Montana, Chouteau County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index and images of Chouteau County records held at various repositories. Records located in the Museum of the Northern Plains (River Plains Society) include voter registers, school district records, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church records, Riverside Cemetery records and newspapers clippings of births, marriages and deaths. Records held by the Chouteau County Courthouse include birth, death, probate, naturalization, deeds and school census records. This collection covers the years 1876 to 2011.

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

County
 * Individual names
 * Birth dates and places
 * Death dates and places
 * Marriage dates and places
 * Relationships
 * Residences

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

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the Record Category
 * 2) Select the Record Type, Volume, and Year Range to view the images.

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.

What Do I Do Next?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

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

 * Use the age to calculate the birth date to find vital records such as birth, christening, marriage, and death
 * Use the probate date as a substitute for the death date
 * Use the name of the undertaker, mortuary, or cemetery to find funeral and cemetery records
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * Use the occupations to find employment or military records
 * Use the information to find the family in census records

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

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Montana.
 * Montana Guided Research
 * Montana Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Montana Research, 1880-Present

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.