| Sorted by Idaho census & voter lists | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Web: Idaho, U.S., Reconstructed State Census, 1890Free | 35,928 |
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| Sorted by Idaho birth, marriage & death | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 | 4,566,787 |
| Web: Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2016Free | 1,826,254 |
| Idaho, U.S., Marriage Records, 1863-1971 | 776,406 |
| Idaho, U.S., Death Records, 1890-1971 | 742,345 |
| Idaho, U.S., Birth Records, 1861-1921, Stillbirth Index, 1905-1971 | 600,033 |
| View all Idaho birth, marriage & death (22) |
| Sorted by Idaho military | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 | 54,144,553 |
| U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 | 14,501,913 |
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| Sorted by Idaho immigration & emigration | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Index to Alien Arrivals at Canadian Atlantic and Pacific Seaports, 1904-1944 | 4,355,886 |
| Idaho, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1903-1982 | 40,962 |
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| Sorted by Idaho newspapers & periodicals | Sort by Count |
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| Idaho, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current | 74,812,332 |
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| There are no pictures collections unique to Idaho | |
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| Sorted by Idaho directories & member lists | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970 | 210,143 |
| U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970 | 52,945 |
| Idaho, U.S., City Directories | 674 |
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| Sorted by Idaho court, land, wills & financial | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Lincoln County, Idaho, U.S., County Records 1886-1972 | 164,868 |
| Lemhi County, Idaho, U.S., County Records 1868-1964 | 129,909 |
| Twin Falls County, Idaho, U.S., County Records, 1906-1988 | 91,387 |
| Idaho, U.S., County Birth and Death Records, 1863-1970 | 73,006 |
| Idaho, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1857-1989 | 62,241 |
| View all Idaho court, land, wills & financial (6) |
| Sorted by Idaho dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| The Idaho almanac | 677 |
| Guide to public vital statistics records in Idaho. | 54 |
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| There are no maps, atlases & gazetteers collections unique to Idaho | |
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| U.S., Women of the West, 1928Free | 4,669 |
| History of Idaho | 2,808 |
| Idaho History | 1,604 |
| Historic towns of the western states | 732 |
| The Idaho almanac | 677 |
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A genealogical history
Statehood: 3 July 1890
Capital: Boise
Largest City: Boise
Counties: 44
State motto: Esto Perpetua (It Is Perpetual)
State nickname: The Gem State
Neighboring states: Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon
Shoshone Falls, Snake River, Idaho, 1874
Interesting facts
- Gold brought many early settlers to Idaho when it was discovered in 1863, and when the gold fields began to disappear, other minerals were discovered and the mining continued. Idaho produces an estimated 45 percent of the silver mined in the U.S.
- Idaho mines produce to the 72 kinds of precious and semi-precious gems, more than any other state. Some of those gems are unique to Idaho.
- Hells Canyon in Idaho is the deepest river gorge in North America. The National Recreation Area established there in 1975 encompasses 215,000 acres of wilderness.
Featured Idaho collections
Famous people
Help and advice
Resources
Idaho Census Research
The first federal census for Idaho was taken in 1870. The census is considered complete, although the unorganized part of Kootenai was enumerated with Nez Perce County, and a part of the Bear Lake and Franklin County areas were enumerated with Cache County, Utah.
In the 1880 census, those living in the Yellowstone National Park area of Idaho were included in the Wyoming census rather than with Idaho.
The pre-statehood U.S Federal 1860 census covers the part of Idaho north of 46 degrees north latitude, which was included as part of Spokane County, Washington Territory. In addition, some people living in the southeastern corner of the Bear Lake area of Idaho were included in the census of Cache County, Utah Territory.
There are no known state-sponsored censuses for Idaho.
Idaho Vital records
Idaho began registering births and death at the county level in 1907. Before 1907, the only birth and death records were kept by churches, midwives, mortuaries, and physicians.
After 1911, all births and deaths were registered directly with the state rather than the county. Early marriages were fragmentary at best. Ricks College in Rexburg has an index to all pre-1900 marriages recorded in Idaho.
- Idaho Department of Health and Welfare – Bureau of Records and Statistics: Holds records of births and deaths from July 1911, and marriage and divorce records from May 1947. Birth certificates are legally confidential in Idaho for 100 years. Death, stillbirth, marriage, and divorce certificates are legally confidential in Idaho for 50 years.
- BYU Idaho special collections: Includes a searchable Idaho Death Index, Eastern Idaho deaths, and the Western States marriage records index.
Idaho Research Resources
The organizations listed below provide information about Idaho history and genealogy. In addition to these state-level resources, many counties and towns maintain important genealogical collections in local libraries, genealogical societies, or historical societies, so check for a local resource when researching.
- Idaho Historical Society: Maintains the Idaho State Historical Society Library and Archives in Boise. A small portion of the Idaho State Historical Society Library and Archives have been digitized in the Idaho State Historical Society Digital Collections. The Merle W. Wells Research Center page contains information for genealogy researchers.
- Idaho Genealogical Society
- Idaho GenWeb
- Idaho Government Documents: This searchable centralized collection of digital publications created by state agencies includes some historic images from selected Idaho counties.
- The National Archives at Seattle: This facility maintains records from Federal agencies and courts in Idaho, including census, military, court, naturalization, and immigration records.