Oregon, United States Genealogy

United States  Oregon

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

Welcome to Oregon, Beaver State
Oregon is a western state of the United States. It was the 33rd state admitted to the Union, on February 14, 1859.

The settlement of the Oregon Country commenced in March 1811 with the fur-trappers from John Jacob Astor's company "Pacific Fur Company" at Fort Astoria, now simply Astoria.

According to the Oregon Blue Book, the source for the earliest written use of the word "Oregon" was Major Robert Rogers, a British army officer. In his 1765 proposal for a journey.

Counties of Oregon
Oregon County Creation Dates and Parent Counties showing dates they were created or renamed and counties created from older counties. Details will assist you in determining which county would have the records you are seeking. Oregon currently has 36 counties: Extinct, renamed, or transferred counties: Champoeg | Clark | Lewis | Twality | Umpqua

Neighboring states: Washington | Idaho | Nevada | California

Major Repositories
Oregon State Archives· Knight Library· Mark O. Hatfield Library· The Valley Library· Oregon Historical Society· National Archives at Seattle· Family History Library

Migration Routes
Oregon Trail· California Trail· Applegate Trail· Meek Cutoff· Whitman Mission Route· Barlow Road· Klamath Trail· Free Emigrant Road· Upper Columbia River Route· Nez Perce Trail· Lewis and Clark Trail· Santiam Wagon Road· Siskiyou Trail· Thomas and Ruckle Road· York Factory Express· Willamette Valley·Blue Mountain Pass·Rogue River Valley· Great Northern Railway (U.S.)·Union Pacific Railroad·Northern Pacific Railway·Oregon Short Line Railroad·Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company·Southern Pacific Railroad·Columbia Southern Railway·Oregon Trunk Railroad

Did You Know?

 * If your ancestors migrated to the West by following the Oregon Trail, take a look at the Oregon Trail History Library. You’re welcome to add emigration history of your pioneer.
 * The Oregon Trail was much more than a pathway to the state of Oregon; it was the only practical corridor to the entire western United States. The places we now know as Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho and Utah would probably not be a part of the United States today were it not for the Oregon Trail. That's because the Trail was the only feasible way for settlers to get across the mountains.
 * The thousands of settlers who arrived in the Oregon Territory between December 1850 and December 1855 were eligible to receive donation land claims. The applications for these free lands may provide birth, marriage, citizenship, and migration information. Read more...
 * Gretna Greens. When an Oregon couple's marriage is not in their home county, search for it in alternate places like Winnemucca NV, or Weiser ID, or Payette ID. Many people were married in Washington because it did not require waiting or a blood test.