Montana, Chouteau County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of images of Chouteau County records held at various repositories. Records located in the Museum of the Northern Plains (River &amp; Plains Society) include voter registers, school district records, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church records, Riverside Cemetery records and newspapers clippings of births, marriages and deaths. Records held by the Chouteau County Courthouse include birth, death, probate, naturalization, deeds and school census records. This collection is being published as images become available. It covers the years 1876 to 2011.

For a list of records by document type and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
The records may contain any of the following pieces of information:


 * Individual names
 * Birth dates and places
 * Death dates and places
 * Marriage dates and places
 * Relationships
 * Residences

How to Use the Record
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 each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors 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. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the age to calculate the birth date.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or 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 residence or place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names 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

 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * 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 records which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as more recent records.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.
 * Compiling the entries for every person who has the same surname is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual. It can also help you to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives. You may want to repeat this process for each new generation or surname that you identify.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes created by local genealogical and historical societies.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites
Chouteau County Montana Free Public Records Directory

Related Wiki Articles

 * Montana
 * Montana Cemeteries
 * Montana Census
 * Montana Court Records
 * Montana Land and Property
 * Montana Naturalization and Citizenship
 * Montana Newspapers
 * Montana Probate Records
 * Montana Vital 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, Chouteau County Records,1876-2011

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.

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