Payette County, Idaho Genealogy

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

Idaho Online Genealogy Records

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 * Census
 * Birth
 * Marriage
 * Death

Description
The County was named in honor of the area's first white settler, Francois Payette, a Canadian fur trapper and explorer. The County has Payette as its seat and the County was created February 28, 1917. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Payette County Courthouse 1130 3rd Avenue North Payette, ID 83661 Phone: 208- 642-6000 County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1917 and military discharge records from 1919

Parent County
1917--Payette County was created 28 February 1917 from Canyon County and was named for the French fur trapper who worked for the Hudson's Bay Company named Francois Payette. County seat:  Payette

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

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

The above 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 websites. 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 Payette County, Idaho was compiled from the Lists of Places in Idaho in Wikipedia and from the map of Payette County in Virtual Earth.

Resources
The types of records that follow are used for genealogy and family history. Most tell what you may learn and how to locate the records. Links to Internet sites usually go directly to entries with names, images, or information.

Many of the older court, land, naturalization, probate, pension, and vital records for Payette County have been microfilmed and are available at the 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 Payette.

Cemeteries
There are many cemeteries in Payette County. For a list of those that have been identified, and links to transcriptions and/or photographs of tombstones, go to Payette 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
The 1890 federal census for Idaho was destroyed. However, the Idaho State Historical Society Public Archives and Research Library is creating a list of 1890 Idaho residents by indexing a variety of records, 1885-1894. This reconstructed list will substitute for the destroyed 1890 federal 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)
In 1930, Payette County was part of the Northwestern States Mission. There were no Stakes organized at that time.


 * The following are local congregations (wards) which existed in Payette County, Idaho prior to 1950.
 * For original or later records, check with the Church History Library in Salt Lake City.
 * Many of the records to about 1948 are available at the Family History Libraryin Salt Lake City and at its FamilySearch Centers.
 * 1917--Payette County was created 28 February 1917 from Canyon County


 * New Plymouth
 * Payette

Historical
Early Payette Idaho Churches by Ron Marlow

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

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.

Court Records
Some of the early court records of Payette County, Idaho have been microfilmed and are available at the Idaho State Archives in Boise, Idaho. The records filmed include civil suits, divorce papers, judgment dockets, etc. Copies of these microfilmed court records are also available at the in Salt Lake City, Utah or at any of the Library's Family History Centers. Additional court records and more recent records are housed at the Payette County courthouse in Payette, and can be accessed by making a visit there.

Some of the records of the courts of Payette County that have been microfilmed include:

Judgment Books


 * Judgment records, 1917-1930 Idaho. District Court (Payette County)

Directories
The Idaho State Archives has a collection of city, county, state and regional directories.

History
Link to the history of the city of Payette: Payette History

Link to stories of people and places: Payette County Histories

Land and Property
Land and Property records are generally recorded in the county courthouse of the county in which the transaction took place. For original records of Payette County, Idaho, one may visit the courthouse in Payette, Idaho.

At this time there do not appear to be any microfilmed copies of Payette County's land and property records. Earlier records might be found in Canyon County from which it was formed.

Maps

 * Link to historic maps of Payette County: payettecounty.info/maps/intro.html.
 * A digital Payette County Idaho map is available online.
 * Map of Payette County, Idaho is available online.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from for European and African American settlers included:


 * Snake River
 * Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon

Military
World War I draft registration cards, 1917-1918, for Payette County have been microfilmed. Copies of these records are available at the Family History Library (their ) 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.

Online Records

 * 1917-1960 at FamilySearch - index and images
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Records
 * 1892-1990 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Current

 * Independent Enterprise

Historical
Copies of issues of many Idaho newspapers are in the collections of the Idaho State Archives

Obituaries

 * 1943-2013 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1857-1989 - Idaho Wills and Probate Records 1857-1989 at Ancestry.com $

Record A (1896-1925) of Payette's probate records has been microfilmed and copies are available at the Idaho State Archives in Boise, or at the  in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copies can be viewed at the Library in Salt Lake City, or in any of its Family History Centers.

Any other existing probate records or those of later dates should be available at the Payette County courthouse in Payette and can be accessed by visiting there.

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

Birth
Online Records
 * 1861-1911 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1883-1929 - at FamilySearch.

Birth records, 1911 to present, for individuals born in Payette 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
Online Records


 * 1800-1987 - Idaho, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1864-1976 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1864-1950 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1878-1898; 1903-1942 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1947-1963 - at FamilySearch — index

Over 7400 marriages, 1917-1964, are listed on Western States Marriage Index.

There are 143 Payette County marriages in the online Idaho Marriages.

Divorce
Online Records
 * 1947-1963 - at FamilySearch — index

Death
Online Records
 * 1883-1929 - at FamilySearch
 * 1938-1961 - at FamilySearch — index

Social Security 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.


 * Payette Public Library 24 S 10th St Payette, ID 83661 Website
 * Fruitland Community Library ‎500 Southwest 3rd Street Fruitland, ID 83619 (208) 452-7123‎
 * Armoral Tuttle Public Library‎ 301 Plymouth Avenue New Plymouth, ID 83655 (208) 729-0123 Website
 * Payette County Museum‎ 90 South 9th Street Payette, ID 83661 (208) 642-4883 Website
 * State Historical Society 2205 Old Penitentiary Rd Boise, Idaho 208-334-2774 Website


 * Idaho Historical Society Facebook Page Website


 * Idaho State Archives Digital Collections - Enter County in Search Bar


 * Idaho State Archives


 * National Society Daughters of the American Revolution-Idaho Chapter


 * The Idaho Welsh Society -- excellent cultural and historical site

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Fruitland Idaho Family History Center

Websites

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