Jefferson County, Montana Genealogy

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

Description
Jefferson County, Montana is located in the central western area of the state. The county was named for President Thomas Jefferson.

County Courthouse
Jefferson County Courthouse 201 Centennial PO Box H Boulder, MT 59632 Phone: 406.225.4020 Jefferson County Website County Clerk has birth and death records from 1907 and land records from 1865; Clerk District Court has marriage, probate and court records

Jefferson County, Montana Record Dates

 * {| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"


 * bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" colspan="7" | Known Beginning Dates for Major Records
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Birth*
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Marriage
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Death*
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Court
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Land
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Probate
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Census
 * width="13%" align="center" |1907
 * width="13%" align="center" |1866
 * width="13%" align="center" |1907
 * width="13%" align="center" |1865
 * width="13%" align="center" |1865
 * width="13%" align="center" |1865
 * width="13%" align="center" |1860
 * colspan="7" | *State birth and death records began in 1907. Compliance for recording births was 1922 and 1915 for deaths.
 * }
 * width="13%" align="center" |1860
 * colspan="7" | *State birth and death records began in 1907. Compliance for recording births was 1922 and 1915 for deaths.
 * }
 * }

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

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:

Territory and State Censuses

 * 1860 - at FamilySearch Historical Records - How to Use this Collection; index and images; Montana was included in the 1860 Washington and Nebraska Territory Censuses
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch Historical Records - How to Use this Collection; index and images; Montana Territory Census
 * 1880 - at FamilySearch Historical Records - How to Use this Collection; index and images; Montana Territory Census

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for the state of Montana starting in 1890, although no records survived. The 1900 Census is the next Federal Census available. For links to Federal Census indexes, see Montana Census.

Church Records
Online Church Records Lutheran Church Presbyterian Church List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1875-1940 - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
 * 1880-1893 - U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Presbyterian Church of Wickes, Baptisms, Deaths, 1880-1893
 * FamilySearch Places

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records
 * 1805-1951 Jefferson County, Montana, index to deeds records, 1805-1927 and deed records, 1864-1951
 * 1864-1959 Jefferson County, Montana, indexes to mining district records 1864-1959; mining district records 1864-1957
 * 1864-1990 Jefferson County, Montana, indexes to miscellaneous land records, 1864-1990 and miscellaneous land records, 1864-1964
 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1863 - 1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * Jefferson County Towns; 1883-84 Taxpayers of Jefferson County, Montana; Jefferson County Poll List - October 24, 1864. N.d. N.p: n.p..

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * See an interactive map of Jefferson County cemeteries and modern-day townships. (Histopolis)
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Montana - shows boundary changes for Montana Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of Montana - maps and atlases of Montana

Online Collections
These collections are unique to Montana. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Montana Military Records. Civil War World War I World War II For further information see Montana Military Records.
 * 1890 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index
 * 1890 - 1918 Montana Military Enlistments at Montana Memory Project
 * 1904 - 1918 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1917 - 1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  Index and images
 * Soldiers of the Great War from the State of Montana at USGenWeb.
 * Military Enlistments Montana World War I at Montana Memory Project
 * WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties for Montana - Index only

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Records
 * 1791-1992 - U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 at Ancestry — ($), index only
 * 1868-1999 - at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1870-1999 - Montana, Federal Naturalization Records, 1870-1999 at Ancestry — ($), index only
 * 1886-1951 - Montana Naturalization Records, 1856-1979 – Browseable images only; County records for Jefferson County have various naturalization records from 1886-1951.

Newspapers
 Montana Newspapers Online
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Montana newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Montana newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Montana newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * Basin Progress - more than 200 issues spanning 1897-1904 freely available via Google News Archive
 * 1905-1909 Basin Progress &amp; Mining Review - more than 100 issues spanning 1905-1909 freely available via Google News Archive
 * Basin Republican Rustler - more than 100 issues spanning 2006-2009 freely available via Google News Archive
 * Butte and Helena newspapers. This database is sometimes free at libraries.
 * Boulder, Montana, newspapers : the Jefferson County Sentinel, the Boulder Age, and the Boulder Monitor

Montana Newspaper Catalogs
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper

Obituaries

 * Obituary Daily Times - large obituary index from newspapers across the United States.

See also United States Obituaries for more about finding United States obituaries.

Probate Records
''Online Probate Records


 * 1831 – 1952 Montana Wills and Probate Records 1831-1952 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1869-1932 Jefferson County, Montana, probate case files, 1869-1932 and registers of probate case files, 1893-1932

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 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Birth

 * 1840 - 2004 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index and images
 * 1840 - 2004 Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1840 - 2004 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1895 - 2003 Jefferson County, Montana, births, marriages and deaths and indexes, 1895 - 2003 Viewable

Marriage

 * 1800 - 1994 - Montana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1865 - 1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index and images
 * 1865 - 1950 Montana, County Marriages, 1865 - 1950 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1889 - 1947 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index
 * 1889 - 1947 Montana Select Marriages 1889 - 1947 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1895 - 2003 Jefferson County, Montana, births, marriages and deaths and indexes, 1895 - 2003 Viewable
 * Western States Marriage Index - Index, incomplete, list of counties included

Death

 * 1840–2004   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1840 - 2004 Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1840 - 2004 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1860 - 2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1868 - 2011 Montana, Death Index, 1868 - 2011 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1895 - 2003 Jefferson County, Montana, births, marriages and deaths and indexes, 1895 - 2003 Viewable
 * pre 1954 - 2002 Montana State Death Registry Index Pre 1954 & 1954 - 2002 at Montana State Genealogical Society — index
 * 1954 - 2011 Montana Death Records at findmypast ($) — index

Family History Centers

 * Boulder Montana Family History Center

Societies
Jefferson Valley Historical Society P.O. Box 902 Whitehall 59759-0902

Websites

 * Genealogy Inc Jefferson County, Montana
 * USGenWeb Jefferson County, Montana project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * - 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