Oregon, Columbia County Records, 1854-1958

What is in This Collection?

This collection of various county records was obtained from the Columbia County Courthouse in St. Helens, Oregon. The collection includes indexes and images of of the following records:

• Land and Property (1854-1920)
• Civil Registration - Marriages (1854-1958)
• Naturalization / Citizenship 1891-1945)
• Tax (1898-1908)
• For additional county record collections see "FamilySearch Catalog" below.

Land and Property Records
Individuals who settled in the Oregon Territory before December 1, 1855, were eligible to receive donation land claims. The earlier, provisional claims were voided. The size of the piece of land was dependent upon the date of the arrival and the marital status of the claimant. The applications for these free lands may provide birth, marriage, citizenship, migration, or other valuable information. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions are recorded by the county auditor in the form of deeds and mortgages. These may be obtained from the appropriate recorder or clerk in each courthouse. The FamilySearch Library has not acquired land records from the counties, except for the deed indexes of Douglas County for 1857 to 1974. Land and property records during the period, 1845 to 1849, were filed with the provisional recorder. These papers are now in the Oregon State Archives. The record contains a description of the land claimed, and may name adjoining land holders.

Marriage and Civil Registration
Marriages were usually recorded by the clerk of the district court for each county from the time the county was formed. Persons desiring to marry obtained a license that they presented to the minister or other person authorized to marry, such as a justice of the peace. Once the marriage was performed, the officiator sent a return to the clerk confirming that the marriage had occurred.

Naturalization and Citizenship
In the territorial era, immigrants could apply for citizenship at any U.S. district court. Naturalization records filed as part of the “donation land” laws are at the National Archives. After statehood in 1859, the circuit court had primary jurisdiction over naturalization. The county clerk served as clerk of the circuit court and kept the records. You can obtain copies of declarations and petitions from the clerk's office in each county. Some naturalization records may also be found in county court journals or U.S. district court records. The FamilySearch Library has copies of some naturalization records for Oregon.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

To Browse This Collection

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Collection Content

Sample Images

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  Deed Index 1883

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  Deed 1887

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  Marriage Record 1888

Coverage Table