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Oregon Area Key to Genealogical Records
Introduction
One of the necessary tasks for all family history researcher is to learn about the
history and the records for the States and Counties where their ancestors lived.
My mother called this developing an "Area Key". In other words you need to know
the territory. This page represents what I have located for an Area Key for Oregon
so far.
Area Keys
need to contain a little history, how the area began to be settled and
organized, beginning dates of counties and parent
counties, maps, a list of towns,
information about the state records including when various types of records such
as vital records began to be kept, a list of repositories
such as archives, libraries, and internet sources that contain records,
publications and databases for the state and how we can gain access to them, and
other statewide collections such as for church organizations and lineage
societies.
If you have ancestors in Oregon, you would be wise to
make this make this Area Key one of your favorites so you can come back often. I
hope you will find these pages helpful in locating your ancestors.
Sincerely, Donna K. Clark
Oregon
Statewide Genealogical Publications
Oregon became a territory in 1848 and a state in 1859.
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Oregon
Archives
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The
Oregon State
Archives is the repository for
permanently valuable government records of Oregon. They even have
provisional and territorial records as well as the Oregon Constitution. The
public has access to many of the records. County records include maps,
histories, scenic images and a comprehensive description of selected records
for each of the 36 counties. These inventories can be found on a page titled
Records
Inventories where you can select your county of interest. The inventory
list also has links where you can learn the exact title of the record and
the years covered in addition to the location of the record.
The
Genealogy
Records page has links to Topical Research Aids for adoption, census,
land, military, naturalization, probate and vital records. Photocopy and
research fees are listed at Oregon State Archives
Reference Services.
Assistance when in the State Archives Reference Room is free and photocopies
are much less if you make the copies yourself.
Perhaps the most useful page for online research is the
Oregon
Historical Records Index. Not only can you see what records have been
indexed, but you can enter your ancestor's name and find the reference to the
record so you can order it. Two records that have been indexed are the
Clackamas County divorces, 1936-1950 with 3,723 entries and the Washington
County divorces, 1917-1939 with 736 entries. If you have ancestors in this
state, check this site out! You may find your ancestors. |
Oregon
Biographies
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1800s-current
Oregon Biographies
- free online by USGenWeb
There are over 50 biographies. They are not
associated with any particular county in Oregon. Some of the surnames are
Baker, Couch, Davenport, Gray, Hirsch, Moody, Pope, Stewart, Walker, and
Yeon. |
Oregon
Cemeteries
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1800s-current
Oregon
Tombstone Transcription Project
- free online by USGenWeb
Here you will find ever county listed. Cemeteries are
listed and if there is a transcription there will be an underlined link
which will take you to the transcription. |
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The following census links at Ancestry.com
take you to the page where you can enter your ancestor's name and search
for that ancestor. To search the original census page by page, scroll down
to the bottom, click on the desired state, then county, and then township. |
1850
Oregon Territory Census, 1850
 - online at Ancestry.com |
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1850 United States Census
- online at Ancestry.com |
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1850-1880 Mortality Schedules
- online at Ancestry.com |
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1860 United States Census
- online at Ancestry.com |
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1870 United States Census
- online at Ancestry.com |
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1880 U. S. Census
- online at Ancestry.com
(Note: This census is available free online to everyone.) |
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1890 U. S. Veteran Census
- online at Ancestry.com |
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1900 United States Census
- online at Ancestry.com |
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1910 United States Census
- online at Ancestry.com |
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1920 United States Census
- online at Ancestry.com |
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1930 United States Census
- online at Ancestry.com |
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1930
Census of Merchant Seamen, 1930
- online at Ancestry.com |
Oregon
Church
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| pub. 1881
History of the Congregational Association of Oregon and Washington Territory: the Home Missionary Society of Oregon and
adjoining Territories: and the Northwestern Association of Congregational Ministers.
- online at Ancestry.com |
Oregon
Directory
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1867
Pacific coast Directory, 1867 (California, Oregon, Nevada, and territories
of Washington, Idaho & Utah and the Colony of British Columbia) -
online at Ancestry.com |
| 1901-1902
Oregon, Washington and Alaska gazetteer and business directory: 1901-1902.
- online at Ancestry.com |
Oregon
History
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pub 1901
Northwest History and Men of Progress - online at Ancestry.com |
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pub 1922
History of Oregon - online at Ancestry.com |
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1888-1957
Oregon Passenger and Crew Lists, 1888-1957 - online at Ancestry.com |
Oregon
Land
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1864-1918
United States County Land Ownership Atlases, c. 1864-1918
- online at Ancestry.com |
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OREGON
ORGenWeb
Archives of Transcribed Genealogy Records - free online by USGenWeb
USGenWeb is an organization of volunteers whose sole
purpose is to provide transcribed and in some cases photographs and scanned
images on the internet to be used without cost by those searching their
ancestors. My hat goes off to whoever started this wonderful service. I for
one, have found ancestors using this service.
There are volunteer webmasters for every state and for
nearly every county in the United States. There is a similar organization in
Europe and other countries. Google is a good place to search for these free
web sites. |
WORLD-WIDE
www.FamilySearch.org - free index
online by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
The largest collection of genealogy records is in Salt
Lake City, Utah. Their web site includes a free index to an online database
currently called the Ancestral File and other major collections including
the 1880 US Census and the 1881 United Kingdom Census.
The web site also
contains an online catalog to their massive genealogy collection. Local,
state, and country records have been gathered throughout the world. Individual lists of
United States statewide records can be viewed online
including one for
Oregon. If the record has been microfilmed it can be rented and viewed
at a Family History Center near you. Hours and addresses are available on
the Find
a Family History Center Near You web page. Access is open to everyone. |
WORLD-WIDE
Oregon State Database
- online at Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com began gathering, indexing, and placing
genealogical records on the internet in the 1990's. Their collection not
includes thousands of genealogical records and publications. Compared to
how much they have and what you pay, the cost is reasonable. It is a great
pleasure to find your ancestors in their databases. And now with their
Free Family Tree that you
can establish on their site, their search engine can and will Search Billions of Names at Ancestry.com.
All you have to do is enter a few names and a few dates and your on your
way to discovering your ancestors. It is so easy, it is just plain fun. |
Oregon
Maps
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1895
1895 United States Atlas (Oregon) - free online |
2000
Oregon State Map Collection - free online at geology.com
This page shows county outlines, elevations, rivers
with names, a political map showing 15 county names, and a road map with
the numbers of major highways. |
Oregon
Military
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1917-1918
World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 (Can search by given name, even middle name)
- online at Ancestry.com |
Oregon
Naturalizations
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1906-1911
Index to Oregon Court Records - free online at USGenWeb
These records include and Index to Declarations and
well as 42 (as of Sept. 2007) transcribed Declaration of Intentions. |
Oregon
Vital
Records
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| 1903-1998
Oregon Death Index, 1903-1998 - online at Ancestry.com |
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1906-1920
Oregon Marriages, 1906-1920 - online at Ancestry.com |
1937-present
United States Social Security Death Index
- free online at RootsWeb |
Towns
and Cities
in
Oregon
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A B C D E F G H I J K L
M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Ashland, Jackson, Oregon,
USA
B
Baker, Baker, Oregon, USA
M
Medford, Jackson, Oregon, USA
P
Portland, Multnomah,
Oregon, USA
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