United States Western States Marriage Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

United States

What Is In This Collection?
This index to marriage records in the western United States was created by volunteers at Brigham Young University-Idaho and the Snake River Family History Center. The most reliable information is the date and place of the marriage and license date. Other information is dependent upon the reliability of the informant.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Entries in this index may contain the following:
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Their residence
 * Marriage date and place
 * County and state where the marriage took place

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person at the time of marriage.
 * The approximate marriage date and place.
 * The name of the intended spouse.

Use the information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestors in the original record. Compare the information 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.

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 in the index, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. 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 Who I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Continue to search the index and records to identify other relatives.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of the counties and states where your ancestors lived.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the United States.
 * United States Guided Research
 * United States Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

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.