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Idaho Census Records - Statewide Records that exist for Idaho are 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. In 1860, Idaho north of 46 degrees north latitude was part of Spokane County, Washington Territory. The 1860 federal census appears to reflect no white population, and the 1860 federal census of Cache County, Utah Territory, included some persons living in what is now the southeastern corner of the Bear Lake area. The 1870 Idaho territorial census is extant for all counties and has been indexed, although the unorganized area of Kootenai was enumerated with Nez Perce County. A portion of Bear Lake and the Franklin County area was enumerated with Cache County, Utah. An index has been compiled by the Idaho State Historical Society (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies) entitled “Missing 1870 Census of Franklin and Bear Lake Counties Idaho Found in 1870 Census of Utah” (Boise, Idaho: Williams Printing, Co., 1982). Any population in the Yellowstone National Park area of Idaho for 1880 was enumerated in the Wyoming census. An index to the 1910 federal population schedules was published by the Idaho Genealogical Society (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies). Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Idaho are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1870 and 1880. Union Veterans Schedules were conducted in 1890.
Excerpts From the Book "Family History Made Easy"
Since 1790, the U.S. government has taken a nationwide population count every ten years. Unique in scope and often surprisingly detailed, the census population schedules created from 1790 to 1920 are among the most used of records created by the federal government. Over the course of two centuries the United States has changed significantly, and so has the census. From the six basic questions asked in the 1790 census, the scope and categories of information have changed and expanded dramatically. Early censuses were essentially basic counts of inhabitants; but as the nation grew, so did the need for statistics that would reflect the characteristics of the people. In 1850, the focus of the census was radically broadened. Going far beyond the vague questions previously asked of heads of households, the 1850 census enumerators were instructed to ask the age, sex, color, occupation, birthplace, and other questions regarding every individual in every household. Succeeding enumerations solicited more information; by 1920, census enumerators asked twenty-nine questions of every head of household and almost as many questions of everyone else in the residence. (Only a very small segment of the 1890 census remains; a fire in the Commerce Department destroyed the vast majority of the original records for that year. Because of privacy considerations, census records less than seventy-two years old are not available to the general public; thus, the 1920 census is the most recent available to the public.) Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do the U.S. federal censuses. The population schedules are successive “snapshots” of Americans that depict where and how they were living at particular periods in the past. Once home sources and library sources have been exhausted, the census is often the best starting point for further genealogical research. Statewide indexes are available for almost every census; they are logical tools for locating individuals whose precise place of residence is unknown. While some inaccuracies are to be expected in census records, they still provide some of the most fascinating and useful pieces of personal history to be found in any source. If nothing else, census records are important sources for placing individuals in specific places at specific times. Additionally, information found in the census will often point to other sources critical to complete research, such as court, land, military, immigration, naturalization, and vital records. The importance of census records does not diminish over time in any research project. It is always wise to return to these records as discoveries are made in other sources because, as you discover new evidence about individuals, some information that seemed unrelated or unimportant in a first look at the census may take on new importance. When you can’t find family, vital, or religious records, census records may be the only means of documenting the events of a person’s life. Vital registration—the official recording of births, deaths, and marriages—did not begin until around 1920 in many areas of the United States, and fires, floods and other disasters since have destroyed some official government records. When other documentation is missing, census records are frequently used by individuals who must prove their age or citizenship status (or that of their parents) for Social Security benefits, insurance, passports, and other important reasons. How to Find Census Records Starting With the Census |
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Idaho Court Records - The various Idaho courts that kept records of genealogical value were the district courts, probate courts, justice of the peace courts, and the magistrate divisions of district courts. Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online!
District courts have county-wide civil and criminal jurisdiction, including naturalization, with some appellate jurisdiction. Probate courts had jurisdiction over probates, adoptions, and minor civil matters until they were abolished in 1971, and their records and functions were assigned to the district courts of magistrates division of district courts. Justice of the peace courts had jurisdiction over minor petty cases until 1971, when they were abolished, and their jurisdiction was assigned to the district courts. Magistrate divisions of district courts are citywide courts assigned court cases by the various district courts. These cases generally include minor civil and criminal cases, probates, and juvenile matters. Idaho court records are at the local county courthouses although many are microfilmed and available through the FHL. The Idaho State Historical Society has 1,200 boxes of Idaho Supreme Court case files from the territorial and state court covering 1863 to 1970. Immigration - There is no port of entry common to overseas immigrants who settled in Idaho. Prior to the migration of persons who stayed in Idaho, there were no railroads or emigration trails. It could be said that they crossed Idaho to the west coast. Those who remained in Idaho developed their society in relative isolation. Idaho had a port of entry at the Canadian border through which immigrants could migrate. By 1924 Idaho was under the jurisdiction of the Spokane, Washington, Office of the Bureau of Immigration. Port of entry was at Eastport, Idaho. Eastport records are filed with the Seattle passenger lists (1890-1957) at the National Archives. These have been microfilmed but are not indexed. Additional information on people entering through Eastport, Idaho may be obtained from a search of the St. Albans, Vermont District records (so-called, see Vermont - Immigration), which are indexed.
