Oregon, Douglas County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection consists of the following:


 * Deed records and indexes (1852-1920)
 * Marriage records and indexes (1913-1950)

Record Content
Marriage records may include:


 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Marriage date and place
 * Name of county in which each reside
 * Names of witnesses
 * Name and title of officiator at ceremony

Land and property records may include:


 * Names of interested individuals
 * Date of transaction
 * Monies exchanged
 * Legal description of the land parcel
 * Name of witnesses
 * Any other pertinent information such as death or estate information or names of dependent children

How to Use the Record
This section provides information on how to search the collection, what to do with information once found, tips on how to find records, and what to do if no record is found.

To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The place where the event occurred.
 * The approximate date the event occurred.
 * The name of the individual or individuals such as the names of the bride and groom.

Search the Collection
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "Record Type, Volume, Date Range" category which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

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. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth date or age along with the 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 place of birth to find the family in census records.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records.
 * Use the parent’s birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

Tips to 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.
 * 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 and cemetery records which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

For a summary of this information see the wiki article: United States, How to Use the Records Summary (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Related Websites
Douglas County Oregon, Archives

Related Wiki Articles

 * Oregon
 * Oregon Land and Property
 * Douglas County, Oregon

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection citation:

Image citation: