Madison County, Montana Genealogy

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

Description
The Madison County is located in the southwestern area of the state. Madison County was named for James Madison.

County Courthouse
Madison County Courthouse 110 W Wallace Street Virginia City, MT 59755 Phone: 406.843.4270 Madison County Website County Clerk and Recorder has birth and death records from 1909 and land records from 1864; Clerk Court has marriage records from 1887, divorce, probate and court from 1865

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

Boundary Changes
Parent County: created 2 February 1865 as an original county County seat: Virginia City

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:

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.


 * 1870 Madison County, Montana : census index

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 — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
 * 1900-1904 U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Presbyterian Church of Twin Bridges, Baptisms, Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1900-1904
 * 1913-1975 U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Community Presbyterian Church of Whitlash, Baptisms, Births, Deaths, 1913-1975
 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * 1897-1930 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * K & L Mortuaries, Inc in Ennis, Harrison, Sheridan, Twin Bridges

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 - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * Golden Gulch, The Story of Montana's Fabulous Alder Gulch : Being a True, Quite Partial and Somewhat Humorous History of Alder Gulch, Montana, the state's richest placer mining district and the cradle of Montana history. c1991. By Dick Pace. Virginia City, Montana : Bovey Restorations..
 * Pioneer Trails and Trials: Madison County 1863-1920. c1983. By Madison County History Association. [Sheridan, Montana] : Madison County History Association (Montana)..

Online County Histories
 * All Should Be Remembered: Dedicated to Graves Wherever They May Be. c2005-2016. By Susan Slater Ren. Ennis, Montana : S.S. Ren. Available at FamilySearch Catalog, 7 Volumes;.
 * Golden Gulch: The Story of Montana's Fabulous Alder Gulch. c1970. By Dick Pace. Virginia City, Montana : D. Pace. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * Golden Gulch: The Story of Montana's Fabulous Alder Gulch. c1962. By Dick Pace. [Montana?] : D. Pace. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library,.
 * Pioneer Trails and Trials : Madison County, 1863-1920. c1976. By Madison County History Association. Great Falls, Montana : Blue Print and Letter Company. Available at FamilySearch Catalog, Montana Memory Project;.
 * Progressive Years; Madison County, Volume 2, 1920-1950. c1983. By Madison County History Association. Butte, Montana : Artcraft Printers. Available at FamilySearch Catalog;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * See an interactive map of Madison 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

Migration

 * 1863-1920 Pioneer trails and trials : Madison County, 1863-1920

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. Records]] and Montana Military Records.
 * 1890 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; indexindex
 * 1890 - 1918 Montana Military Enlistments at Montana Memory Project
 * 1904 - 1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index
 * 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 Records
 * 1791-1992 U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 at Ancestry($), index only
 * 1868-1999 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index and images
 * 1870-1929 Montana Naturalization Records, 1856-1979 – Browseable images only; County records for Madison County have various naturalization records from 1870-1929.
 * 1870-1999 Montana, Federal Naturalization Records, 1870-1999 at Ancestry($), index only

Newspapers
 Montana Newspapers Online
 * Butte and Helena newspapers that may include residents of Madison County. This database is sometimes free at libraries.
 * 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

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.

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

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1922 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1831–1952 Montana Wills and Probate Records 1831-1952 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1865-1899 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & 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.

Tax Records

 * 1871, 1880 Madison County, Montana, tax list, 1871, 1880

Birth

 * 1840-2004 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index and images
 * 1840-2004 Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1840 - 2004 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1864-1970 Register of births recorded in Madison County courthouse, Virginia City, Montana, 1864 thru 1907 Arranged alphabetically by name within each year.
 * 1897-1988 Montana, U.S., Birth Records, 1897-1988 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Marriage

 * 1800-1994 Montana, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1864-1886 Marriage certificates (Madison County, Montana) 1864 - 1886 A typed list, by year, of marriages, giving names of bride and groom, marriage date, and date filed.
 * 1864-1887 Register of marriages recorded in Madison County courthouse, Virginia City, Montana, 1864 thru 1887 Arranged by year and groom's surname. Includes only a partial listing for 1887.
 * 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
 * 1943-1988 Montana, U.S., Marriage Records, 1943-1988 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * 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 ($) — index
 * 1860-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection;  index
 * 1868-2011 Montana, Death Index, 1868 - 2011 at Ancestry ($) — index
 * 1977-1981 Register of deaths recorded in Madison County courthouse, Virginia City, Montana, 1977 thru 1981 Arranged alphabetically by name within each year.
 * 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

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Bozeman Montana FamilySearch Center
 * Butte Montana FamilySearch Center
 * Dillon Montana FamilySearch Center
 * Ennis Montana FamilySearch Center
 * Sheridan Montana FamilySearch Center
 * Three Forks Montana FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Madison Valley Public Library 210 E Main Ennis, MT 59729 406-682-7244 Email: [mailto:ennislib@3rivers.net ennislib@3rivers.net] Website Facebook Thompson-Hickman Madison County Library 217 E Idaho St PO Box 128 Virginia City, MT 59755 406-843-5346 Email: [mailto:thlibrary@madisoncountymt.gov thlibrary@madisoncountymt.gov] Website Facebook

Museums
Madison Valley History Museum 447 State Highway 287 South PO Box 474 Ennis, MT 59729-0474 406-682-4685 E-mail: [mailto:president@madisonvalleyhistoryassociation.org president@madisonvalleyhistoryassociation.org] Website Facebook

Societies
Madison Valley History Association 447 State Highway 287 South PO Box 474 Ennis, MT 59729-0474 406-682-4685 E-mail: [mailto:president@madisonvalleyhistoryassociation.org president@madisonvalleyhistoryassociation.org] Website Facebook

Websites

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