Ravalli County, Montana Genealogy

United States Montana Ravalli County

Guide to Ravalli County, Montana ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
Ravalli County was founded on March 3, 1893. The County Seat is Hamilton. It is named after the Italian Jesuit priest Antony Ravalli, who arrived in the Bitterroot Valley in 1845. Located in the southwestern part of the state.

County Courthouse
Ravalli County Courthouse 300 W River Road; Hamilton, MT 59894 Phone: 406.822.3520 Ravalli County Website County Clerk and recorder has birth and death records from 1911, land records from 1871 and voter registration from 1937; Clerk Court has marriage, divorce and court records from 1893 and probate records from 1888

Ravalli County, Montana Record Dates

 * {| width="91%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1"


 * width="91%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" colspan="7" | Beginning Dates for Major County Records
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Birth*
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Marriage
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Death*
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Court
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Land
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Probate
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Census
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1911*
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1893*
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1911*
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1893
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1893
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1893
 * width="13%" align="center" |
 * colspan="7" | * For earlier dates, try... Church &#124; Obituaries &#124; Cemeteries
 * }
 * width="13%" align="center" |
 * colspan="7" | * For earlier dates, try... Church &#124; Obituaries &#124; Cemeteries
 * }
 * }

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Montana - shows boundary changes for Montana Counties
 * Montana Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library


 * Parent County: 1893--Ravalli County created 16 February 1893 from Missoula
 * County seat: Hamilton 
 * Ravalli County map

Populated Places
The following are locations in the county.

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for Montana starting in 1870. For links to federal census indexes, see Montana Census.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records
 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1861 - 1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Maps and Gazetteers



 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Montana - shows boundary changes for Montana Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of Montana - maps and atlases of Montana

Military Records
Civil War World War I For further information see Montana Military Records.
 * 1890 at FamilySearch.— index
 * 1890 - 1918 Montana Military Enlistments at Montana Memory Project
 * 1917 - 1918 at FamilySearch — Index and images
 * Soldiers of the Great War from the State of Montana at USGenWeb.
 * Military Enlistments Montana World War I at Montana Memory Project

Obituaries

 * Obituary Daily Times - large obituary index from newspapers across the United States.

See also United States Obituaries for more about finding United States obituaries.

Probate Records
'''Online Probate Records


 * 1831 – 1952 Montana Wills and Probate Records 1831-1952 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Birth

 * 1840 - 2004 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1840 - 2004 Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1840 - 2004 at Ancestry ($) — index

Marriage

 * 1865 - 1950 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1865 - 1950 Montana, County Marriages, 1865 - 1950 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1889 - 1947 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1889 - 1947 Montana Select Marriages 1889 - 1947 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * Western States Marriage Index - Index, incomplete, list of counties included

Death

 * 1840 - 2004 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1840 - 2004 Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1840 - 2004 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1860 - 2007 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1868 - 2011 Montana, Death Index, 1868 - 2011 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * pre 1954 - 2002 Montana State Death Registry Index Pre 1954 & 1954 - 2002 at Montana State Genealogical Society — index
 * 1954 - 2011 Montana Death Records at FindMyPast ($) — index

Family History Centers

 * Hamilton Montana Family History Center
 * Stevensville Montana Family History Center

Societies
Bitterroot Genealogical Society 702 S. Fifth Street Hamilton 59840 Ravalli County Historical Society 205 Bedford St Hamilton 59840-2853 Phone:(406) 363-3338 Victor Heritage Association 125 N Blake St Victor 59875-9470

Websites

 * USGenWeb Ravalli County, Montana project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Rootsweb
 * Kindred Trails
 * - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records