Coos County, Oregon Genealogy

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

Description
Coos County was named for a tribe of Native Americans who live in the region. The county is located in the western area of the state.

County Courthouse
Coos County Courthouse 250 N Baxter Street Coquille, OR 97423 Phone: 541-396-7600 Coos County Website
 * County Clerk has birth and death records 1906-1929, marriage records from 1857, land records from 1854, widows’ military pensions 1929-1950 and some school records
 * State Courts have divorce and probate records.
 * County Records Inventory listing the records held at the Coos County Court House as of August/September 2004.

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:

 Post Offices
 * Allegany: This post office was established March 25, 1893, with William Vincamp, first postmaster.

Church Records
 Lutheran
 * Records of First Norwegian Lutheran Church, North Bend, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)

 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
Details about the rivers and waterways where farms and settlements are often found along them. See Rivers and Waterways

Military Records
 Civil War
 * 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

World War I
 * 1919-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1921-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers
Oregon Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both free and pay-to-access websites.  Historic Oregon Newspapers  http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/ as a division of the Oregon Digital Newspaper Program has digitized more than 644,000 pages of newspapers throughout Oregon. Dates range from 1846-1922 with selected issues continuing through 1973. Of particular interest to Coos County researchers:
 * The Bandon Recorder Semi-Weekly Bandon Recorder

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1833-1963 Oregon Wills and Probate Records 1833-1963 at Ancestry.com — 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

Birth

 * 1842-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1860-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1876-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1826-1975 Oregon, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1842-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry.com($)
 * 1849-1884;1991-2006 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1906-1968 Oregon, U.S., State Marriages, 1906-1968 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho
 * Marriage Index 1885-1896 Historical Records Collection

FamilySearch Centers

 * Bandon Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Coos Bay Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * The Genealogical Forum of Oregon - an affiliate library
 * Oregon Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries
Coos Bay Public Library 525 Anderson Ave Coos Bay, OR 97420 Phone: 541-269-1101 Website Facebook

Museums
Coos County History Museum 1210 N Front St Coos Bay, OR 974206 541-756-6320 Website

Websites

 * Coos County GenWeb part of OR GenWeb
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project
 * – 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.