Deer Lodge County, Montana Genealogy

Guide to Deer Lodge County, Montana ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The County was named for Deer Lodge. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Deer Lodge County Courthouse 800 S Main Street Anaconda, MT 59711-2999 Phone: 406.563.4061 County Clerk has birth, death, and land records; Clerk Court has marriage, divorce, div, court and probate records Deer Lodge Website

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cemeteries

 * 1878-2005 - at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection ''Also at: Ancestry($)

Territory and State Censuses

 * 1860 - at FamilySearch Historical Records - How to Use this Collection;  index and images; Montana was included in the 1860 Washington and Nebraska Territory Censuses
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch Historical Records - How to Use this Collection; index and images; Montana Territory Census
 * 1880 - at FamilySearch Historical Records - How to Use this Collection;  index and images; Montana Territory Census

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for the state of Montana starting in 1890, although no records survived. The 1900 Census is the next Federal Census available. For links to Federal Census indexes, see Montana Census.

Church Records
Online Church Records Lutheran Church
 * 1875-1940 - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county

Other Church Records The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ward and Branch Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Anaconda
 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * 1898-1920 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images


 * Longfellow Finnegan Riddle Funeral Home in Anaconda

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records
 * 1868-1928 Mortgage records (1868-1928) and indexes (1879-1953), Anaconda, Deer Lodge County, Montana
 * 1865-1925 Deer Lodge County, Montana, deed records (1865-1925) ; indexes (direct and inverse), (1896-1988)
 * 1890-1937 Deer Lodge County, Montana, placer location and index, 1890-1937
 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1863 - 1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * In the shadow of Mount Haggin : the story of Anaconda and Deer Lodge County from 1863 to 1976. A bicentennial year "Heritage" project. c1975. n.p: n.p..

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * See an interactive map of Deer Lodge County cemeteries and modern-day townships. (Histopolis)
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Montana - shows boundary changes for Montana Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of Montana - maps and atlases of Montana

Online Collections
These collections are unique to Montana. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Montana Military Records. Civil War World War I World War II For further information see Montana Military Records.
 * 1890 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1890 - 1918 Montana Military Enlistments at Montana Memory Project
 * 1904 - 1918 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1917 - 1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  Index and images
 * Soldiers of the Great War from the State of Montana at USGenWeb.
 * Military Enlistments Montana World War I at Montana Memory Project
 * WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties for Montana - Index only

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1791-1992 - U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 at Ancestry($), index only
 * 1867-1958 - Montana Naturalization Records, 1856-1979 – Browseable images only; County records for Deer Lodge County have various naturalization records from 1867-1958.
 * 1868-1999 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index and images
 * 1870-1999 - Montana, Federal Naturalization Records, 1870-1999 at Ancestry($), index only

Newspapers
 Montana Newspapers Online
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Montana newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Montana newspapers
 * Montana Newspapers by the Montana Historical Society
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Montana newspapers

Montana Newspaper Catalogs
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper

Obituaries

 * Obituary Daily Times - large obituary index from newspapers across the United States. (Ancestry)

See also United States Obituaries for more about finding United States obituaries.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1831–1952 Montana Wills and Probate Records 1831-1952 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1869-1890 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.
 * 1890-1921 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images.

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Birth

 * 1840-2004  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index and images
 * 1840-2004 Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1840-2004 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1886-1942, 1903-1932 Index to births, ca. 1886-1942 ; birth records, ca. 1903-1932, Deer Lodge County, Montana County Clerk Office, Deer Lodge County Courthouse in Anaconda, Montana
 * 1897-1988 Montana, U.S., Birth Records, 1897-1988 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)

Marriage

 * 1800-1994 Montana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1865-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1865-1951, 1865-1993 Marriage records, 1865 - 1951; Index, 1865 - 1993
 * 1888-1966, 1890-1950 General index 1888 - 1966, and divorce files 1890 - 1950, Deer Lodge County, Montana District Court Records
 * 1889-1947 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1889-1947 Montana Select Marriages 1889 - 1947 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1943-1988 Montana, U.S., Marriage Records, 1943-1988 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * Western States Marriage Index - Index, incomplete, list of counties included

Death

 * 1840-2004 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection;  index and images
 * 1840-2004 Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1840 - 2004 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1860-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index
 * 1868-2011 Montana, Death Index, 1868 - 2011 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1896-2004, 1903-2004 Index to death records (1896 - 2004), death records (1903 - 2004), Anaconda, Deer Lodge County, Montana Clerk and Recorder Office in Anaconda, Montana.
 * pre 1954-2002 Montana State Death Registry Index Pre 1954 & 1954 - 2002 at Montana State Genealogical Society — index
 * 1954-2011 Montana Death Records at findmypast ($) — index

Divorce

 * 1943-1988 Montana, U.S., Divorce Records, 1943-1988 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)

Voting Records

 * 1884-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Family History Centers

 * Anaconda Montana Family History Center
 * Boulder Montana Family History Center
 * Butte Montana Family History Center
 * Deer Lodge Montana Family History Center
 * Hamilton Montana Family History Center

Libraries
Hearst Free Library 401 Main St Anaconda, MT 59711 406-563-6932 Email: [mailto:library.hfl@gmail.com library.hfl@gmail.com] Website Facebook William K Kohrs Library 501 Missouri Ave Deer Lodge, MT 59722 406-846-2622 Email: [mailto:wkkohrs@yahoo.com wkkohrs@yahoo.com] Website Facebook

Museums
Copper Village Museum & Art Center 401 E Commercial Anaconda, Montana 59711 406-563-2422 Email: [mailto:copper_village@hotmail.com copper_village@hotmail.com] Website

Websites
'''Deer Lodge County and its county seat, Anaconda, are now a consolidated entity. Some websites still list the county as Deer Lodge County; other websites list it as Anaconda-Deer County.'''


 * Anaconda-Deer Lodge County at Montana USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, Montana at Linkpendium - genealogy and family history
 * Deer Lodge County at Cyndi's List — a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Deer Lodge County at Genealogy Trails — volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Deer Lodge County at Montana USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * Deer Lodge County, Montana Genealogy at LDSGenealogy.com - collection of links by state, county, city, and record type
 * The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.