Oregon, Columbia County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection of various county records was obtained from the Columbia County Courthouse in St. Helens, Oregon. The collection includes indexes and images of of the following records:
 * Land and Property (1854-1920)
 * Civil Registration - Marriages (1854-1958)
 * Naturalization / Citizenship 1891-1945)
 * Tax (1898-1908)
 * For additional county record collections see "FamilySearch Catalog" below.

Land and Property Records Individuals who settled in the Oregon Territory before December 1, 1855, were eligible to receive donation land claims. The earlier, provisional claims were voided. The size of the piece of land was dependent upon the date of the arrival and the marital status of the claimant. The applications for these free lands may provide birth, marriage, citizenship, migration, or other valuable information. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions are recorded by the county auditor in the form of deeds and mortgages. These may be obtained from the appropriate recorder or clerk in each courthouse. The Family History Library has not acquired land records from the counties, except for the deed indexes of Douglas County for 1857 to 1974. Land and property records during the period, 1845 to 1849, were filed with the provisional recorder. These papers are now in the Oregon State Archives. The record contains a description of the land claimed, and may name adjoining land holders.

Marriage and Civil Registration Marriages were usually recorded by the clerk of the district court for each county from the time the county was formed. Persons desiring to marry obtained a license that they presented to the minister or other person authorized to marry, such as a justice of the peace. Once the marriage was performed, the officiator sent a return to the clerk confirming that the marriage had occurred.

Naturalization and Citizenship In the territorial era, immigrants could apply for citizenship at any U.S. district court. Naturalization records filed as part of the “donation land” laws are at the National Archives. After statehood in 1859, the circuit court had primary jurisdiction over naturalization. The county clerk served as clerk of the circuit court and kept the records. You can obtain copies of declarations and petitions from the clerk's office in each county. Some naturalization records may also be found in county court journals or U.S. district court records. The Family History Library has copies of some naturalization records for Oregon.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Land and Property
 * Name of owner
 * Legal description of real and personal property
 * Names and ages of property owners and possible relationships
 * Number of acres of land
 * Town plot description
 * Name of city or town

Marriage
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Names of the groom and bride and their residences
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name of officiator at marriage
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

Tax
 * Name of owner
 * Legal description of real and personal property
 * Names and ages of property owners and possible relationships
 * Original grantee
 * Number of acres of land
 * Value
 * Town plot description
 * Name of city or town
 * Kind, number, and value of livestock
 * Kind, quantity, and value of farm commodities
 * Amount of state taxes
 * Amount of county taxes

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Oregon.
 * Oregon Guided Research
 * Oregon Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1903 | 1900-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog
 Census Land and Property  Military Records  Naturalization  Probate Records  Tax Records  Vital Records   Voter Registration
 * Egbert S. Oliver. Homes in the Oregon forest : settling Columbia County, 1870-1920.Brownsville, Oregon : Calapooia Publications, ©1983 FHL 979.547 H2o
 * Columbia County. 1856 census
 * Columbia County. Deed records, 1854-1965
 * Columbia County. Deeds, 1854-1933
 * Columbia County. Mortgages, 1854-1888; index 1854-1915
 * Columbia County. Discharge records, v.1 1919-1945
 * Columbia County. Naturalization certificate stubs, 1907-1926; index to naturalization records, 1876-1912
 * Columbia County. Naturalization, court, land and property, and miscellaneous records, 1854-1913
 * Columbia County. Probate case files, 1850-1921
 * Columbia County. Index to probate cases, 1880-1930
 * Columbia County. Appointment of Administrators, 1884-1889
 * Columbia County. Probate records, 1882-1921; index, 1890-1920
 * Columbia County. Proof of wills and deaths, 1884-1889
 * Columbia County. Record of Administrators executors, and guardian bonds, v.1 1914-1930
 * Columbia County. Appointment of guardians, 1884-1889
 * Columbia County. Tax lists, election records, and census, 1854 - 1900
 * Columbia County. Marriage records, 1854-1961
 * Columbia County. Record of Deaths, 1907-1915
 * Columbia County. Voter Registrations, 1900-1914

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.