Flathead County, Montana Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named for the unique geological formation of a broad flat valley surrounded by mountains at the head of a deep glacial lake. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Flathead County Courthouse 800 S Main Street Kalispell, MT 59901 Phone: 406.758.5526 Flathead County Website County Clerk and Recorder has birth and death records from 1882, land records from 1884 and burial records from 1893; Clerk District Court has marriage, divorce and court records from 1893

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

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Indian Reservation A small part of the Flathead Indian Reservation is in Flathead County. The major part of the reservation is in Lake County. Other small portions are also in Missoula and Sanders Counties.

Territory and State Censuses

 * 1860 - at FamilySearch Historical Records - How to Use this Collection; index and images; Montana was included in the 1860 Washington and Nebraska Territory Censuses
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch Historical Records - How to Use this Collection; index and images; Montana Territory Census
 * 1880 - at FamilySearch Historical Records - How to Use this Collection; index and images; Montana Territory Census

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for the state of Montana starting in 1890, although no records survived. The 1900 Census is the next Federal Census available. For links to Federal Census indexes, see Montana Census.
 * Montana, 1940 population census: population schedules Viewable

Church Records
Online Church Records Lutheran Church Presbyterian Church List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1875-1940 - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
 * 1965-1966 - U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Community Presbyterian Church of Kila, Baptisms, Births, 1965-1966
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1871-2007 (*) at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1967 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images

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
 * 1863-1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images
 * 1871-2007 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * See an interactive map of Flathead County cemeteries and modern-day townships. (Histopolis)
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Montana - shows boundary changes for Montana Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of Montana - maps and atlases of Montana

Online Collections
These collections are unique to Montana. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Montana Military Records. Civil War World War I World War II For further information see Montana Military Records.
 * 1890 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1890 - 1918 Montana Military Enlistments at Montana Memory Project
 * 1904 - 1918 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1917 - 1918 Montana, World War I Selective Service System draft registration cards, (1917-1918) Viewable
 * 1917 - 1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; 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
 * WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties for Montana - Index only

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1791-1992 - U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 at Ancestry($), index only
 * 1868-1999 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1870-1999 - Montana, Federal Naturalization Records, 1870-1999 at Ancestry($), index only

Newspapers
 Montana Newspapers Online
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Montana newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Montana newspapers
 * Montana Newspapers by the Montana Historical Society
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Montana newspapers including Kalispell newspapers. This database is sometimes free at libraries.
 * FlatheadCountyMtGenWeb- contains extracted newspaper records from the Daily Interlake 1890-2020

Montana Newspaper Catalogs
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper

Obituaries

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

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

Probate Records

 * 1831-1952 - Montana Wills and Probate Records 1831-1952 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1871-2007 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Vital Records

 * 1871-2007 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Birth

 * 1840-2004 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1840-2004 - Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1840-2004 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1967 - Flathead County juvenile statistics for ages 12-20, inc. information applicable, Oct 1, 1967 Includes names and birth dates.

Marriage

 * 1800 - 1994 - Montana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1865-1950 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1865-1950 - Montana, County Marriages, 1865-1950 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1889-1947 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1889-1947 - Montana Select Marriages 1889-1947 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1893-1949 - Marriage records, 1893-1949 Viewable
 * 1896-1968 - Marriage records, 1896-1968 Viewable
 * Western States Marriage Index - Index, incomplete, list of counties included

Death

 * 1840-2004 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1840-2004 - Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1840-2004 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1860-2007 - at FamilySearch- How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1868-2007 - Montana, Death Index, 1868-2011 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * pre 1900-2002 - Montana State Death Registry Index Pre 1954 & 1954-2002 at Montana State Genealogical Society — index
 * 1954-2011 - Montana Death Records at findmypast ($) — index

Divorce

 * 1943-1988 Montana, U.S., Divorce Records, 1943-1988 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)

Voting Records

 * 1884-1992 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Family History Centers

 * Eureka Montana Family History Center
 * Kalispell Montana Family History Center
 * Libby Montana Family History Center
 * Plains Montana Family History Center
 * Polson Montana Family History Center


 * Thompson Falls Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
ImagineIF Library Bigfork 525 Electric Ave Bigfork, MT 59911 406-837-6976 Website Facebook ImagineIF Library Columbia Falls 130 6th St W STE C Columbia Falls, MT 59912 Website Facebook ImagineIF Library Kalispell 247 1st Ave East Kalispell, MT 59901 406-758-5820 Website Facebook Marion Branch Library 205 Gopher Ln Marion, MT 59925 406-854-2333 Website Facebook

Museums
Northwest Montana History Museum 124 Second Ave East Kalispell, MT 59901 406-756-8381 Website

Societies
Northwest Montana Historical Society 124 Second Ave East Kalispell, MT 59901 (406) 756-8381 Website Stumptown (Whitefish) Historical Society 500 Depot Street, Suite 101 Whitefish, MT 59937-2567 (406) 862-0067 Website

Websites

 * Flathead County at Cyndi's List — a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Flathead County at Genealogy Trails — volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Flathead County at Montana USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Flathead County at Montana USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * Flathead County, Montana at Linkpendium - genealogy and family history
 * Flathead County, Montana Genealogy at LDSGenealogy.com - collection of links by state, county, city, and record type
 * 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.