Fergus County, Montana Genealogy

United States Montana Fergus County

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

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County Courthouse
Fergus County Courthouse 712 W Main Street Lewistown, MT 59457-2562 Phone: 406.538.5119 Fergus County Website County Clerk has birth and death records; Clerk Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records; County Assessor has land records

Fergus County, Montana Record Dates

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 * width="91%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" colspan="7" | Beginning Dates for Major County Records
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Birth*
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Marriage
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Death*
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Court
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Land
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Probate
 * width="13%" bgcolor="#e4d8e5" align="center" | Census
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1904*
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1885*
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1904*
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1885
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1885
 * width="13%" align="center" | 1885
 * width="13%" align="center" |
 * colspan="7" | * For earlier dates, try... Church &#124; Obituaries &#124; Cemeteries
 * }
 * width="13%" align="center" |
 * colspan="7" | * For earlier dates, try... Church &#124; Obituaries &#124; Cemeteries
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Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Montana - shows boundary changes for Montana Counties
 * Montana Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library


 * Parent County: created 12 March 1885 from Meagher and Chouteau
 * County seat: Lewistown 

Populated Places

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Census Records

 * 1900 1900 federal census index, Fergus County, Montana
 * 1910 1910 federal census index, Fergus County, Montana
 * 1920 Index 1920 federal census, Fergus County, Montana

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for Montana starting in 1870. For links to Federal census indexes, see Montana Census.

Church Records
'''LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Lewiston

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1861 - 1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Maps and Gazetteers



 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Montana - shows boundary changes for Montana Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of Montana - maps and atlases of Montana

Military Records
Civil War World War I For further information see Montana Military Records.
 * 1890 at FamilySearch.— index
 * 1890 - 1918 Montana Military Enlistments at Montana Memory Project
 * 1917 - 1918 at FamilySearch — Index and images
 * Soldiers of the Great War from the State of Montana at USGenWeb.
 * Military Enlistments Montana World War I at Montana Memory Project

Newspapers
 Montana Newspapers Online Montana Newspaper Catalogs
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Montana newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Montana newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Montana newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * Central Montana Genealogical Society has newspapers on microfilm. See the Libraries and Societies for their contact information.
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper

Probate Records
Online Probate Records


 * 1831 – 1952 Montana Wills and Probate Records 1831-1952 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Vital Records
Central Montana Genealogical Society has marriage indexes, birth and mortuary records. They also have family histories. Please see entry under Libraries and societies.

Birth

 * 1840 - 2004 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1840 - 2004 Montana, County Births and Deaths, 1840-2004 at Ancestry ($) — index

Marriage

 * 1885-1901 - Western States Marriage Index includes marriages 1885-1901
 * 1885-1916 - Fergus County (Montana) marriage records, 1885-1916

Death

 * 1840–2004 -  at FamilySearch — index and images

Family History Centers

 * Lewistown Montana Family History Center

Libraries

 * Resources at the Lewistown Public Library include:


 * Central Montana Church Records
 * Cemetery and Mortuary Records
 * Birth and Marriage Records
 * Montana Census Films
 * Local Histories and Newspaper Microfilms


 * They are very knowledgeable and helpful.

Societies

 * Central Montana Genealogical Society Located on the upper floor of the Lewistown Public Library 701 West Main Lewistown, Montana, 59457 406–538–5212 Website: Lewistown Library

Websites

 * USGenWeb Fergus County, Montana project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * - 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
 * Kindred Trails separates the resource website links into categories.
 * Newspaperarchive.com ($) There are some Fergus county obituaries listed on this website.