can be used at the Idaho State Archives in Boise, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, the BYU-Idaho University Library in Rexburg and several other locations.

A state-wide index to Idaho Deaths, 1911-1956 is available online. Efforts to expand this index to 1960 are underway. Another version is the US Genweb Idaho Death Index 1911-1956.

Societies, Libraries and Museums
Many public libraries provide internet access to sites of value to the family historian. Some have special collections of historical and cultural interest, as well. The following libraries may have some resources of value, but use of some or all of them may require a visit to the library.


 * Plummer Public Library 800 D St Plummer, ID 83851 Phone: (208) 686-1812 Website
 * St Maries Public Library 822 College Ave St Maries, ID 83861 Phone: (208) 245-3732 Website
 * Benewah District Library 4345 Fox Rd Tensed, ID 83870 Phone: (208) 274-3002

Websites

 * The Benewah County ID GenWeb Project, a member of The IDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project
 * Family History Library Catalog
 * Benewah County, Idaho Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)