Madison County, Idaho Genealogy

United States

Idaho

Madison County

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

Idaho Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Rexburg Organized: February 18, 1913 Parent County(s): Fremont Neighboring Counties Bonneville • Fremont • Jefferson • Teton See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Spori Building, BYU-Idaho, Rexburg, Madison County, Idaho

County Information

Description

Madison County was named for President James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, and is located in the southeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse

Madison County Courthouse
134 E. Main
Rexburg, ID 83440-0389
Phone: 208-589-9872
County Website

County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1914.

Madison County, Idaho Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1911	1914	1911	1914	1914	1914	1870
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1911. General compliance in the 1920s.

Record Loss

A significant event occurred in 1976 which has an effect on historical records in this county.The Teton Dam broke early on Saturday morning, June 5th, and flooded much of Madison County.Among other areas affected was the basement of the county courthouse.It was engulfed and anything stored there was soaked with flood waters. Among other items destroyed were the probate case files and the early tract books. The flood also destroyed church, family and Rexburg and Sugar City records.

Boundary Changes

Parent County(s): Created from Fremont County, on 18 February 1913. The formal organization of the Madison County government took place on 5 January 1914. County Seat: Rexburg Idaho Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Idaho Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Idaho county boundary changes

Populated Places

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:

Cities
Dietrich Sugar City
Unincorporated communities
Archer Burton Thornton

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Madison, Idaho online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find a Grave BillionGraves USGW Tombstone Transcription Project
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Catalog WorldCat.org
List of Cemeteries in the County	Find a Grave FamilySearch Places Madison County, Idaho Cemetery Records. Eastern Idaho Death Index
See Idaho Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1920	9,167		—
1930	8,316		−9.3%
1940	9,186		10.5%
1950	9,156		−0.3%
1960	9,417		2.9%
1970	13,452		42.8%
1980	19,480		44.8%
1990	23,674		21.5%
2000	27,467		16.0%
sources:

The 1890 federal census for Idaho was destroyed. However, the Idaho State Historical Society Public Archives and Research Library is creating a list of 1890 Idaho residents by indexing a variety of records, 1885-1894. This reconstructed list will substitute for the destroyed 1890 federal census.

For a summary of census records for the state of Idaho, see Idaho Census Records.

Church Records

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons)

Archer Bannock (early Rexburg) Burton Canyon Creek Herbert

Hibbard (Island) Independence Lyman Plano Rexburg 1st

Rexburg 2nd Rexburg 3rd Rexburg 4th Salem

Sugar City Sugar City 1st Sugar City 2nd Thornton

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Court Records

Many of your ancestors may be found in court records as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors. Court records can establish family relationships and places of residence, occupations, and other family history information. See Idaho Court Records for the various courts through the years.

Online Court Indexes and Records

• Madison County Court Records(*) at FamilySearch Catalog

Judgment Books

• Judgments, 1912-1937; index, 1914-1964

Directories

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

The Idaho State Archives has a collection of city, county, state and regional directories.

Funeral Homes

Flamm Funeral Home in Rexburg

Land and Property Records

Land and Property records are generally recorded in the county courthouse. Many early records have been microfilmed. For more information, see Idaho Land and Property.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Local Histories

One local history written by a Ricks College history professor can be found at this citation. Crowder, David L., Rexburg, Idaho: The first one Hundred years 1883 – 1983 (Caldwell, Idaho: Caxton Printers ltd, 1983) The Book may be hard to find.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• A digital Madison County Idaho map is available online.
• Map of Madison County, Idaho is available online.
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

• 1917-1918 World War I draft registration cards, 1917-1918
• 1917-1918 World War I draft registration cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry.com ($)

World War I

• 1917-1960 Idaho, Military Discharge Records, ca.1917 - ca.1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

World War II

• 1940-1945 Idaho, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Naturalization and Citizenship

Records of the citizenship or naturalization of people born outside of the United States were kept in the county courthouses. Many volumes are included at the Idaho State Archives in Boise.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

• 1892-1990 Idaho Naturalization Records, 1892-1990 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers

• 1800s-Current Idaho, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Current

• Rexburg Standard Journal
• Post Register

Historical
Copies of issues of many Idaho newspapers are in the collections of the Idaho State Archives.

Obituaries

• 1943-2013 Idaho, Southern Counties Obituaries, 1943-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Other Records

County Commissioners' Records

The minute books of the County Commissioners contain interesting tidbits of history about the county as well as the names of individuals appealing to the County Commissioners for action on issues of concern to them. Minutes of those meetings were recorded from the formation of the county, for most counties. Some counties now post the minutes of current meetings online.

Most of these records have been preserved in the county courthouses of the State of Idaho. Few have been microfilmed. Contact the county clerk for information about years covered and availability.

