Gooding County, Idaho Genealogy

Guide to Gooding County, Idaho ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Quick start:


 * Census
 * Birth
 * Marriage
 * Death

Description
The county was named for Frank R. Gooding, pioneer sheep rancher, early mayor of the city of Gooding, later Idaho Governor and U. S. Senator. The County Seat is Emmett and was founded January 28, 1913. It is located in the south central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Gooding County Courthouse 624 Main Street, PO Box 417 Gooding, ID 83330-0417 Phone: (208) 934-4221 or 4841 Fax: (208) 934-4408 County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1913.

Parent County
28 January 1913: Gooding County, Idaho was created from Lincoln County.

Boundary Changes
8 February 1919: Jerome County created from parts of Gooding and Lincoln Counties

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

Places/Localities
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:

The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

This list of places in Gooding County, Idaho was compiled from the Lists of Places in Idaho in Wikipedia and from the map of Gooding County in Virtual Earth.

Resources
The types of records that follow are used for genealogy and family history. Most tell what you may learn and how to locate the records. Links to Internet sites usually go directly to entries with names, images, or information.

Many of the older court, land, naturalization, probate, pension, and vital records for Gooding County have been microfilmed and are available at the in Salt Lake City and through their family history centers. They are also available at the Idaho State Archives in Boise. Details of the county records in these respective institutions can be obtained from their online catalogs or listings. Original records which have been microfilmed and more recent records are in the county courthouse in Gooding.

Cemeteries
There are many cemeteries in Gooding County. For a list of those that have been identified, and links to transcriptions and/or photographs of tombstones, go to Gooding County, Idaho Cemetery Records.

For the cemeteries in or immediately adjacent to the cities, please see the city pages for the cities listed above.

Census
The 1890 federal census for Idaho was destroyed. However, the Idaho State Historical Society Public Archives and Research Library is creating a list of 1890 Idaho residents by indexing a variety of records, 1885-1894. This reconstructed list will substitute for the destroyed 1890 federal census.

For a summary of census records for the state of Idaho, see Idaho Census Records.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)

 * List of Gooding County stakes and wards to about 1948.


 * The following are local congregations (wards) which existed in Gooding County, Idaho prior to 1950.
 * For original or later records, check with the Church History Library in Salt Lake City.
 * Many of the records to about 1948 are available at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City and at its FamilySearch Centers.

Stakes: Blaine Stake, Idaho


 * Gooding
 * Hagerman
 * Wendell

County Commissioners' Minutes
The minute books of the County Commissioners contain interesting tidbits of history about the county as well as the names of individuals appealing to the County Commissioners for action on issues of concern to them. Minutes of those meetings were recorded from the formation of the county, for most counties. Some counties now post the minutes of current meetings online.

Most of these records have been preserved in the county courthouses of the State of Idaho. Few have been microfilmed. Contact the county clerk for information about years covered and availability.

Online County Records
 * 1879-1962 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Court Records
Some of the early court records of Gooding County, Idaho have been microfilmed and are available at the Idaho State Archives in Boise, Idaho. The records filmed include civil suits, divorce papers, judgment dockets, etc. Copies of these microfilmed court records are also available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah or at any of the Library's Family History Centers. Additional court records and more recent records are housed at the Gooding County courthouse in Gooding, Idaho, and can be accessed by making a visit there.

Some of the records of the courts of Gooding County that have been microfilmed include:

Judgment Books

 * Judgments, 1913-1931; general index, 1913-1940

See also the Miscellaneous Series for Gooding County.

History
The Gooding County Historical Society has a brief history at their website, as does the official Gooding County website.

WorldCat.org is an excellent resource for locating published and archival materials on the history of Gooding County. Works include:


 * Settlement of Oregon and western Idaho by Utah pioneers, by Mary N Porter Harris
 * Gooding County roots and branches, 1989, by the History Book Committee 
 * Gooding County roots and branches : pictorial 1990, by History Book Committee
 * A centennial history of Bliss, Idaho, by Lorna Hobdey Falkner
 * Bliss : historical points of interest on Clover Creek, by Lorna Bard

Land and Property
Land and Property records are generally recorded in the county courthouse of the county in which the transaction took place. For original records of Gooding County, Idaho, one may visit the courthouse in Gooding, Idaho. One might also look at Lincoln County from which Gooding was created in 1911.

It appears that at this time there are no microfilm copies of land and property records from Gooding County at either the Idaho State Archives in Boise, Idaho or the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Remember to check Lincoln County for records earlier than 1911.

Maps

 * A digital Gooding County Idaho map is available online.
 * Map of Gooding County, Idaho is available online.

Military
World War I draft registration cards, 1917-1918, for Gooding County have been microfilmed. Copies of these records are available at the Family History Library (their microfilm number 1452215) and are also at Ancestry.com, for a subscription fee. The original cards are maintained in the Southeast Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in East Point, Georgia and have been microfilmed by the National Archives as their Microcopy M1509.