Idaho Tax Records - Most of Idaho's county tax records are still located at the county courthouses. Many early territorial and pre-territorial tax rolls are on file at the Idaho State Historical Society with microfilm copies at the FHL. Idaho Probate Records - Probate courts were established after Idaho became a state. For a more detailed account of probate courts see the Court Records section below. Idaho probate records include appraisals, claims, estate cases, fee books, final accounts, guardianships, inheritance tax records, inventories, letters, and wills. These records are available at the various county courthouses. Those microfilmed are available through the FHL, and the Library and Archives of the Idaho State Historical Society.
Excerpts From the Book "Family History Made Easy"
American court files mirror U.S. history. Buried away in courthouses and archives everywhere are the dreams and frustrations of millions of citizens. The chances are great that your ancestors have left a detailed record of at least some aspects of their lives in court records. Most of us don’t think of court records as the rich source of personal history that they are. But America’s English heritage established a tradition of court processes in which the people have a right to participate actively—and we always have. With relative freedom from royal supervision and with court enforcement of religious as well as civil laws, American courts tried many matters that were not subject to court action in other parts of the British empire and that are now considered too minor to warrant criminal action. When a person dies, every state has laws that provide for public supervision over the estate that is left, whether or not there is a will. The term “probate records” broadly covers all the records produced by these laws, although, strictly speaking, “probate” applies only when there is a will. Family historians use probate case files far more than any other kind of court record. Probate case files are logical sources because they tend to include so much personal data, and because Americans have depended on the courts to settle their estates since North America was colonized. According to Val Greenwood in his Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, “All records which relate to the disposition of an estate after its owner’s death are referred to as probate records. These are many and varied in both content and value, but basically, they fall into two main classes: testate and intestate” (page 255). Probate case files generally provide names, addresses, and biographical data for the deceased, but frequently provide the same information for other relatives named in the papers. Relationships, maiden names of wives, married names of daughters, past residences, and place of origin in a native country are just a few of the details that can be discovered in probate files. And probate files can be found in courthouses and archives across the United States. When requesting probate information from the county clerk, it is important not to limit yourself by asking for a person’s “will.” The clerk will usually take you at your word and not copy other papers in the probate file that may have equally important information if there is no will. Even if your ancestor is not mentioned in a probate case, consider all of the other procedures which might have resulted in him or her appearing in court records:
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Idaho Church Records - Idaho has a rich and diverse religious culture. The Mormons settled along the Snake River in eastern Idaho and established farming communities. Among these farming communities was Franklin, the first permanent white settlement in Idaho. Catholic priests founded missions among the Coeur d'Alene Native Americans in 1853. Protestants, such as the Methodists, Episcopalians, and the Christian church, arrived during the gold mining era.
