Ravalli County, Montana Genealogy

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

Description
Ravalli County is named after the Italian Jesuit priest Antony Ravalli, who arrived in the Bitterroot Valley in 1845. Located in the southwestern part of the state.

County Courthouse
Ravalli County Courthouse 300 W River Road; Hamilton, MT 59894 Phone: 406.822.3520 Ravalli County Website County Clerk and recorder has birth and death records from 1911, land records from 1871 and voter registration from 1937; Clerk Court has marriage, divorce and court records from 1893 and probate records from 1888

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

Boundary Changes
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 * Ravalli County map

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 — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
 * 1892-1957 - U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; First Presbyterian Church of Hamilton, Baptisms, Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1892-1957
 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * 1915-16- (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records
 * 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

 * The Missoulian Souvenir of The National Irrigation Congress: Historic and Scenic Missoula and Ravalli Counties, Montana. c1968. By Wagner and Sevigne. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah..

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * 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 Indexes and 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
 * 1893-1929 - Montana Naturalization Records, 1856-1979 – Browseable images only; County records for Ravalli County have various naturalization records from 1893-1929.

Newspapers
 Montana Newspapers Online
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Montana newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Montana newspapers
 * Montana Newspapers by the Montana Historical Society
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Montana newspapers

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 Indexes and Records
 * 1831 – 1952 Montana Wills and Probate Records 1831-1952 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

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

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
 * 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
 * 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

 * Hamilton Montana Family History Center
 * Stevensville Montana Family History Center

Libraries
Bitterroot Public Library 306 State Street Hamilton, MT 59840 406-363-1670 Email: [mailto:director@bitterrootpubliclibrary.org director@bitterrootpubliclibrary.org] Website Facebook

Darby Community Public Library 101 1/2 South Marshall Street Darby, MT 59829 406-821-4771

North Valley Public Library 208 Main Street Stevensville, MT 59870 406-777-5061

Museums
Ravalli County Museum 205 Bedford St Hamilton 59840-2853 Phone:406-363-3338 Email: [mailto:museum@ravallimuseum.org museum@ravallimuseum.org] Website Facebook

Victor Heritage Museum 125 Blake Street PO Box 610 Victor MT 59875 406-642-3997 Email: [mailto:victormuseum@cybernet1.com victormuseum@cybernet1.com] Website

Societies
Bitterroot Genealogical Society 702 S. Fifth Street Hamilton, MT 59840 Website

Ravalli County Historical Society and Museum 205 Bedford St Hamilton 59840-2853 Phone:(406) 363-3338 Email: [mailto:museum@ravallimuseum.org museum@ravallimuseum.org] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Ravalli County Archives at Montana USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * Ravalli County at Cyndi's List — a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Ravalli County at Genealogy Trails — volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Ravalli County at Montana USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Ravalli County, Montana at Linkpendium - genealogy and family history
 * Ravalli County, Montana Genealogy at LDSGenealogy.com - collection of links by state, county, city, and record type
 * 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.