Silver Bow County, Montana Genealogy

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

Description
Silver Bow County is located in the southwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Silver Bow County Courthouse 155 W Granite Street Butte, MT 59701 Phone: 406.723.8262 Silver Bow County Website County Clerk and recorder have birth and death records from 1890, land records from 1881 and military discharge records from 1932; Clerk Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records

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

 * 1880-2003: - How to Use this Collection

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 — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
 * Records of Gold Hill Lutheran Church, Butte, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

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

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Butte Dist
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1893-1911 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * 1891-1892 Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana Directory, 1891-1892. 1892. Butte, MT: R.L. Polk and Co. Online at: Ancestry — index ($)


 * 1902 Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana, Directory, 1902. 1902. Butte, MT: R.L. Polk and Co. Online at: Ancestry — index ($)

Funeral Homes

 * 1901-1917 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Axelson Funeral and Cremation Services in Butte
 * Duggan Dolan Mortuary in Butte
 * Wayrynen-Richards Funeral Home in Butte

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records
 * 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 - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * A Brief History of Butte, Montana: the World's Greatest Mining Camp. 1900. by Harry C. Freeman. Chicago: H.O. Shepard Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry — index & images, ($)


 * Sketches of Butte: From Vigilante Days to Prohibition. 1921. by George Wesley Davis. Boston: Cornhill Co. Online at: Ancestry — index & images, ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * See an interactive map of Silver Bow 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($), index only
 * 1868-1999 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1870-1999 Montana, Federal Naturalization Records, 1870-1999 at Ancestry($), index only
 * 1883-1999 Montana Naturalization Records, 1868-1999 – Browseable images only; U.S. Circuit Court covering Silver Bow County containing various naturalization records from 1883-1999.

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.

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 $
 * 1879-1900 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1881-1923 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & 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 ($) — index
 * 1897-1988 Montana, U.S., Birth Records, 1897-1988 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)

Marriage

 * 1800-1994 Montana, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1865-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1865-1950 Montana, County Marriages, 1865 - 1950 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1889-1947 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1889-1947 Montana Select Marriages 1889 - 1947 at Ancestry ($) — 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
 * 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

Archives
Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives 17 W Quartz Butte, Montana 59701 406-782-3280 E-mail: [mailto:bsbarchives@bsb.mt.gov bsbarchives@bsb.mt.gov] Website

FamilySearch Centers

 * Anaconda Montana Family History Center
 * Boulder Montana Family History Center
 * Butte Montana Family History Center
 * Deer Lodge Montana Family History Center
 * Sheridan Montana Family History Center
 * Three Forks Montana Family History Center

Libraries
Butte-Silver Bow Public Library 226 W Broadway St Butte, MT 59701 406-723-3361 Email: [mailto:INFO@BUTTEPUBLICLIBRARY.INFO INFO@BUTTEPUBLICLIBRARY.INFO] Website Facebook

Museums
Charles Clark Chateau Museum 321 West Broadway Street Butte, Montana, 59701 406-723-7600 Mineral Museum 1300 West Park Street Butte, Montana, 59701 406-496-4414 Museum of Fine Art-Butte 405 West Park Street Butte, Montana, 59701 406-491-5636 Piccadilly Museum of Transportation 20 West Broadway Street Butte, Montana, 59701 406-723-3034

Societies
Butte Historical Society PO Box 3913 Butte MT 59701 401-575-3948 Email: [mailto:buttehistorysociety@gmail.com buttehistorysociety@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites
'''In 1977, Silver Bow County and its county seat, Butte, merged to form a single unit of Butte-Silver Bow City and County. Most genealogical websites still list Silver Bow County as a separate entity.'''


 * Butte-Silver Bow County at Montana USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Silver Bow County at Cyndi's List — a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Silver Bow County at Genealogy Trails — volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Silver Bow County at Montana USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * Silver Bow County, Montana at Linkpendium - genealogy and family history
 * Silver Bow 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.