Polk County, Oregon Genealogy
Guide to Polk County, Oregon ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information
Description
Polk County was named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States. The county is located in the northwestern area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse
Polk County Courthouse
850 Main Street
Dallas, OR 97338
Phone: 503-623-3154
Polk County Website
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Polk County, Oregon 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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1903 | 1848 | 1903 | 1846 | 1851 | 1847 | 1845 |
Record Loss
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes
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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:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| American Indian Communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
History Timeline
23 Dec 1847: Benton County set off.
15 Dec 1853: Tillamook County set off.
20 February 1893: Lincoln County set off.
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 3,625 | — |
| 1870 | 4,701 | 29.7% |
| 1880 | 6,601 | 40.4% |
| 1890 | 7,858 | 19.0% |
| 1900 | 9,923 | 26.3% |
| 1910 | 13,469 | 35.7% |
| 1920 | 14,181 | 5.3% |
| 1930 | 16,858 | 18.9% |
| 1940 | 19,989 | 18.6% |
| 1950 | 26,317 | 31.7% |
| 1960 | 26,523 | 0.8% |
| 1970 | 35,349 | 33.3% |
| 1980 | 45,203 | 27.9% |
| 1990 | 49,541 | 9.6% |
| 2000 | 62,380 | 25.9% |
| 2010 | 75,403 | 20.9% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Court Records
- 1857-1972 Oregon, Polk County Records, 1857-1972 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images;
- County Records Inventory listing the records held at the Polk County Court House as of August 2007.
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
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Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1857-1972 Oregon, Polk County Records, 1857-1972 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images;
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
- A Century of Polk County History, 1859-1959. Dallas, Oregon : Curry Print Shop, 1959. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library. Also known as Polk County History, 1859-1959.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Details about the rivers and waterways where farms and settlements are often found along them. Rivers and Waterways
Military Records
Civil War
- 1861-1865 Oregon, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
World War I
- 1919-1920 Oregon, World War I, County Military Service Records, 1919-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1921-1938 Oregon, World War I, Veteran State Aid Applications, 1921-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1868-1991 United States, Oregon, Naturalization Records, 1868-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Oregon, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1833-1963 Oregon Wills and Probate Records 1833-1963 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
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
Tax Records
Vital Records
Birth
- 1842-1917 Oregon, Oregon State Archives, Births, 1842-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
- 1855-1970 Oregon, U.S., County Births and Deaths, 1855-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1860-1952 Oregon Births, 1860-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1876-1940 Oregon, Center for Health Statistics, Birth Records, 1903-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Marriage
- 1826-1975 Oregon, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
- 1841-1964 Oregon, Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1842-1917 Oregon, Oregon State Archives, Births, 1842-1917 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Also at: Ancestry ($)
- 1849-1884;1991-2006 Oregon Marriage Index, 1849-1884; 1991-2006 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1906-1968 Oregon, U.S., State Marriages, 1906-1968 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho
- Marriage Index 1885-1896 Actually is a book of affiants reporting the marriages. Historical Records Collection
Death
- 1855-1970 Oregon, U.S., County Births and Deaths, 1855-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1864-1967 Oregon, Oregon State Archives, Death Records, 1864-1967 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1864-1968 Oregon, U.S., State Deaths, 1864-1968 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Divorce
- 1841-1964 Oregon, Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage — index ($)
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Polk County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Oregon Archives and Libraries.
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
- Corvallis Oregon FamilySearch Center
- McMinnville Oregon FamilySearch Center
- Salem Oregon FamilySearch Center
- Salem East Oregon FamilySearch Center
- Wilsonville Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Polk County. For state-wide library facilities, see Oregon Archives and Libraries.
Polk County Oregon Libraries
850 Main Street
Dallas, OR 97338
Phone: 503-623-8172
Website
Museums
Polk County Museum
560 S. Pacific Highway West
Rickreall, OR 97371
Website
Facebook
Societies
Listed below are societies in Polk County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Oregon Societies.
Polk County Historical Society
PO Box 67
Monmouth, OR 97361
Phone: 503-623-6251
Email: pchsoregon@gmail.com
Website
Facebook
Websites
- Polk GenWeb
- USGenWeb Archives
- Oregon Polk County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
- 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.
Research Guides
References
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Polk County, Oregon" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_County,_Oregon, accessed 28 Nov 2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Polk County, Oregon page 573, At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Polk County, Oregon . Page 572-574 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library 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.
- ↑ Secretary of State-Oregon https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/records/county/Pages/polk-history.aspx
- ↑ Newberry
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Polk County, Oregon" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polk_County,_Oregon, accessed 22 December 2018.