Columbia County, Oregon Genealogy
Guide to Columbia County, Oregon ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Columbia County, Oregon | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Oregon, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of Oregon in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | January 16, 1854 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | St. Helens |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Columbia County Courthouse 244 Strand Street St. Helens, OR 97051 Phone: 503.397.3796 Columbia County Website |
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for the Columbia River. The County is located in the northwest area of the state. [1]
Columbia County, Oregon Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1907 | 1890 | 1907 | 1854 | 1850 | 1880 | 1845 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Clerk has marriage records from 1890,
divorce and court records from 1854 and probate records from 1880. [3]
Records Held at the Courthouse[edit | edit source]
- County Records Inventory listing the records held at the Columbia County Court House as of May 2005.
A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:
Oregon , Columbia County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Quick Facts[edit | edit source]
Named for the Columbia River, which forms the northern and eastern boundaries.
Parent County[edit | edit source]
16 January 1854: from Washington County. [4]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
- No parts were taken to create any county.
For animated maps illustrating Oregon County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Oregon County Boundary Maps" (1843-1975) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Places / Localities[edit | edit source]
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[5]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
|
||
| Census-designated places | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Clatsop | Multnomah | Tillamook | Washington | Washington counties: Cowlitz | Clark | Wahkiakum
Resources[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| ORGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| ORGenWeb Archives | FamilySearch Places | |
| Tombstone Project | ||
| ORInterment | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Oregon Cemeteries for more information. | ||
For a detailed list, including addresses, phone numbers, and external links, see Columbia County, Oregon Cemeteries.
- Oregon Department of Transportation 1978 Cemetery Survey
- Cemeteries managed by the city of Clatskanie
- Rainier Cemetery District
- Oregon Metro
- Oregon Genealogy Cemeteries
- Columbia County, Oregon, 1856 census
Census[edit | edit source]
Territorial and State Census Records (Extant)[edit | edit source]
- 1845 (as part of Tuality County, aka Twality or Twalitain)
- 1849 (as part of Tuality County, aka Twality or Twalitain)
- 1853 (as part of Washington County)
- 1865
Federal Census Records (Extant)[edit | edit source]
- 1850
- 1860
- 1870
- 1880
- 1900
- 1910
- 1920
- 1930
Church History and Records[edit | edit source]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
History[edit | edit source]
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
Wiki articles describing land records online are found at Oregon, Columbia County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
Maps[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
for more resources
Military History and Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- 1861-1865 - Oregon, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1919-1920 - Oregon, World War I, County Military Service Records, 1919-1920 at FamilySearch — index
- 1921-1938 - Oregon, World War I, Veteran State Aid Applications, 1921-1938 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Oregon Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both free and pay-to-access websites.
Historic Oregon Newspapers as a division of the Oregon Digital Newspaper Program has digitzied more than 644,000 pages of newspapers throughout Oregon. Dates range from 1846-1922 with selected issues continuing through 1973.
Of particular interest to Columbia County researchers:
The Columbia Register (Houlton)
The Columbian (St. Helens)
The Oregon Mist (St. Helens)
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1833 – 1963 Oregon Wills and Probate Records 1833-1963 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
See also How to order Oregon Vital Records, order electronically online or download an application for Oregon Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Application to mail.
Birth Records[edit | edit source]
- 1842-1917 Oregon, Oregon State Archives, Births, 1842-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images (*); Also at: Ancestry
- 1860 - 1952 Oregon Births, 1860-1952 at FamilySearch — index
Delayed Birth Certificates
Birth Registers
Marriage Records[edit | edit source]
- 1826-1975 - Oregon, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- 1842-1917 Oregon, U.S., State Births, 1842-1917 at Ancestry - index and images ($); Also at: FamilySearch
- 1849-1884; 1991-2006 - Oregon Marriage Index, 1849-1884; 1991-2006 at FamilySearch — index and images; collection is incomplete.
- 1906-1968 Oregon, U.S., State Marriages, 1906-1968 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
- Extractions of early marriages are listed on the Western States Marriage Index
- Marriage Index 1885-1896 Actually is a book of affiants reporting the marriages. Historical Records Collection
Death Records[edit | edit source]
Societies, Libraries and Museums[edit | edit source]
Columbia County Museum Association
511 East Bridge St
Vernonia, OR
230 Strand St
Facebook Page
St Helens, OR
503-429-3713
Website
Scappose Public Library
52469 SE 2nd St
Scappoose, OR 97056
503-543-7123
Webpage
Facebook Page
St Helens Public Library
375 S 18th St
St Helens, OR 97051
503-397-4544
Website
Facebook Page
Clatskanie Public Library
11 NE Lillicch St
Clatskanie, OR 97016
503-728-3732
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- The Genealogical Forum of Oregon - an affiliate library
- Oregon Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Columbia County, OR History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Oregon Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- The Columbia County GenWeb Project part of The ORGenWeb Project
- Linkpendium
- The USGenWeb Archives Project
- The USGenWeb Archives Project (backup site)
- FamilySearch.org FamilySearch Catalog for Columbia County
- The Columbia County Historian compiled by Christopher and Larry Rea
- Oregon, Columbia County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Columbia, Oregon" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_County,_Oregon accessed 27 Nov 2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Columbia County, Oregon . Page 572-574 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 563-564.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Columbia County, Oregon page 572, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ WorldCat 50140092 Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.] (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Columbia County, Oregon"," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_County,_Oregon, accessed 3 October 2018.
