Oregon, Yamhill County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The collection covers the years 1857 to 1963.

Record Description
This collection includes images of the following records:


 * Deeds and mortgages (1857-1963)
 * Military service records (1919-1951)
 * Licensing and other miscellaneous records (1899-1957)

Records will be added to this collection as images become available. At present, many other county records are available on microfilm at the Family History Library and family history centers.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts in the Oregon, Yamhill County Records may include the following information:




 * Name of deceased
 * Event date
 * Event place
 * Residence
 * Age
 * Gender
 * Names of parents
 * Biographical information about parents such as date and place of birth
 * Names of heirs, such as spouse, children, other relatives, or friends
 * Names of the executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Dates the documents were written and recorded (used to approximate event dates since a will was usually written near the time of death)
 * Description and value of property or land
 * Occupation

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The place where the event occurred
 * The approximate date the event occurred
 * The name of the individual or individuals

Identify the record to be searched
From the Record Description list, identify the kind of record you would like to search (land, naturalization, probate, marriages, etc.) and click on the title link to select it.

Check the surname index
With each type of records, there is an index page for each letter of the alphabet. Search the index for your ancestor. If you find you ancestor’s name in the index, make note of the page or image number listed.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the age to calculate the birth date.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names to locate church and land records.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment records or military records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.
 * The name of the undertaker, mortuary, or cemetery could lead you to funeral and cemetery records which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes created by local genealogical and historical societies.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

For a summary of this information see the wiki article: United States, How to Use the Records Summary (FamilySearch Historical Records).

Record History
County officials began keeping records from the time the county was formed.

Why the Record Was Created
Each type of record within the county was created for a different purpose, but most were created to keep track of the vital events happening in the lives of the citizens and to safeguard their legal interests and the legal interests of their heirs.

Record Reliability
Facts current at the time of the event are generally reliable.

Related Websites
Yamhill County Oregon Kindred Trails

Related Wiki Articles

 * Oregon Land and Property
 * Oregon Military Records
 * Yamhill County, Oregon

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

"Oregon, Yamhill County Records, 1857-1963." FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org). Yamhill County Clerk, McMinnville, Oregon. FHL digital images, 299 digital folders. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. Information about creating source citations for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the Wiki Article: Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Example of a Source Citation for a Record in This Collection
"Oregon, Yamhill County Records, 1857-1963" Images, FamilySearch, (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 9 September 2911). entry for James W McLelland discharged for U.S. Army, 1 June 1949; citing county records, Military records, Service discharge records, 1948-1950, v. 9 pt.2 (p. 397-100, image 7; Yamhill County Clerk, McMinnville, Oregon, United States.