Cassia County, Idaho Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for Cassia Creek. The County Seat is Burley and was founded February 20, 1879. It is located in the south central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Cassia County Courthouse 1559 Overland Avenue Burley, ID 83318 Phone: 208-878-5231 County Website

County Records has birth and death records from 1907-1911, County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, land, military and court records from 1879, and some naturalization records.

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:

History Timeline
1879--Cassia County was created 20 February 1879 from Owyhee County. County seat: Burley Albion was the county seat from 1879 until 1919 when the county seat was moved to Burley.
 * Twin Falls County was separated from Cassia County on 21 Feb 1907. Some websites suggest that Power County, which was created in 1913, included some land from Cassia County. This may have been due to boundary corrections.

Some sources list both Owyhee and Oneida Counties as the parent county of Cassia. Owyhee County, the fifth county in the Idaho Territory, was created on 31 December 1863. Oneida was formed on 22 January 1864 Owyhee County included "All territory lying south of the Snake River and east to the range of the Rockies, the southern boundary being the Nevada and Utah State lines. The width of Idaho Territory at its southern boundary was 397 miles. Of this distance, over 300 miles were in Owyhee County." Oneida County bordered Owyhee and Alturus Counties on the east and continued to the territory line. A Cassia County surveyor (November 2008) indicated that he has seen title searches in Cassia County that trace back to Oneida County. He suggested that it was probably due to a boundary correction straightening out the eastern border between Cassia and Oneida rather than large amounts of land taken from Oneida to create Cassia County.

A handwritten statement made sometime after 1917 on the front page of the Cassia County Transcript Book #1 states: "From Page 1 this Book to Page 56 both inclusive contains Instruments transcribed from Owayhee County to November 11, 1878 . Cassia County and Twin Falls County at above date was included in Owayhee County. Cassia County including Twin Falls County at that date was known as Cassia County and was sometime about the first of 1879 set off from Owayhee County to be known as Cassia." Simon P. Weatherman, County recorder, traveled to Silver City, the county seat of Owyhee County, and transcribed all of the Owyhee County records which involved Cassia County residents. A photocopy of the Transcript Book is available to the public at the Recorder's office in the Cassia County Courthouse and the original book has been archived There are shelves of original books containing marriage records, some birth and death records, deeds, mortgages, etc. Court records are also available, though they have been archived and require the county officials to locate them.

The Old Oregon Trail, the California Cutoff, Hudspeth's Trail, the Salt Lake Cutoff and the Applegate Trail all went through the area. It wasn't until the early 1870's, however, that families began to settle here. Early settlers in Almo, Elba and Oakley areas were largely descendants of the Mormon Pioneers. The lands along the Wasatch Front were becoming "crowded" and many families moved northward, congregating along the streams where water was available for irrigation and the native grasses grew in meadows that could be harvested for hay. Branches of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were created, schools established, and a few stores The stage and freight trains passed through the Albion valley, and in the 1870's, some travelers decided that the mountain valley was a good place to settle. While there were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who settled there, a bustling town soon sprang up with shops, saloons, hotels, a Masonic Hall, and churches of various denominations. A teacher's college was established in 1894.

In the early 1900's, the Minidoka Project, a reclamation program, built dams on the Snake River, establishing a series of canals which opened thousands of acres of fertile land in the Magic Valley for irrigation. The influx of people coming to claim the land established the towns of Burley, Rupert, Twin Falls, Declo, etc. Many people found farming the fertile soil with plentiful water a much more profitable lifestyle than the small ranches scattered along the creeks of the west. "In 1904, the lower Minidoka Project area around the present cities of Burley and Rupert was a nearly uninhabited sagebrush desert with only a few scattered ranches. After construction of the initial phases of the project brought water to the land, giving opportunity for expansion, it became a prosperous, highly developed farm area. By 1919, 2,208 farms were in operation, there were 6 towns, and the total population was about 17,000."

Census Records

 * For a summary of census records for the state of Idaho, see Idaho Census Records.
 * 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. Cassia County is included in this reconstructed census.

