Montana, Beaverhead County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection consists of images of various record types from the county clerk and recorder offices in Dillon, Montana. Records include voter registration, land and property records, and birth and death records. This collection is being published as images and indexes become available. The birth and death records have been indexed.

Record Content
The record content varies by record type. It may contain any of the following items of information:


 * Name of primary individual
 * Date and place of event
 * Age, gender, and race of individual
 * Names of parents, their ages and current residence
 * Date of birth and birthplaces of a child or parents
 * Occupation
 * Names of deceased, their gender, date of death and birthplace
 * Death records also include age, race and marital status of deceased
 * Death records include cause of death and date and place of burial
 * Names of heirs, such as spouse, children, or other relatives
 * Names of the executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Dates documents were written and recorded
 * (Wills were usually written near the time of death)
 * Description and value of property or land
 * Military information such as company, rank, and enlistment date
 * Statistical information about members of the household

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The approximate date the event occurred
 * The name of the individual or individuals
 * Identifying information such as age, residence, or names of other family members

Search the Collection
To search the collection fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the age to calculate the birth date.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the residence or place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names to locate church and land records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.
 * The name of the undertaker, mortuary, or cemetery could lead you to funeral records which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as more recent records.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.
 * Compiling the entries for every person who has the same surname is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual. It can also help you to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives. You may want to repeat this process for each new generation or surname that you identify.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes created by local genealogical and historical societies.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Related Websites
Montana Genealogy Records

Related Wiki Articles

 * Montana
 * Montana Court Records
 * Montana Land and Property
 * Montana Vital Records

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.