Caribou County, Idaho Genealogy

United States &gt; Idaho &gt; Caribou County

County Courthouse
Caribou County Courthouse 159 South Main Soda Springs, Idaho 83276 (208) 547-4324

Parent County
1919--Caribou County was created 11 February 1919 from Bannock County. County seat: Soda Springs

Boundary Changes
2 Nov. 1948 - Caribou gained from Bannock County. Areas gained were described in two separate acts approved 18 Mar, 1948, became effective through a vote in the general election of 2 Nov. 1948. This annexation involved the residents of Commissioner's District #3 of Bannock County which included all of Gem Valley from Chesterfield to the Devils Hand Canyon, (Bancroft, Grace, and the lower Gem Valley).

Places/Localities
The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

This list of places in Caribou County, Idaho was compiled from the Lists of Places in Idaho in Wikipedia and from the map of Caribou County in Virtual Earth.

Resources
Many of the older court, land, naturalization, probate, pension, and vital records for Caribou County have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and through their family history centers. They are also available at the Idaho State Archives in Boise. Details of the county records in these respective institutions can be obtained from their online catalogs or listings. Original records which have been microfilmed and more recent records are in the county courthouse in Soda Springs.

Cemeteries
There are many cemeteries in Caribou County. For a list of those that have been identified, and links to transcriptions and/or photographs of tombstones, go to Caribou County, Idaho Cemetery Records.

For the cemeteries in or immediately adjacent to the cities, please see the city pages for the cities listed above.

Census
For a summary of census records for the state of Idaho, see Idaho Census Records.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)
The following are local congregations (wards) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints which existed in Canyon County, Idaho prior to 1950. Many of the original records of these church units are in the Historical Library in Salt Lake City. Many of the membership records covering these units from the date of their creation to about 1948 have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.

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.

Land
Land and Property records are generally found in the Clerk's Office of the county in which the transactions took place. They can be accessed by contacting that office, which in Caribou County is located in Soda Springs, Idaho.

The Idaho State Archives has microfilmed some of the earlier records of Caribou County and these can be accessed by visiting the Archives in Boise, Idaho.

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City has microfilmed the following records found in the Caribou County Clerk's Office: Homestead Records 1889-1964, Deeds 1901-1935, Patent Records 1889-1950. These films are available for viewing in Salt Lake City or in any of the Family History Centers.

Maps

 * A digital Caribou County Idaho map is available online.
 * Map of Caribou County, Idaho is available online.

Military
Because Caribou County was not formed until 1919, those who were of military draft age for World War I were included in the draft registration records of Bannock County, the parent county of Caribou.

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.

Current
Caribou County Sun, published in Soda Springs.

Pension Records
Mothers' Pensions were provided by the State of Idaho for widows and/or orphans, under certain conditions. Petitions for those pensions were filed with the probate court in each county. The original papers for several counties have been transferred to the Idaho State Archives in Boise and have been indexed. Caribou County Mothers' Pensions are included in that index.

Probate
Probate records are generally found on the county level and can be accessed by contacting the county courthouse in which the transactions took place. The Caribou County courthouse is located in Soda Springs and the records can be accessed by visiting there.

The Idaho State Archives has microfilmed some of the early Caribou County probate records and these can be accessed by visiting the Archives in Boise, Idaho.

The Family History Library has filmed Caribou County probate records (1898-1926) and these films are available for viewing at their facility in Salt Lake City or in any of its Family History Centers.

Taxation
Any existing tax assessment rolls for Caribou County should be in the courthouse in Soda Springs and would need to be accessed by visiting there.

Birth
Birth records, 1911 to present, for individuals born in the Caribou County area are included in and recorded at the state level. These records are restricted for a period of one hundred years from the time of the individual's birth but can be obtained by following the guidelines as issued by the State of Idaho. See the Vital Recordssection under the subject Idaho for more details.

Death
Deaths occuring in Caribou County are included in the state-wide registration program. These records are restricted for a period of fifty years from the time of the individual's death but can be obtained by following the guidelines as mandated by the State of Idaho. See the Vital Records section under Idaho for details.

Copies of death certificates from 1911-1954 are on microfilm and can be used at the Idaho State Archives in Boise, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, BYU-Idaho University Library in Rexburg and several other locations.

A state-wide index to Idaho Deaths, 1911-1956 is available online. Efforts to expand this index to 1960 are underway. Another version is Idaho Death Index 1911-1956.

Deaths from other sources
A significant source of death and related information for eastern Idaho families can be found at the following website Eastern Idaho Death Index.

Societies and Libraries
Many public libraries provide internet access to sites of value to the family historian. Some have special collections of historical and cultural interest, as well. The following libraries may have some resources of value, but use of some or all of them may require a visit to the library.


 * Grace District Library 204 S Main St Grace, ID 83241 Phone: (208) 425-3695 Website
 * Soda Springs Public Library 149 S Main St Soda Springs, ID 83276 Phone: (208) 547-2606 Website
 * Enders Hotel &amp; Museum‎ 76 South Main Street, Soda Springs, ID 83276-1426 (208) 547-4980‎

Web Sites

 * The Caribou County Idaho GenWeb Project, a member of The IDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project
 * Family History Library Catalog
 * Caribou County, Idaho Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)