Elmore County, Idaho Genealogy

United States &gt; Idaho &gt; Elmore County

County Courthouse


Elmore County Courthouse 150 South 4th East Suite 5 Mountain Home Idaho 83647 Phone: 208.587.2130 Extension 508 Fax: 208.587.2134

Quick Facts

 * Named for Ida Elmore mines, the area's greatest silver and gold producer in 1860s.
 * The Oregon Trail crossed the Snake River near Glenns Ferry.

Parent County
7 February 1889: Elmore County, Idaho was created from Ada and Alturas Counties.

Places/Localities
The preceding 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 web sites. 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 Elmore County, Idaho was compiled from the Lists of Places in Idaho in Wikipedia and from the map of Elmore County in Virtual Earth.

Resources
Many of the older court, land, naturalization, probate, pension, and vital records for Elmore County have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library 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 Mountain Home.

Cemeteries
There are many cemeteries in Elmore County. For a list of those that have been identified, and links to transcriptions and/or photographs of tombstones, go to Elmore 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
For a summary of census records for the state of Idaho, see Idaho Census Records.

The 1890 federal census for Idaho was destroyed. However, the Idaho State Archives 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. Elmore County is included in this reconstructed census.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)
The following are local congregations (wards) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints which existed in Canyon County, Idaho prior to 1950. Many of the original records of these church units are in the Historical Library in Salt Lake City. Many of the membership records covering these units from the date of their creation to about 1948 have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.


 * Glenn's Ferry
 * Mountain Home

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 Elmore 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 Family History Library 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 Elmore County courthouse in Mountain Home, Idaho, and can be accessed by making a visit there.

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


 * Patents, 1889-1911; general index, 1891-1965 Idaho.
 * Power of attorney, 1898-1930; general index, 1898-1985
 * Idaho genealogical records (contains Elmore County court records 1874-1899 taken from a Boise Idaho newspaper.)

See also the Elmore County Miscellaneous Series.

Land
Land and Property records are generally held in the county in which the transaction took place. For Elmore County this would be at the courthouse in Mountain Home and would require a visit to access the records.

The Idaho State Archives has microfilmed many of the county records of Elmore County, among them the land and property records, which can be viewed by visiting the Archives in Boise, Idaho.

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah has also microfilmed some deeds and homestead records of Elmore County. These films are available for viewing at the Library in Salt Lake City or in any of its Family History Centers.

Maps

 * An 1895 map of Elmore and surrounding counties is available online.
 * A digital Elmore County Idaho map is available online.
 * Map of Elmore County, Idaho is available online.

Military
World War I draft registration cards, 1917-1918, for Elmore County have been microfilmed. Copies of these records are available at the Family History Library (their microfilm number 1452214) 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.

Miscellaneous Series
Often overlooked by the genealogist, this group of volumes may contain affidavits for citizenship, final disposition of estates, divorce decrees, and many other types of valuable documents. The content varies from county to county, year to year and from clerk to clerk. When the estate case files, civil or criminal files are not available or have been destroyed, you may find key documents recorded here. Most counties will have an index to this series and it is a must search if the information you are seeking is not found elsewhere.

Both the Idaho State Archives in Boise, Idaho, and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah have copies of the miscellaneous record of Elmore County. The originals are held in the Elmore County courthouse in Mountain Home, Idaho and can be accessed by visiting there. Copies in the Idaho State Archives are available for viewing in Boise. Those held by the Family History Library can be viewed either at the Library in Salt Lake City or at any of its Family History Centers.

Naturalization
The original naturalization records of Elmore County that have been transferred to the Idaho State Archives in Boise have been indexed in their Index to Naturalizations.

Current

 * Mountain Home News

Probate
Probate records are generally housed in the county in which the transaction took place, and can be accessed by contacting the Elmore county courthouse which is located in Mountain Home.

The Family History Library has microfilmed some probate records from Elmore County (Wills 1892-1936) and the films are available in the Library in Salt Lake City or in any of its Family History Centers.

The Idaho State Archives has these same films for Elmore County Wills (1892-1936) which can be accessed by visiting the Archives in Boise, Idaho.

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

Birth
The Birth Registers for Elmore County, 1907-1911, have been microfilmed and are available at the Idaho State Archives in Boise and at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Birth records, 1911 to present, for individuals born in the Elmore County area 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.

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.


 * Glenns Ferry Public Library 298 S Lincoln Glenns Ferry, ID 83623 Phone: (208) 366-2045
 * Mountain Home Public Library 790 N 10th E Mountain Home, ID 83647 Phone: (208) 587-4716 Website
 * Prairie District Library 71 Smith Creek Rd Prairie, ID 83647 Phone: (208) 868-3246
 * Mountain Home Historical Museum‎ 180 South 3rd East, Mountain Home, ID 83647-3019 (208) 587-6847‎

Web Sites

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