Wallowa County, Oregon Genealogy

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

Description
Wallowa County was named for the Nez Perce term for a structure of stakes (a weir) used in fishing. The county is located in the northeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Wallowa County Courthouse 101 S River Street Enterprise, Or 97828-1300 Phone: 541-426-4991 Wallowa County Website
 * County Clerk has birth records 1907-1943, marriage, land and military records from 1897, divorce, probate and court records from 1897-1970, and naturalization records 1897-1920.
 * Circuit Court has divorce, probate and court records from 1971.
 * County Records Inventory lists record collections and locations held.

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:

 Defunct Post Offices


 * Alder Slope: Alder post office, the third in what is now Wallowa County, was established Apr. 5, 1878, with Henry Beecher first postmaster. The office was discontinued Oct. 9, 1890.

History Timeline
Named for Wallowa River. Lewis and Clark Expedition journals recorded Wil-le-wahas the name.

Biographies

 * 35 years on Smith Mountain
 * My days in northeast Oregon: a memoir of wagon trains and pack strings in the 1890s
 * Angel from Paradise: the life and times of a Wallowa County cowboy
 * Of men and mountains

Church Records
 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Court Records

 * County Records Inventory lists record collections and locations held.

Local Histories

 * About Wallowa County: people, places, images
 * An Illustrated history of Union and Wallowa counties: with a brief outline of the early history of the state of Oregon
 * The old and the new: history of the post offices of Wallowa County
 * The Wallowa country, 1867-1877
 * The History of Wallowa County, Oregon
 * Historical sketches of Wallowa National Forest
 * Reminiscences of Wallowa County
 * Wallowa, the land of winding waters
 * Carving the north end wilderness;: Flora
 * Bits of Wallowa County lore
 * This valley: (Wallowa Valley)
 * The flora country; the hardships and struggles of the Matt Devin family as pioneers in northern Wallowa County, Oregon.
 * Gateway to the Wallowas
 * From The Wallowas
 * Pioneering in the Wallowas: four frontier tales
 * Heritage of the Wallowas: life as it was
 * Wallowa County, the Northwest's most scenic area; a land of beauty and opportunity
 * Memories: a nostalgic look at life in northeast Oregon
 * Wallowa County, Oregon: a capsule history
 * The story of Wallowa Lake
 * The forgotten grist and flour mills of Wallowa County, Oregon: a history of the eight grist or flour mills that have operated in Wallowa County, Oregon
 * Wallowa County, Oregon the land of peace, prosperity and happiness

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Origin of Wallowa County place names
 * Map of Wallowa County, Oregon, 1922
 * Metsker's atlas of Wallowa County, Oregon, 1935
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
Details about the rivers and waterways where farms and settlements are often found along them. see Rivers and Waterways

Military Records
 Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

World War I
 * 1919-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1921-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers
See Enterprise, Joseph and Wallowa for the newspapers published in these cities. Oregon Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both free and pay-to-access websites.

Voting Records

 * 1) Election voter register, Wallowa County, Oregon, 1902, 1906, 1914

 Farms - Ranches
 * Wallowa County brand book, 1921 May 1
 * Index to chattel mortgages, Wallowa County, Oregon, 1913-1931

Periodicals

 * Signal mountain: Wallowa County's own historical magazine

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1833-1963 Oregon Wills and Probate Records 1833-1963 at Ancestry.com — index & images ($)

School Records

 * School days in the Wallowas: a history of the ninety-one schools and communities, past and present, of Wallowa County, Oregon

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

Birth

 * 1842-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * 1855-1970 Oregon, U.S., County Births and Deaths, 1855-1970 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1860-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1903-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1826-1975 Oregon, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1842-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
 * 1849-1884;1991-2006 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1906-1968 Oregon, U.S., State Marriages, 1906-1968 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1887-1983 Wallowa County, Oregon, marriage records, 1887-1983
 * Western States Marriage Index.

Death

 * 1855-1970 Oregon, U.S., County Births and Deaths, 1855-1970 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1906-1915 Coroner's inquest, Wallowa County, Oregon, 1906-1915

FamilySearch Centers

 * Elgin Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Enterprise Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Grangeville Idaho FamilySearch Center
 * La Grande Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Pine Valley Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * The Genealogical Forum of Oregon - an affiliate library
 * Oregon Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries
Wallowa County Libraries101 S River St Enterprise, OR 97828 Website

Museums
Wallowa County Museum 110 S Main St Joseph, OR 97846 Phone: 541-432-6095 Email: [mailto:sroberts@co.wallowa.or.us sroberts@co.wallowa.or.us] Website Facebook

Societies
Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center 211 E 2nd St Wallowa, OR 97885 Phone: 541-886-3670 Website

Websites

 * Wallowa County GenWeb, and OR GenWeb
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * – 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.