Online Records

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Miscellaneous Series
Often overlooked by the genealogist, this group of volumes may contain affidavits for citizenship, final disposition of estates, divorce decrees, and many other types of valuable documents. The content varies from county to county, year to year and from clerk to clerk. When the estate case files, civil or criminal files are not available or have been destroyed, you may find key documents recorded here. Most counties will have an index to this series and it is a must search if the information you are seeking is not found elsewhere.

Both the Idaho State Archives in Boise, Idaho, and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah have copies of the miscellaneous record of Gooding County. The originals are held in the Gooding County courthouse in Gooding, Idaho and can be accessed by visiting there. Copies in the Idaho State Archives are available for viewing in Boise. Those held by the can be viewed either at the Library in Salt Lake City or at any of its Family History Centers.

Newspapers
The Idaho State Archivesin Boise, Idaho has copies of the following Gooding County newspapers which can be viewed by visiting the Archives:

Enterprise Of Southern Idaho: 1977:5:26-1983:11:3 Gooding County Leader: 1969:4:3-1995:12:27 Gooding Independent: 1936:1:23-1939:12:28 Gooding Leader, 1921: 1921:1:20-1927:6:30 Gooding Leader, 1933: 1933:1:5-1975:1:30 Hagerman Valley Sun: 1911:06:16 Hub City Irrigationist: 1909:4:15-1912:6:14 Hub City Voice: 1974:12:18-1975:8:28 Idaho Leader: 1908:12:23-1921:1:13 Idaho Leader: 1909:6:11, 11:12 Wendell Irrigationist: 1912:8:9-1970:6:25

Obituaries

 * 1943-2013 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1857 – 1989 Idaho Wills and Probate Records 1857-1989 at Ancestry.com $

Existing original probate records of Gooding County should be found at the Gooding County courthouse located in Gooding. These can be viewed by visiting the courthouse.

The Idaho State Archives has microfilmed some of the earlier probate records of Gooding County, and these can be viewed by visiting their Archives in Boise, Idaho.

Taxation
Any existing tax assessment rolls for Gooding County should be in the courthouse in Gooding and would need to be accessed by visiting there.

Birth
Online Records
 * 1861-1911 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1883-1929 - at FamilySearch

Birth records, 1911 to present, for individuals born in Gooding County area are included in and recorded at the state level. These records are restricted for a period of one hundred years from the time of the individual's birth but can be obtained by following the guidelines as issued by the State of Idaho. See the Vital Records section under the subject Idaho for more details.

There are 134 Gooding County Idaho births/christenings in this database--Idaho births.

Marriage
Online Records


 * 1800-1987 - Idaho, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1864-1976 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1864-1950 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1878-1898; 1903-1942 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1947-1963 - at FamilySearch — index

Nearly 1500 marriages, 1913-1938, are listed on the Western States Marriage Index.

Gooding County marriages from 1913-1933 have been microfilmed and are available at the in Salt Lake or in any of its affiliate family history centers.

Divorce
Online Records
 * 1947-1963 - at FamilySearch — index

Death
Online Records
 * 1883-1929 - at FamilySearch.
 * 1938-1961 - at FamilySearch — index

After 1911, deaths occurring in Gooding County are included in the state-wide registration program. These records are restricted for a period of fifty years from the time of the individual's death but can be obtained by following the guidelines as issued by the State of Idaho. See the Vital Records section under Idaho for details.

Copies of death certificates from 1911-1954 are on microfilm and can be used at the Idaho State Archives, the Family History Library, BYU-Idaho University Library in Rexburg and several other locations.

A state-wide index to Idaho Deaths, 1911-1956 is available online. Efforts to expand this index to 1960 are underway. Another version is the US Genweb Idaho Death Index 1911-1956.

Courtesy of the Gooding County Historical Society: Obituary Index for 1946, 1947, 1980-2011

Societies and Libraries
Many public libraries provide internet access to sites of value to the family historian. Some have special collections of historical and cultural interest, as well. The following libraries may have some resources of value, but use of some or all of them may require a visit to the library.


 * Gooding Public Library 306 Fifth Ave W Gooding, ID 83330 Phone: (208) 934-4089 Website
 * Hagerman Public Library 290 S State St Hagerman, ID 83332 Phone: (208) 837-6520 Website
 * Sherburn Smith Memorial Library 375 1st Ave E Wendell, ID 83355 Phone: (208) 536-6195
 * Gooding County Historical Society
 * Hagerman Valley Historical‎ 100 North State Street, Hagerman, ID 83332 (208) 837-6288‎
 * Gooding County Historical Museum‎ Euskadi Ln, Gooding, ID 83330 (208) 934-5135‎
 * Gooding County Historical Museum‎ Euskadi Ln, Gooding, ID 83330 (208) 934-5135‎

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers

Websites

 * The IDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project
 * Gooding County, Idaho Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Gooding County, Idaho Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)