Step-by-Step Idaho Research, 1850-1910

Idaho Step-by-Step Research 1850--1910 Step-by-Step Research 1911--present Step-by-Step Research 1850--1910

Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.

What are the best questions to ask?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :
 * 50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History


 * Creating Oral Histories

What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.

Step 2: Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
Example of a census record.
 * A census is a count and description of the population for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day.
 * For each person living in a household (depending on the year), their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military can be listed.
 * Searching for a family in census records every ten years can identify all the children in a family.
 * Searching in earlier census records to find someone as a child can identify parents.



Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.
- For more information, see Idaho Census and United States Census.

Step 3: Try to find additional details about your ancestors in death certificates, Social Security, obituary and cemetery records online.
When a person dies, several records will be created: death certificates, Social Security records, obituaries, and cemetery records.
 * Birth records were not available until 1905. Death certificates can give birth information for people born before then. Death certificates frequently give the birth date and place, parents' names, and birth places of parents.


 * The Social Security Death Index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits. The index entries give the person's full birth date, last known residence, and residence at the time they first enrolled.


 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index provides information filed in the application or claims process, including valuable details such as birth date, birth place, and parents’ names.


 * Cemetery records can be as simple as the information on the headstone or, in some FindAGrave records, they can report more thorough information about birth, parents, spouses, children, and siblings.

A typical online cemetery record from FindAGrave.
 * Obituaries can also vary from simple announcement of the death, to birth and marriage information, parents, siblings, descendants, and residence and occupation histories.



Death Indexes

 * Idaho, Death Index, 1890-1963 ($)
 * , index and images
 * Index only.
 * Index only. Also at MyHeritage, ($).
 * Idaho, Death Records, 1890-1930 ($)
 * Idaho, Select Deaths and Burials, 1907-1965 ($)
 * Idaho, County Birth and Death Records, 1907-1920, ($). Images, indexed.
 * Idaho State Death Index 1911-1951
 * Eastern Idaho Death Records

Writing for Full Death Certificates
The full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).
 * Where to Write for Idaho Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records

U.S. Social Security Records

 * The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
 * The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
 * You can search these records online at
 * Also at Ancestry.com, ($), index.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process.
 * The Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off, by providing information filed in the application or claims process.


 * If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.

Obituaries

 * Images.
 * Images.
 * USGenWeb Obituary Project, index.
 * — index and images

Cemeteries

 * Idaho Tombstone Transcription Project at USGenWeb
 * Idaho Cemetery Records at Findagrave.com
 * Idaho Cemetery Records at Interment.net
 * BillionGraves Idaho Cemeteries
 * Utah and Idaho cemetery records ($)
 * Idaho Cemetery Records at LDS Genealogy
 * Idaho Cemetery Records at LDS Genealogy

Step 4: Search for county birth and marriage records online.
States, counties, or even towns in some states recorded births, marriages, and deaths. In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations. A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.

Vital records registration of births and marriages at the state level started in 1905. Prior to that the individual counties kept the records. The starting dates of those records vary from county to county, depending on when the county was formed. Here are a variety of collected county records: Births (and Deaths)
 * Index only.
 * Idaho, County Birth and Death Records, 1863-1967, index & images ($)
 * 1883 - 1929 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Idaho, Birth Index, 1861-1912, Stillbirth Index, 1905-1962 ($)

Marriages
 * Western States Marriage Index
 * Web: Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011 ($)
 * Idaho, County Marriages, 1863-1967, index & images ($)
 * Index and images. Also at MyHeritage, ($).
 * Index only.
 * Idaho, Marriage Index, 1842-1962, 1975-1996 Index ($)

Samples of index entries
Records of close relatives should be looked for to help verify information that may not be on your direct-line ancestor's records. In the second record below, for example, the bride or groom might be only the brother or sister of your direct line ancestor, but the record still states the parents names. The parents then are the direct line.

Records at the County Courthouse
From the date of the formation of a county until the establishment of state civil registration, birth and marriage records were kept by the County Clerk. They may have been microfilmed, or you can write for them. It is appropriate to write asking for either a single record or for a list of all the marriages for a given surname. This Letter Writing Guide will help you with phrasing a letter. This online directory by Genealogy Inc. will give you the address of the County Clerk. Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the "Courthouse and Government Records" to find the address and phone number. If you are at the main FamilySearch Library, check first to see if microfilms of the county vital records are available. In the search field of the FamilySearch Catalog, enter the state and county. Then click on the "Vital Records" subject. The cost of renting the microfilms at a FamilySearch Center probably makes it less expensive to just write to the County Clerk.

Step 5: Search military records: World War I and World War II draft cards.
There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information. - Example of a World War I draft card. - Example of a World War II draft card.



'''Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.
- For more information and additional collections, see Idaho Military Records.
 * , index and images.
 * , index and images.

