Sanders County, Montana Genealogy

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

Description
Sanders County is a county located in the northwestern area of the state. It was created in 1905, and named in honor of Wilbur Fiske Sanders, a former Montana senator.

County Courthouse
Sanders County Courthouse 1111 Main Street Thompson Falls, MT 59873 Phone: 406.827.4392 Sanders County Website County Clerk and Recorder has birth, marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1906 and death records from 1907

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:

Indian Reservation

A small piece of the Flathead Indian Reservation is in Sanders County. The major part of the reservation is in Lake County. Other small portions are also in Missoula and Flathead Counties.

Cemeteries

 * 1929 - 2009 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  Index and images; various cemetery records

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

County Records

 * 1866-2010 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Directories

 * 1915-16- (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

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.com - ($), index and images
 * 1866 - 2007 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index and images;

Local Histories

 * Behind These Mountains: Noxon, Heron, Trout Creek, Bull River, Smeads. c1986-1991. By Mona Leeson Vanek. Noxon, Montana : M.L. Vanek..

Online County Histories
 * A Heritage Remembered: Early and Later Days in the History of Western Sanders County. c1981. By Lorraine Dufresne. S.l. : L. Dufresne. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * See an interactive map of Sanders 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

Military Records

 * Sanders County, County Court. burial index for war veterans, 1929-2009

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'' Cemetery 
 * 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
 * Sanders County, burial index for war veterans, 1929-2009

For further information see Montana Military Records.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization 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
 * 1906 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index and images;

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.

Other Records
Voter Records


 * 1911 – 1919 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1831 – 1952 Montana Wills and Probate Records 1831-1952 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1905 – 1992 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index and 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
 * 1916 - 1930 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index and 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
 * 1906 - 1960 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index and 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
 * 1916 - 2010 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Index and images;
 * 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

Family History Centers

 * Plains Montana Family History Center

Libraries
Thompson Falls Public Library 911 W Main St PO Box 337 Thompson Falls, MT 59873 406-827-3547 Email: [mailto:tflibrary@gmail.com tflibrary@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Museums
Old Jail Museum 109 South Madison Street PO Box 774 Thompson Falls, MT 59873 406-827-4002 Email: [mailto:schs.thompsonfalls@gmail.com schs.thompsonfalls@gmail.com] Website

LARUE-HOT SPRINGS MUSEUM 110 Hot Springs Road Hot Springs, MT 59845 406-741-5665 Website

Societies
Sanders County Historical Society 2504 Tradewinds Way, Suite C1 Thompson Falls, MT 59873 406-827-6935 E-mail: [mailto:info@tour200.com info@tour200.com] Website

Websites

 * USGenWeb Sanders County, Montana project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * - 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