Multnomah County, Oregon Genealogy
Guide to Multnomah County, Oregon ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Multnomah County, Oregon | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Oregon | |
 Location of Oregon in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | December 22, 1854 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Portland |
| Courthouse | |
| Address | Multnomah County Courthouse 1021 SW 4th Avenue Portland, OR 97204-1123 Phone: 503.248.3511 Multnomah County Website |
County Information
Description
The County was named for the Chinookan word for the "lower river". The County is located in the northwest area of the state. [1]
Multnomah County, Oregon Record Dates
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1864 | 1855 | 1864 | 1854 | 1854 | 1850 | 1845 |
County Courthouse
County Clerk has divorce, court and land records from 1854 [3]
Multnomah County Information
Boundary Changes
22 December 1854: Multnomah county was created from Clackamas and Washington Counties. Named after Native American people first recorded in the journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Mulknomans, who inhabited the area of Portland, most specifically on Sauvie Island. [4]
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.
- County Records Inventory listing Multnomah County records as of October 2006 inventory.
Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places / Localities
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 | ||
| Historic communities | ||
Defunct Post Offices
- Albina: Albina post office was in service from 1876 to 1892.
Trivia Tidbits
Information about localities, too small or too brief to describe in separate pages. Exception to this are Post Offices. Trivia Tidbits
Resources
Biography
Cemeteries
| 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 | ||
| EPodunk | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Oregon Cemeteries for more information. | ||
- Mt. Calvary & Gethsemani Catholic Cemeteries, online index.
- Oregon Metro
- Oregon Genealogy Cemeteries
Census
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 4,150 | — |
| 1870 | 11,510 | 177.3% |
| 1880 | 25,203 | 119.0% |
| 1890 | 74,884 | 197.1% |
| 1900 | 103,167 | 37.8% |
| 1910 | 226,261 | 119.3% |
| 1920 | 275,898 | 21.9% |
| 1930 | 338,241 | 22.6% |
| 1940 | 355,099 | 5.0% |
| 1950 | 471,537 | 32.8% |
| 1960 | 522,813 | 10.9% |
| 1970 | 556,667 | 6.5% |
| 1980 | 562,640 | 1.1% |
| 1990 | 583,887 | 3.8% |
| 2000 | 660,486 | 13.1% |
| 2010 | 735,334 | 11.3% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records
Lutheran
- Records of Central Lutheran Church, Portland, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records
Gazetteers
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
History
Land and Property
Maps
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
for more resources
Migration
Early migration routes to and from Multnomah County, Oregon Genealogy for European and African American settlers included:
- Columbia River
- Willamette River
- Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon[6]
- Barlow Road 1846 from The Dalles to Oregon City
Military History and Records
Civil War
- 1861-1865 - Oregon, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
World War I
- 1919-1920 - Oregon, World War I, County Military Service Records, 1919-1920 at FamilySearch — index
==== World War II ====*1921-1938 - Oregon, World War I, Veteran State Aid Applications, 1921-1938 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1942-1945 - Idaho, Jerome County Historical Society, Minidoka Japanese Relocation Center Mixed Vital Records, 1942-1945 at FamilySearch — index
Newspapers
Oregon Online Historical Newspapers - identifies historical archived and digitized newspapers available online on both free and pay-to-access websites.
Poor Farm Records
- 1900-1962 - Oregon, Multnomah County, Poor Farm Admissions Records, 1900-1962 at FamilySearch — index
Probate Records
Online Records
- 1833 – 1963 Oregon Wills and Probate Records 1833-1963 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
Rivers and Waterways
Details about the rivers and waterways where farms and settlements are often found along them. Rivers and Waterways
Taxation
Vital Records
Birth Records
- 1842-1917 Oregon, U.S., State Births, 1842-1917 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
- 1860 - 1952 - Oregon Births, 1860-1952 at FamilySearch — index
Delayed Birth Certificates
Birth Registers
Marriage Records
The Genealogical Forum of Oregon has placed an index on-line to the following marriage books: (FI$)
- 1826-1975 - Oregon, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index
- 1842-1917 Oregon, U.S., State Births, 1842-1917 at Ancestry - index and images ($); Also at: FamilySearch
- 1849-1884; 1991-2006 - Oregon Marriage Index, 1849-1884; 1991-2006 at FamilySearch — index and images; collection is incomplete.
- 1906-1968 Oregon, U.S., State Marriages, 1906-1968 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
- 1855 - 1901 of the Multnomah County Marriage Books
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.
Death
- 1915-1924 Portland, Oregon Deaths, 1915-1924 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
Voter Registration Records
- 1908-1958 - Oregon, Multnomah County, Voting Registration Records, 1908-1958 at FamilySearch — index
Societies, Libraries and Museums
Genealogical Forum of Oregon
2505 SE 11th Ave., Suite B-18
Portland, OR 97202
503-963-1932
Website
Online Library Catalog
Email
Facebook Page
East County Historical Organization
PO Box 946
Fairview, OR 97024
503-618-0946
Website
Multnomah Historical Association
PO Box 19785
2929 SW Multnomah Blvd
Portland, OR 97219
503-893-5549
Website
Facebook Page
David Douglas Historical Society
11300 NE Halsey St
Portland, OR 97220
503-252-2900
Website
Multnomah County Library Administration
919 NE 19th Ave Suite 250
Portland OR 97232
503-988-7870
Website
Facebook Page
Family History 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
- Cedar Mill Oregon West Union Family History Center
- Gresham Oregon Family History Center
- Lake Oswego Oregon Family History Center
- Portland Oregon Family History Center
Websites
- Multnomah County, OR History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Oregon Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- The Multnomah County GenWeb Project, part of The ORGenWeb Project
- Linkpenium
- USGenWeb Archives
- USGenWeb Archives (backup site)
Multnomah County Oregon Genealogy References
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Multnomah, Oregon" in https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Multnomah_County,_Oregon_Genealogy accessed 28 Nov 2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Multnomah 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), Multnomah County, Oregon page 573, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.; Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002 WorldCat 50140092, FHL Book 973 D27e 2002
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Multnomah County, Oregon" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multnomah_County,_Oregon, accessed 16 December 2018.
- ↑ Jim Tompkins, "The Oregon Trail 1841-1848 Map VI" in Oregon Trail Landmarks at http://www.oregonpioneers.com/OTMap6.jpg (accessed 18 July 2011).
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