Lewis and Clark County, Montana Genealogy

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

Description
Lewis and Clark County is located in the central western area. The name was given in honor of explorers Lewis and Clark.

County Courthouse
Lewis and Clark County Courthouse 316 N Park Avenue Helena, MT 59624 Phone: 406.447.8335 Lewis and Clark County Website County Clerk has birth records from 1907, divorce records from 1895 and land records from 1865 Clerk District Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records

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

Boundary Changes
Parent County: created 2 February 1865 as an original county County seat: Helena

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:

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

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

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Helena
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1870-1957 (*); County Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Directories

 * 1889-1891 Helena, Montana, U.S., Directories, 1889-1891. 1891. Helena, MT: A. W. Ide. Ancestry — index ($)


 * 1898 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Funeral Homes

 * 1966-2005 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images


 * Anderson Stevenson and Wilke Funeral Home in Helena
 * Big Sky Cremations & Twitchell Funeral Service in East Helena
 * Retz Funeral Home and Crematory in Helena

Land and Property Records

 * 1869-1888 Helena Town Site, Lewis and Clark County, Montana, deed records, 1869-1888
 * 1865-1940 Lewis and Clark County, Montana, deed records ; indexes, 1865-1940
 * 1865-1963 Lewis and Clark County, Montana, mining deed records ; indexes, 1865-1963

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

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * See an interactive map of Lewis and Clark 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 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 Lewis and Clark County, Montana, military records, 1904-1918
 * 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
 * 1939 - 1946 Lewis and Clark County, Montana, military discharge books, 1939-1946
 * 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($), index only
 * 1866-1929 Montana Naturalization Records, 1856-1979 – Browseable images only; County records for Lewis and Clark County have various naturalization records from 1866-1929.
 * 1868-1999 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index and images
 * 1870-1999 Montana, Federal Naturalization Records, 1870-1999 at Ancestry($), index only

Newspapers
 Montana Newspapers Online
 * Butte and Helena newspapers. This database is sometimes free at libraries.
 * 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
Public Records


 * 1882-1915 Lewis and Clark County, Montana, election register, 1882-1915
 * 1897-1926 Lewis and Clark County, Montana, school census, 1897-1926
 * 1882-1924 Lewis and Clark County, Montana, school census, 1882-1924

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1831–1952 Montana Wills and Probate Records 1831-1952 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1904-1962 (*); County 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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

 * 1868-1895 Lewis and Clark County, Montana, tax list, 1868-1895

Birth

 * 1840-2004 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1840-2004 Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1840 - 2004 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1841-1830, 1841-2001 Lewis and Clark County, Montana, death records, 1869-1950; birth records, 1841-1930; indexes, 1841-2001 Viewable
 * 1897-1988 Montana, U.S., Birth Records, 1897-1988 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Marriage

 * 1800-1994 Montana, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1865-1859, 1865-1975 Lewis and Clark County, Montana, marriage records, 1865-1959 ; Index, 1865 - 1975 Viewable
 * 1865-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1865-1950 Montana, County Marriages, 1865 - 1950 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1866-1985 Lewis &amp; Clark County, Montana, marriages, 1866 - 1985 indexes
 * 1889-1947 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index
 * 1889-1947 Montana Select Marriages 1889 - 1947 at Ancestry ($) — 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
 * 1869-1950, 1841-1930, 1841-2001 Lewis and Clark County, Montana, death records, 1869-1950; birth records, 1841-1930; indexes, 1841-2001 Viewable
 * 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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Choteau Montana FamilySearch Center
 * Deer Lodge Montana FamilySearch Center
 * Great Falls Montana FamilySearch Center
 * Helena Montana FamilySearch Center
 * Missoula Montana FamilySearch Center
 * Seeley Lake Montana FamilySearch Center


 * Thompson Falls Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Lewis & Clark Library 120 S Last Chance Gulch Helena, MT 59601 406-447-1690 Website Facebook
 * The area has several branch libraries from this main facility.

Museums
Montana Historical Society and Museum 225 North Roberts Street, 165 Helena, Montana, 59601 406-444-2694 Montana Military Museum 1900 Williams Street Helena, Montana, 59602 406-324-3550 Montana Military Museum 419 Hayes Avenue Helena, Montana, 59601 406-443-2878 Upper Blackfoot Historical Society PO Box 922 Lincoln 59639-0922

Societies
Lewis and Clark County Genealogical Society PO Box 5313 Helena, MT 59601 (406) 447-1690 x128 Website

The Lewis & Clark Co. Historical Society Historic Preservation Officer City-County Building 316 N Park Avenue Helena, MT 59623 406-447-8357 Website Facebook

Upper Blackfoot Valley Historical Society PO Box 922 Lincoln, MT 59639 406-362-4949 E-mail: [mailto:ubvhs59639@yahoo.com ubvhs59639@yahoo.com] Website Facebook

Websites

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