• Idaho, Madison County Records at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Miscellaneous Series

Often overlooked by the genealogist, this group of volumes may contain affidavits for citizenship, final disposition of estates, divorce decrees, and many other types of valuable documents. The content varies from county to county, year to year and from clerk to clerk. When the estate case files, civil or criminal files are not available or have been destroyed, you may find key documents recorded here. Most counties will have an index to this series and it is a must search if the information you are seeking is not found elsewhere.

Both the Idaho State Archives in Boise, Idaho, and the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah have copies of the miscellaneous record of Madison County. The originals are held in the Madison County courthouse in Rexburg, Idaho and can be accessed by visiting there. Copies in the Idaho State Archives are available for viewing in Boise. Those held by the FamilySearch Library can be viewed either at the Library in Salt Lake City or at any of its FamilySearch Centers.

Pension Records

• 1914-1934 Women's pensions, 1914-1934(*) at FamilySearch Catalog

Probate Records

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1857-1989 Idaho Wills and Probate Records 1857-1989 at Ancestry.com $
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Loss of Records
Estate case files from 1914 to 1976 were destroyed in the Teton Flood. Fortunately, the Probate Register: Estates and claims (Index) did survive and can be searched at the district court office in the main courthouse building (second floor). The five volume set lists the name of the descendant, date of petition for probate and other key items involved in probation.

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Vital Records

Birth records, 1911 to present, for individuals born in Madison County are included in and recorded at the state level. These records are restricted for a period of one hundred years from the time of the individual's birth but can be obtained by following the guidelines as issued by the State of Idaho. Deaths occurring in Madison County after 1915 are included in the state-wide registration program. These records are restricted for a period of fifty years from the time of the individual's death but can be obtained by following the guidelines as issued by the State of Idaho. See the Vital Records.

Birth

• 1861-1911 Idaho, Birth Index, 1861-1911 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
• 1883-1929 Idaho, County Birth and Death Records, 1883-1929 at FamilySearch — [[Idaho, County Birth and Death

Marriage

• 1800-1987 Idaho, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
• 1864-1976 Idaho Church Marriages, 1864-1976 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Privacy law can't publish
• 1864-1962 Idaho, County Marriages, 1864-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1878-1898;1903-1942 Idaho Marriages, 1878-1898; 1903-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
• 1947-1961 Idaho Marriage Index, 1947-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
• Western States Marriage Index

Death

• 1883-1929 Idaho, County Birth and Death Records, 1883-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1938-1961 Idaho Death Certificates, 1938-1961 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
• A state-wide index to Idaho Deaths, 1911-1951 at BYU Idaho Special Collections
• Eastern Idaho Obituary Index at BYU Idaho Special Collections
• Idaho, Deaths at MyHeritage — index ($)

Voting Records

• 1920-Onward Idaho, Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index ($)

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Madison County. For state-wide facilities, see Idaho Archives and Libraries.

• Idaho State Archives Digital Collections - Enter County in Search Bar
• Idaho State Archives

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Ashton Idaho FamilySearch Center
• Idaho Falls Idaho FamilySearch Library
• Rexburg Idaho FamilySearch Center
• Rigby Idaho FamilySearch Center
• St Anthony Idaho FamilySearch Center
• David O McKay Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

Many public libraries provide internet access to sites of value to the family historian. Some have special collections of historical and cultural interest, as well. Listed below are libraries in Madison County. For state-wide library facilities, see Idaho Archives and Libraries.

• Madison District Library
  73 N Center St
  Rexburg, ID 83440
  Phone: 208-356-3461
  Website
• Sugar Salem School/Community Library
  1 Digger Dr
  Sugar City, ID 83448
  Phone: 208-356-0271
  Website
• McKay Library
  Brigham Young University - Idaho
  525 South Center St.
  Rexburg, ID 84440-0405
  Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Madison County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Idaho Societies.

• Idaho State Historical Society
  2205 Old Penitentiary Rd
  Boise, ID
  Phone: 208-334-2774
  Website
  Facebook
  
• National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
  Idaho Chapter
  
• Upper Snake River Valley Historical Society
  51 North Center Street
  Rexburg, ID 83440-1539
  Phone: 208-356-9101
  

Websites

• Madison County ID GenWeb, a member of ID GenWeb

• FamilySearch Catalog – 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.

This table contains the dates the local or state government began recording in the county or county equivalent. Use substitute records for earlier dates. If you believe there is an error, email us at wikisupport@familysearch.org.

County boundary maps are currently unavailable. Download information instead.

Due to contractual agreements, some images and/or databases on FamilySearch.org may only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

Users should verify which locations and dates are included in this collection.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

“Current” indicates records are available as recently as privacy laws allow. This date can change from year to year. To determine the exact dates available, contact the respective organization/repository.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.