Benton County, Oregon Genealogy

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

Description
Benton County was named for Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S. Senator who advocated American control over the Oregon Country. The county is located in the northwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Benton County Courthouse 120 NW 4th Street Corvallis, OR, 97330 Phone: 541-243-7850 Benton County Website
 * County Clerk has birth and death records from 1907 marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1850 and military discharge records from 1919.
 * County Records Inventory - records held at the Benton County Court House as of July 2006.

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:

 Post Offices
 * Alpine: The post office was established in 1912.
 * Alsea: The post office was not established until July 1871, with Thomas Russell postmaster.

History Timeline

 * 20 February 1893: Lincoln County.
 * 28 January 1851: Umpqua.

Cemeteries

 * Oregon Metro
 * Oregon Genealogy Cemeteries

Church Records
 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
Details about the rivers and waterways where farms and settlements are often found along them. See; Rivers and Waterways

Military Records
 Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War I
 * 1919-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1921-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

County Records

 * 1856-1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection — index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1885 Benton County Oregon list of probate files SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills. - free
 * 1833-1963 Oregon Wills and Probate Records 1833-1963 at Ancestry.com — 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
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1842-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1855-1970 Oregon, U.S., County Births and Deaths, 1855-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1860-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1876-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1826-1975 Oregon, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1849-1884; 1991-2006 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1852-1979 Oregon, Benton County, marriage records, 1852-1979 at FamilySearch
 * 1906-1968 Oregon, U.S., State Marriages, 1906-1968 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho
 * Marriage Index 1885-1896

Death

 * 1855-1970 Oregon, U.S., County Births and Deaths, 1855-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 1864-1968 Oregon, U.S., State Deaths, 1864-1968 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Corvallis Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Eugene Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Newport Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Salem Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Oregon Genealogical Society, Inc. - an affiliate library

Libraries
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library 645 NW Monroe Ave Corvallis, OR 97330 Phone: 541-766-6793 Website Facebook

Societies
Benton County Genealogical Society 1100 Block of Main St, 2nd Floor Philomath, OR 97370 Website Facebook Benton County Historical Society 1101 Main Street Philomath, OR 97370 Phone: 541-929-6230 Website Facebook

Websites

 * Benton County OR GenWeb, an member of OR GenWeb
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Benton County


 * – 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.