Oregon, Columbia County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The collection covers the years 1854 to 1958.

Record Description
This collection of various county records was obtained from the Columbia County Courthouse in St. Helens, Oregon. The collection include 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)

Record Content
Key genealogical information typically found in Land and Property Records includes:




 * 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

Key genealogical information typically found in Marriage Records includes:


 * Name of the bride and groom
 * Names of the parents
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Family History Library Microfilm and item numbers for the source materials

Key genealogical information typically found in Naturalization Records includes:


 * Name
 * Age
 * Year of immigration
 * Native country
 * Birth place
 * Birth date

Key genealogical information typically found in Tax Records includes:


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


 * The county where the event occurred or where your ancestors lived
 * The name of the person at the time of the event
 * The approximate event date
 * The event place
 * The name of the intended spouse (if a marriage record)

Identify the record to be searched
From the Record Description list, identify the kind of record you would like to search (land, naturalization, marriages. or tax) 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.

Find the image
Start searching individual images or pages that you have listed. Compare the information in the records to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

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 following examples show ways you can use the information and may also lead you to other records about your ancestors:


 * Use the date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth to find the ancestor or family in census records.
 * Use the residence to locate church and land records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as your ancestor; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the marriage records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the bride and groom who may have married 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.

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.
 * Search for the marriage record of the marriage partner if known.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Record History
Land and Property

Oregon land 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.

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.

Many of the country records can be found on the internet by using a search engine and terms such as county name (e.g. Douglas), Land, Records.

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.

Why the Record Was Created
Marriage

Counties recorded marriages to legalize marital relationships and to protect the interests of the wife and other heirs to legal claims on property.

Land Records

These records were created to document the ownership of land in the State of Oregon.

Record Reliability
The information is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.

Related Websites

 * Oregon State Archives
 * Columbia Public Record Information Online
 * Columbia County, Oregon - Free Public Records Directory

Related Wiki Articles

 * Columbia County, Oregon
 * Oregon Land and Property
 * Oregon Taxation
 * Oregon Genealogy
 * Oregon Naturalization and Citizenship

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should 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 Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Example of a Source Citation for a Record Found in This Collection.
"Oregon, Columbia County Records,1854-1958" Images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 December 2011). entry for Philander Harris, land deed restored, 21 December 1892; citing County Records, Deed records, 1892-1893, vol.O, images 3-5; Columbia County Clerk, St.Helens, Oregon, United States.

Citation for This Collection
The citation below 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, Columbia County Records,1854-1958." FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org). Columbia County Clerk. St. Helens, Oregon. FHL digital images, 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.