Lincoln County, Idaho Genealogy

United States &gt; Idaho &gt; Lincoln County

County Courthouse
Lincoln County Courthouse Shoshone, ID 83352-0800 Phone: (208) 886-7641 Fax: (208) 886-2707

Parent County
1895--Lincoln County was created 18 March 1895 from Alturas and Blaine Counties. County seat: Shoshone

Boundary Changes
28 January 1913 -- Gooding County created from part of Lincoln County

28 January 1913 -- Minidoka County created from part of Lincoln County

8 February 1919 -- Jerome County created from parts of Gooding and Lincoln Counties

Places/Localities
The following 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 Lincoln County, Idaho was compiled from the Lists of Places in Idaho in Wikipedia and from the map of Lincoln County in Virtual Earth.

Cities
Richfield | Shoshone

Other inhabited places
Besslen | Burmah | Dietrick | Kimama | Lone Star | Owinza | Pagari | Rawson | Senter | Tunupa

Neighboring Counties
Blaine | Camas | Gooding | Jerome | Minidoka

Resources
Many of the older court, land, naturalization, probate, pension, and vital records for Lincoln 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 Historical Society's Library 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 Shoshone.

Cemeteries
The following cemeteries of Lincoln County have been identified and some of their records located. When multiple transcriptions are listed, they may contain discrepant information. The transcriptions may have been made at different times and by different people. Some names may have been mis-read. Some gravestones may have been missed. All transcriptions available for each cemetery should be checked.

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 Lincoln 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.


 * Dietrich
 * Richfield

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.

Maps

 * An 1895 map of Lincoln and surrounding counties is available online.
 * A digital Lincoln County Idaho map is available online.
 * Map of Lincoln County, Idaho is available online.

Military
World War I draft registration cards, 1917-1918, for Lincoln County have been microfilmed. Copies of these records are available at the Family History Library (their microfilm number 1452218) and are also available online at Ancestry.com, for a subscription fee. The original cards are maintained in the Southeast Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in East Point, Georgia and have been microfilmed by the National Archives as their Microcopy M1509.

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.

Birth
The Birth Registers for Lincoln County, 1907-1911, have been microfilmed and are available at the Idaho State Historical Society Library in Boise and at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Transcription of birth records, 1907-1911, available on the USGenWeb site for Lincoln County.

Birth records, 1911 to present, for individuals born in Lincoln County 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 Records section under the subject Idaho for more details.

Marriage
An alphabetical listing of marriage records, 1907-1912 is available on the USGenWeb site for Lincoln County

Nearly 1800 marriages, 1886-1942, are listed on the Western States Marriage Index.

Death
Index to Lincoln County Death Records, 1907-1911 are available in the USGenWeb site for Lincoln County

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.


 * Richfield District Library 205 South Main Richfield, ID 83349 Phone: (208) 487-1242
 * Shoshone Public Library 211 South Rail St W Shoshone, ID 83352 Phone: (208) 886-2843 Website

Web Sites

 * The Lincoln County Idaho GenWeb Project, a member of The IDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project
 * Family History Library Catalog