Step 7: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that an ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records would be the next step.



''' Look for immigrant ancestors in shipping lists and citizenship sources.
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Idaho Immigration Records

 * United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records


 * 1500s-1900s All U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Idaho; Also at MyHeritage; index only ($)
 * 1895-1956 United States, Border Crossings from Canada, 1895-1956 at MyHeritage; index & images ($); includes those with Destination of Idaho
 * 1895-1960 U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1960 at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1904-1944 Index to Alien Arrivals at Canadian Atlantic and Pacific Seaports, 1904-1944 at Ancestry; index & images ($)
 * 1924-1956 at FamilySearch; index & images - How to Use this Collection

Cultural Groups

 * 1920-1939 Germany, Bremen Emigration Lists, 1920-1939 at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Idaho
 * Germans Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Idaho
 * Italians Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Idaho
 * Russians Immigrating to the United States at MyHeritage; index only ($); includes those with Destination of Idaho
 * Idaho immigration manifest99.png
 * }

Passport Records Online

 * 1795-1925 at FamilySearch; index and images — How to Use this Collection
 * 1795-1925 U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925 Index and images, at Ancestry ($)

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Idaho Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records

 * United States Naturalization and Citizenship Online Genealogy Records
 * Idaho State Archives Naturalization Index - Google spreadsheet
 * at FamilySearch - browsable images only - How to Use this Collection
 * at FamilySearch - index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * Idaho, Naturalization Records, 1903-1982 at Ancestry ($) - index and images
 * 1944-2003 U.S., Index to Alien Case Files, 1944-2003 at Ancestry — index ($)

For more information, see Idaho Emigration and Immigration and Idaho Naturalization and Citizenship.
 * Idaho naturalization.png
 * }

Step 8: Search for printed local histories or biography collections online.

 * Published histories of towns, counties, and states usually contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
 * Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories:
 * Hathi Trust Digital Library. Don't use the keywords Idaho; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
 * Google Books. Use keywords "Idaho" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
 * Family History Books
 * Internet Archive.Use keywords "Idaho" and the county name.
 * Genealogy Book Links, Idaho. Browse list; county histories are interspersed.
 * Ancestry.com, ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Idaho and the name of the county.


 * Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies. If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find out about local histories the library has by checking the FamilySearch Catalog. In the "place" field, type the name of your county and select it from the drop down list, then click "Search". A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, and History - Indexes.


 * Also, in  Step 11, you will be contacting a county history society. Societies often have a good selection of printed histories about the area. Some may be search history for you for a fee.

Biographies

 * BYU Idaho Pioneer Histories
 * Idaho State Historical Society Biographical Index (IBI)
 * Access Genealogy Biographies of the State of Idaho
 * BYU Trails of Hope:Overland Diaries and Letters, 1846-1869
 * Paper Trail
 * BYU Idaho Oral History Interview Collection
 * Upper Snake River Valley Idaho Histories, index/images
 * Register of the Histories of Pioneers who settled in the Upper Snake River Valley, 1883-1893, MSSI 3, Brigham Young University-Idaho Special Collections, index only.
 * Idaho County Biographies
 * Online County and Town Histories
 * An illustrated history of the state of Idaho, e-book
 * History of Idaho : the gem of the mountains Vol. 3, Vol. 4, e-books

Step 9: Write to a county for wills and probate indexes.

 * County probate records include '''probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
 * In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
 * Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.

Search these indexes and images for probate records.

 * United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search: Idaho
 * 1857 – 1989 Idaho Wills and Probate Records, 1857-1989 at Ancestry; index & images ($)

Probate Information in County Wiki Articles
Each Idaho county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: Idaho Counties

For more information, see Idaho Probate Records and United States Probate Records.

Step 10: Search land records online.

 * These records will give the name of the owner, the date they obtained the land, the county, and the exact location of the land. They can contain clues to family members who shared ownership of the land, sold or gave land to a child, or witnessed the sale. Sometimes they show the previous or new residence of the parties to the deed. They can be useful in tracking an ancestor who lived in more than one county in Idaho. With the additional county name where the family lived, the probate and vital records of that county can then be searched.
 * Images only.
 * Bureau of Land Management index to Land Patents, index. Most after 1908.

Step 11: Contact a local historical or genealogical society.
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 * Historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
 * Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
 * Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the area.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.
 * Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia.


 * Find the society on the internet, and they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, one of their members can be hired to search the collection for you.

This online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the map to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings.

Historical Images
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
 * Idaho, United States Historical Images, New Version
 * Idaho, United States Historical Images, Old Version

Idaho Online Genealogy Records
Search any other online records listed in Idaho Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Idaho Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
 * Idaho Online Genealogy Records

Step 13: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in Idaho.
This article focused more on Idaho state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in Idaho. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.