Church Records
 Baptist Calvary Baptist Church 515 West 27th Street, Burley, ID 83318-2833 (208) 678-0793 First Baptist Church 2262 Hiland Avenue Burley, ID 83318 208-878-7613

Roman Catholic Church  Current 

Little Flower Church 1601 Oakley Avenue, Burley, ID 83318-2408 (208) 678-5453

Historical See Burley, Idaho Roman Catholic Churches.

 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)
 * List of Cassia County stakes and wards to about 1948.

 Historical
 * The following are local congregations (wards) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints which existed in Cassia County, Idaho prior to 1950.
 * Albion:
 * Almo
 * Basin (Oakley)
 * Burley
 * Burley 1
 * Burley 2
 * Burley 3
 * Burley 4
 * Burley 5
 * Butte


 * Cassia Stake:
 * Churchill (Oakley)
 * Declo
 * Elba:
 * Hazel
 * Jackson
 * Malta
 * Marion (Oakley)
 * Naf


 * Oakley Stake:
 * Oakley 1
 * Oakley 2
 * Oakley 3
 * Oakley 4
 * Pella (Burley)


 * Raft River Stake:
 * Springdale (Burley)
 * Star (Burley)
 * Sublett
 * Unity (Burley)
 * View (Burley)

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

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * (*) at FamilySearch Catalog - Power of attorney, 1919-1961

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * (*) at FamilySearch Catalog
 * Deeds, 1879-1902; general index, 1878-1901
 * Homestead records, 1893-1915; general index, 1893-1915
 * Marriage records, 1874-1934 Cassia County
 * Transcript book of warranty deeds, execution of judgments, water rights, 1875-1880 Cassia County

Local Histories
Published historical works include: WorldCat for Cassia County, Idaho A Cassia County History has been posted online by Cassia County.
 * Cassia County, Idaho : the Foundation Years, by Kathleen Hedberg
 * Cassia County, by the Cassia County Historical Society
 * A Lasting Legacy, by the Cassia Centennial Commission
 * The First One Hundred Years, Cassia-Oakley Idaho Stake, 1887-1987, by Lyman and Eula Kimber
 * A Flood Cannot Happen Here: The Story of Lower Goose Creek Reservoir by Kathleen Hedberg (Details the events of the 1984 Oakley Dam Flood.)
 * Cassia and Minidoka Counties in the World War, by J R Conway
 * Reminiscences of Early Days : A Series of Historical Sketches and Happenings in the Early Days of Snake River Valley, by Charles S Walgamott
 * Historical Highlights of Cassia and Minidoka Counties, by Ralph W Maughan

Maps and Gazetteers

 * A digital Cassia County Idaho map is available online.
 * Map of Cassia County, Idaho is available online.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Cassia County for European and African American settlers included:
 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
 * Parting of the Ways: The main Oregon Trail followed the Snake River west from the Raft River


 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Parting of the Ways:  The main California Trail followed the Raft River southwest from the Snake River

World War I

 * 1917-1918
 * 1917-1918 World War I draft registration cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1917-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images
 * 1919 Prof. J. R. Conway. Cassia and Minidoka counties in the World War.Ogden, Utah : A. L. Scoville Press, 1919. Digital Images

World War II

 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Records
 * 1892-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images

