Montana, Flathead County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains county records that cover the years 1871 to 1981. The records currently available are:


 * Coroner's records
 * Court records
 * Divorces(1895-1980)
 * Land and Property records
 * Court records (1895-1981)
 * Probate records (1895-1950)
 * Public records

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

The records are located at Flathead County courthouse, Kalispell, Montana.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Divorce records may include:
 * Name of Defendant
 * Name of Plaintiff
 * Date of Marriage
 * 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)

Jail Records may include:
 * Name of Prisoner
 * The prisoner's number
 * Age
 * Height
 * Weight
 * Color of hair and eyes
 * Prisoner's complexion
 * Where prisoner was born
 * Special marks or peculiarities as to prisoner or history (i.e juvenile, body descriptions)

Probate orders may include:
 * Name of Deceased
 * Name of Petitioner
 * Date and place of death
 * Date of court order
 * Name of judge
 * Name of children (if any)

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date the event occurred
 * The place where the event occurred
 * The names of family members and their relationships

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?
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.

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

 * Use the age to calculate the birth date to find birth, christening, marriage, and death records
 * 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.

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.

"Montana, Flathead County Records, 1871-1981." Images. FamilySearch. h http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. Flathead County Record Preservation Building, Kalispell.
 * Collection Citation:

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