The largest religious organization in Idaho is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Mormons colonized the eastern portion of Idaho by 1860. Due to friction caused by of the practice of plural marriage by Mormons, many Mormon families who had originally moved from Utah to Idaho Territory continued their migration northward into Alberta, Canada, where the Mormon presence remains strong today. Mormon ward/branch and mission records are available at the FHL. Ricks College is a Mormon institution in Rexburg, Idaho. Their Archives and Special Collections department has manuscripts, photographs, and oral histories concerning the Mormon settlement in the Upper Snake River Valley. Unlike the Mormons, early Protestant and Catholic efforts in Idaho were focused on converting the Native Americans to Christianity rather than settling the land. Methodists and Presbyterians arrived in the region before the Catholic fathers. Episcopalians soon followed. These efforts concentrated on northern Idaho with the Nez Perce and Flathead tribes. The Methodist mission board in 1834 took action to establish a mission among the Flathead Tribe. The first Episcopal clergy arrived in Boise and established St. Michael's Church (at the time, the only Episcopal church in Idaho, Montana, and Utah) a year after Idaho became a territory. The Episcopal faith spread across southern Idaho, and priests evangelized the Shoshoni-Bannock tribes at Fort Hall with success. Many Episcopal Church records in Idaho covering 110 years are microfilmed and deposited with the Idaho State Historical Society. Among the items filmed are church registers from Delamar, Fort Hall, and Silver City, as well as district and diocesan records between 1896 and 1924. The emigration of Swedes and Norwegians to northern Idaho brought the Lutheran faith to the area. Other Scandinavians came from the Midwest in the early 1900s to work on irrigation canals in southern Idaho. Many remained to settle the land. Many Lutheran Finns settled in the Long Valley near Cascade and McCall. The Catholic mission to Idaho began in 1840 when Father Pierre Desmet was appointed to minister to the Native Americans. The Cataldo Mission near Kellogg was established in 1846, and the mission church still stands and is the oldest building in Idaho. When miners came in the 1860s, priests were assigned to pioneer white congregations. Currently, the Catholic church has the second largest membership. For information on the location of Catholic records contact the Diocese of Boise, Box 769, Boise, ID 83701. It is uncertain how many Quakers lived in Idaho before the turn of the twentieth century, but by 1918 there were 763. A meeting was opened in Boise in 1898, but was briefly discontinued. At the turn of the century, a few Quakers resided in the Star area, a community about twenty miles from Boise. The promise of irrigation water brought many Quaker families to the Boise Valley. By 1906 the meetings in Fairview and Mountain View were organized into the Mountain View Monthly Meeting. The first Quarterly Meeting in Idaho (Boise Valley) was established in 1906 under the auspices of the Oregon Yearly Meeting. It consisted of New Hope (Star), Boise, and Mountain View Monthly Meeting. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century members of the Church of the Brethren began to settle in Idaho. They were attracted to the farm land of the Snake River Valley in southern Idaho and the Clearwater Plateau in northern Idaho. Railroad agents encouraged Brethren to settle in groups in Idaho. So many congregations were established between 1895 and 1910 that the Idaho and Western Montana District was organized. Early congregations were established in Moscow, Grafton-Clearwater, Nez Perce, Winchester, Nampa, Boise Valley, Boise, Bowmont, Payette, Weiser, Idaho Falls, Lost River, and Twin Falls. An excellent history of these early congregations is found in Roger E. Sappington, The Brethren along the Snake River: A History of the Brethren in Idaho and Western Montana (Elgin, Ill.: The Brethren Press, 1966). Jewish settlers in Idaho have contributed substantially to the society. During the territorial era Jews became merchants serving the mining camps. The first synagogue, Temple Beth Israel, was constructed in 1895 in Boise. The only other synagogue is in Pocatello. Idaho elected the first Jewish governor in U.S. history. Temple Beth Israel in Boise is the oldest continuous synagogue in existence west of the Mississippi. A history of the Jewish community in Idaho is Juanita Brooks, History of the Jews in Utah and Idaho (Salt Lake City: Western Epics, 1973). In 1940, the WPA printed a directory of religious organizations in Idaho entitled Directory of Churches and Religious Organizations of Idaho (Boise, Idaho: The Idaho Historical Records Survey, 1940). The directory covers 1,100 church institutions, including 991 churches, and is an excellent tool for locating congregations for the time period. Most church records are still kept with the local congregation. Idaho Cemetery Records - Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints transcribed many Idaho cemetery records between 1952 and 1968. These records were published in a twelve-volume set which includes many of the cemeteries in the following counties: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Blaine, Bonneville, Boise, Bonner, Camas, Cassia, Canyon, Clark, Clearwater, Elmore, Franklin, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Jefferson, Jerome, Kootenai, Lemhi, Madison, Minidoka, Nez Perce, Owyhee, Payette, Power, Twin Falls, Shoshone, Valley, and Washington. The Idaho State Historical Society also has some transcribed cemetery records. A comprehensive listing of these holdings does not exist. For this reason it is suggested that a researcher write the Idaho State Historical Society's genealogical department or call (208) 334-2305 and ask if records have been gathered for a specific area. An index of all cemetery records in Ada County has been completed by the Treasure Valley Chapter of the Idaho State Historical Society. Cemetery records and gravestone inscriptions are a rich source of information for family historians. Cemetery and other sources of information associated with death include:
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Idaho Land Records - Idaho was a public land state, created from land that was public domain. The federal government administered most of the land that was settled through the Government Land Office, which became the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). These land offices kept records of each land entry, including tract books and township plats. Tract books are records of transactions for each section of land. Township plat books are maps of land entries for each township.