Newspapers

 * Little Flower Church 1601 Oakley Avenue, Burley, ID 83318-2408 (208) 678-5453


 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

 Current

The Times News 230 East Main Burley, ID 83318 (208) 677-4042 Website

 Historical

Albion Nugget: 1914:03:13 Burley Bulletin: 1911:1:13-1959:12:23 Burley Bulletin: 1906:03:30 Burley Herald: 1919:8:2-1959:9:24 Busy Bee: 1894:3:29, 1894:11:15 Cassia County Courier: 1920:5:6-1922:10:12 Cassia County Times,1889: 1889:08:16 Cassia County Times,1892: 1892:1:22, 12:9, 12:23 Cassia County Times,1895: 1895:11:08 General News: 1898:11:18 Herald-Bulletin: 1959:12:24 -1967:10:31 Oakley Eagle: 1902:4:2, 1904:7:7, 1907:8:8, 1908:9:4 Oakley Eagle: 1905:9:14-1906:11:15 Oakley Herald: 1910:2:18-1961:2:9 Oakley News: 1975:10:16-1978:7:20 Oakley Star: 1893:05:11 Oakley Sun: 1896:1:30, 2:20, 1898:11:3 South Idaho Press: 1968:4:1-9999 Southern Advocate: 1913:3:21-1914:3:13 World: 1967:11:1-1968: 3:29
 * See Burley, Idaho [Burley,_Idaho#Historical_3|Roman Catholic]] Churches.
 * The Idaho State Archives has microfilmed several Cassia County newspapers which are available at their facility in Boise.

Obituaries from Newspapers


 * There is a collection of obituaries at the Burley FamilySearch Center covering the period of 1987 to 2013 with a few dating back to 1972, and additions as they come as published in the local newspapers. The collection contains those persons who resided in Cassia and Minidoka Counties. They are indexed by year. Contact our center and we will be happy to look up obituaries. Phone: (208) 878-7286 or e-mail: [mailto:id_burley@familyhistorymail.org Burley FamilySearch Center]

Obituaries

 * 1943-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images

County Commissioners' Records

 * 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
 * 1879-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/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 FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah have copies of the miscellaneous record of Cassia County. The originals are held in the Cassia County courthouse in Burley, 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 FamilySearch Centers.

Probate Records
As of April, 2010, the earliest probate case files are found in the Cassia County Recorder's Office vault on the main floor of the courthouse located in Burley, Idaho. They have been removed from the old tri-fold metal boxes and put into six bankers boxes. No efforts have been made to unfold them but the packets have been put into alphabetical order. At that time, the staff were unable to find the probate proceedings or minute book series. One or two of the earliest dockets/registers are located in the main Clerk's vault but it appears that the series as a whole is not where one would expect. Researchers may locate files and registers for this county at the Idaho State Archives as records are being transferred on a regular basis.

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1857-1989 Idaho Wills and Probate Records 1857-1989 at Ancestry.com — 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

Birth

 * 1800-1987 Idaho, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1856-1965 Idaho Births and Christenings - FamilySearch Historical Records gives details about this collection that covers 1856-1965.
 * 1861-1911 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1883-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images

Marriage

 * 1864-1976 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Privacy law can't publish
 * 1864-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images
 * 1878-1898;1903-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1947-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * Western States Marriage Index

Death

 * 1883-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/Images
 * 1907-1965 Idaho Deaths and Burials - FamilySearch Historical Records gives detail about this collection that covers 1907-1965.
 * 1911-1956 State-wide index to Idaho Deaths, 1911-1956
 * 1938-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * Eastern Idaho Death Index.

Divorce

 * 1947-1963 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index

Archives

 * Idaho State Archives Digital Collections - Enter County in Search Bar
 * Idaho State Archives

FamilySearch Centers

 * American Falls Idaho FamilySearch Center
 * Arimo Idaho FamilySearch Center
 * Burley Idaho FamilySearch Center
 * Malad Idaho FamilySearch Center
 * McCammon Idaho FamilySearch Center
 * Pocatello Idaho FamilySearch Library
 * Twin Falls Idaho FamilySearch Center

Libraries

 * Burley Public Library 1300 Miller Ave Burley, ID 83318 Phone: (208) 878-7708 Website
 * Oakley District Library 185 E Main St Oakley, ID 83346 Phone: (208) 862-3434 Website

Museums

 * Museum Website

Societies

 * State Historical Society 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd Boise, Idaho 208-334-2774 Website
 * Cassia County Historical Society & Museum 1142 Hiland Avenue, Burley, ID 83318 208-678-7172 Website
 * Idaho Historical Society Facebook Page Website
 * National Society Daughters of the American Revolution-Idaho Chapter
 * The Idaho Welsh Societyorical site

Websites

 * The Cassia County Idaho GenWeb Project, IDGenWeb
 * A wiki article describing an online collection is found at: Idaho, Cassia County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * – 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.