Oregon Probate Records

United States U.S. Probate  Oregon  Oregon Probate Records

Record Synopsis
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.” Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents.

Explore more about the probate process, limitations of probate records, analyzing probate records, a glossary of probate terms, wills, and United States Probate Records.

History
In the Oregon territorial era a probate court handled probate matters.

Availability
A few of the early probate files are now at the Oregon State Archives. Since 1859 the probate judge in each county has had jurisdiction over wills and the disposition of estates. Although some records are in the circuit court, the majority are kept by the clerk of each county court. The Family History Library has many of these records on microfilm.

The Oregon State Archives also has placed some of the records online.

Web Sites
Oregon State Archives: http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/prob.html