Montana, Flathead County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This Collection will include records from 1871 to 1981.

The collection consists of coroner's records, deed records, divorce records, jail records, and probate records located at Flathead County courthouse, Kalispell, Montana. This collection is being published as images become available. The records currently available are:


 * Coroner's records
 * Court records
 * Divorces(1895-1980)
 * Land and Property records
 * Court records (1895-1981)
 * Probate records (1895-1950)
 * Public records

County officials began keeping records from the time the county was formed.

For a list of record categories currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Each type of record within the county was created for a different purpose, but most were created to keep track of the vital events happening in the lives of the citizens and to safeguard their legal interests and the legal interests of their heirs. Facts current at the time of the event are generally reliable.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Information found in this collection may include:


 * Name of Defendant
 * Name of Plantiff
 * Date of Marriage
 * Names of the executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Dates the documents were written and recorded (used to approximate event dates since a will was usually written near the time of death)

Jail Records may include the following information:


 * The prisoner's number
 * Name of Prisoner
 * Age
 * Height
 * Weight
 * Color of hair and eyes
 * Prisoner's complexion
 * Where prisoner was born
 * Special marks or peculiarities as to prisoner or history (i.e juvenile, body descriptions)

Probate orders may include the following information:


 * Name of Deceased
 * Name of Petitioner
 * Date and place of death
 * Date of court order
 * Name of judge
 * Name of children (if any)

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The place where the event occurred
 * The approximate date the event occurred
 * The name of the individual or individuals, such as the deceased

Search the Collection
To search the collection, ⇒Select Browse through images on the initial collection page ⇒Select the Record Category ⇒Select the Record Type, Volume, and Year Range which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the probate date as a substitute death date.
 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.
 * The name of the undertaker, mortuary, or cemetery could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Related Websites
Flathead County Montana Free Public Records Directory

Related Wiki Articles

 * Flathead County, Montana
 * Montana
 * Montana Land and Property
 * Montana Probate Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through images in this collection and click on the "Show Citation" box: Montana, Flathead County Records, 1871-1981

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.