Records for the BLM are on file at the National Archives/ Pacific-Northwest Region (see Introduction), and the BLM Office at 3380 Americana Terrace, Boise, ID 83706. These land records cover the years 1868 to 1910. The following land office records are on microfiche in Seattle: Boise Land Office (1868-1910); Oxford Land Office (1879-1908); Oxford-Blackfoot Land Office (1879-1901); Blackfoot Land Office (1884-1940); Coeur d'Alene Land Office (1885-1908), Hailey Land Office (1883-1940), Lewiston (1874-1908); and Unidentified Land Office Records (1878-1917). Also on file, are records for the Office of Surveyor General of Idaho (1913-50). There were two types of land entries in Idaho, cash entries and homesteads. For a more detailed discussion of these two land entries see Washington State—Land Records. The above land office records include letters sent and received by state offices and suboffices, case files, township tract books, survey plats, registers, indexes of declaratory statements, entries, receipts, certificates for homesteads, mineral, and timber culture lands. The custodian of land records on the county level in Idaho is the county recorder. The originals of these county records are on file at the local county courthouses. Many records in Idaho's county courthouses are microfilmed and available through the FHL.
Excerpts From the Book "Family History Made Easy"
U.S. House of Representative Private Claims, Vol. 1, Vol. 2 or Vol. 3 The right to own land has always been one of the great incentives for living in the United States. Yet researchers often overlook the importance of land records as a source of family history information. Written evidence of people’s entitlement goes back in time further than virtually any other type of record family historians might use. Land records meet the needs of researchers in different ways and contain a variety of genealogical and historical data. They are a major source of information for many family histories and provide primary source material for local history as well. They are closely related to probate and other official court records and should be investigated in connection with them. Land and property are leading issues in the settlement of estates, and the majority of civil cases in the courts deal with real and personal property. Although land records rarely yield vital statistics, in many instances they provide the only proof of family relationships. Often they include the names of heirs of an estate (including daughters’ married names and a widow’s subsequent married name) and refer to related probates and other court cases by number and court name. In some places where other records are scarce, the land records take on extra importance. Occasionally these documents disclose former residences and more often provide the new address of the grantors or heirs at the time of the sale of the property. Land records provide two types of important evidence for the family historian. First, they often document family relationships. Second, they place individuals in a specific time and place, allowing the researcher to sort people and families into neighborhoods and closely related groups. One of land records’ most important qualities is that they are sometimes the only records that allow us to distinguish one person of a common name from another. The National Archives has bounty-land warrant files, donation land entry files, homestead application files, and private land claim files relating to the entry of individual settlers on land in the public land states. There are no land records for the original thirteen states or for Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, and Hawaii. Records for these states are maintained by state officials, usually in the state capital. Searching for the record of a particular land grant from the federal government requires contacting both the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the National Archives (NARA). |
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Two military collections are on file at the Idaho State Historical Society which are of interest to the researcher. The first, “Soldier's Home” (AR 19) records are applications for admission to the Idaho Soldier's Home from 1894 to 1983. Information contained in these applications includes record number, date of admission, name, age, nativity, company, regiment, rank, time served, pension, disabilities, county, occupation, social condition, and literacy. These applications are indexed. The second collection is entitled “The Adjutant General—State of Idaho: Collection of Official Correspondence, Records, and Documents, 1877-1927" (AR 11). This collection is composed of requests to Governor Brayman for arms and ammunition from worried Idahoans during the Indian Wars of 1877/78, requests for discharge and/or pension benefits from said wars, the actual discharges for at least some Idaho volunteers from the Nez Perce and Bannock Wars, some muster rolls of the Idaho Volunteer Regiments, and other miscellaneous material. Material in this collection also includes various aspects of the draft during World War I and company rosters for the Idaho National Guard units who served during the Mexican Border campaign of 1916.
Below is a list of online resources for Idaho in the military. Email us with websites containing information on Idaho in the military by clicking the link below:
The site U.S. Wars list conflicts dating from earliest to 1865. