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Montana Public Records
| How
To Search Public and Vital Records -
Vital records are records of life events important enough that
some level of government acquires, organizes, and preserves
them. While the term "vital records" is often applied
to a wide variety of life events... Read
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Montana Vital Records
Montana began recording births and deaths at the state level in 1907.
It was not until about 1915 that mandatory registration of births
became more complete. By 1922, compliance was about 90 percent. All
pre-1907 birth and death records are filed with the county clerk,
as are all original marriage certificates. The Department of Public
Health has only indexes to marriages (and only for those after 1945).
For birth and death records after 1907, write:
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), 111 North
Sanders, P.O. Box 4210, Helena, MT 59604-4210
For earlier records and for marriage certificates,
write to the clerk of the county in question.
Montana Land Records
Montana is a federal-land state. Lands were generally acquired from
the federal government or from other individuals. There is no name
index for federal lands in Montana prior to 1908. To access a federal
land entry either the certificate number or the legal description
of the land, such as range, township, and section, must be known.
The description can be obtained from the county recorder of deeds
if the present-day county is known. Major federal land records include
survey plats and field notes, tract books, register's returns, case
files or land-entry papers, and patent records. The survey plats,
tract books, and patent records prior to 1908 are available at Bureau
of Land Management (BLM), Granite Tower, 222 North 32nd Street,
P.O. Box 36800, Billings, MT 59107.
Patent records after 1908 and case files or land-entry papers prior
to 1908 are available through the National Archives in Washington,
D.C. Both the Seattle and Denver branches of the National Archives
also hold Montana research materials. The case files are the most
important genealogically as they often contain military papers,
naturalization records, and other documentation. Land transactions
between individuals are filed with the respective county clerk and
recorder. For further information on land and property research,
see:
Hone, E. Wade. Land and Property Research in the United States.
Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1997.
Montana Court Records
Court records include probate records (which include wills), guardianship,
naturalization, and a wide variety of other sources, ranging from
criminal trials to simple road orders. All contain information about
individuals within the area. It should be remembered that there
are different levels of jurisdiction for courts in the United States,
all of which should be considered for research under various circumstances.
Court of Common Pleas, Orphan's Court, Probate Court, District Court,
Superior Court, Supreme Court, and other titles are among those
encountered. To study more about court records in general, see "Research
in Court Records," by Arlene H. Eakle, in:
Szucs, Loretto Dennis, and Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, eds. The
Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Rev. ed. Salt Lake City:
Ancestry, 1997.
Montana Military Records
Many original military records for the state of Montana are on file
at the Montana Historical Society archive in Helena. These include
World War I and World War II records and early National Guard enlistment
records. These records are filed on 60,000 cards arranged alphabetically
by surname. The information on these cards includes name, service
number, place of enlistment and date, age at entrance, rate, home
address, service record history, remarks, and discharge information.
An inventory of military records and the Veterans Administration
was conducted by the WPA and can be found in the following publications:
Inventory of Federal Archives in the States, series 4, Department
of War, No. 25; Montana (Bozeman: Historical Records Survey Project,
1941) and Inventory of Federal Archives in the States, series 12,
Veteran Administration, No. 25; Montana (Bozeman: Historical Records
Survey Project, 1940). These volumes detail the founding of the
Fort Harrison Facility in Helena from 1895 to the subsequent growth
of the Veterans Administration at that facility. Records kept through
Fort Harrison include Canadian claims, compensation claims, guardianship
cases, insurance claims, leave cards, medical records, patient funds,
patient registers, pensions, salary records, travel orders, and
a veterans index.
For further military information, consult:
Neagles, James C. U.S. Military Records: A Guide to Federal and
State Sources. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1994.
Additional Sources
Koury, Michael J. The Military Posts of Montana. Bellevue, Nebr.:
Old Army Press, 1970. (This is an introduction to the army posts
of Montana. Included are Camp Cooke, Fort C.F. Smith, Fort Shaw,
Fort Ellis, Camp Baker, Fort Logan, Fort Benton, Fort Custer, Fort
Keogh, Fort Missoula, Fort Maginnis, and Fort Assiniboine.)
Richards, Dennis L. Montana's Genealogical and Local History Records:
A Selected List of Books, Manuscripts, and Periodicals. Detroit:
Gale Research Company, 1981. (One of the best guides to history
and genealogical works, this volume lists historical and genealogical
sources for the territorial and state periods of Montana.)
Burlingame, Merrill G., and K. Ross Toole, eds. A History of Montana.
New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1957. (A three-volume
set. Vols. 1 and 2 are a history of Montana. Vol. 3 provides valuable
biographical sketches.)
Wolle, Muriel Vincent Sibell. Montana Pay Dirt: A Guide to Mining
Camps of the Treasure State. Denver: Sage, 1963. (Contains maps,
illustrations, and a selected bibliography.)
Montana Vital Records:
Event: Birth or death
Cost of copy: $10.00
Address:
MT Dept. of Public Health and Human Services
Vital Statistics Bureau
P.O. Box 4210
Helena, MT 59604
Remarks: State office has had records since late
1907.
Photocopy of picture ID and signature required.
Check or money order should be made payable to Montana
Department of Public Health and Human Services. Personal checks
are accepted. To verify current fees, the telephone number is (406)
444-4228. Information on how to obtain certified copies is also
available via the internet at Montana Department of Public Health
and Human Services.
Search All Montana Records
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Event: Marriage (State)
Cost of copy: See remarks
Address:
MT Dept. of Public Health and Human Services
Vital Statistics Bureau
P.O. Box 4210
Helena, MT 59604
Remarks: Records since July 1943. Some items may
be verified. Inquiries will be forwarded to appropriate office.
Apply to county where license was issued if known. Certified copies
are not available from State office.
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Event: Marriage (county)
Cost of copy: Varies
Address: See remarks
Remarks: Clerk of District Court in county where
license was issued.
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Event: Divorce (State)
Cost of copy: See remarks
Address:
MT Dept. of Public Health and Human Services
Vital Statistics Bureau
P.O. Box 4210
Helena, MT 59604
Remarks: Records since July 1943. Some items may
be verified. Inquiries will be forwarded to appropriate office.
Apply to court where divorce was granted if known. Certified copies
are not available from State office.
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Event: Divorce (county)
Cost of copy: Varies
Address: See remarks
Remarks: Clerk of District Court in county
where divorce was granted.
Search All Montana Records
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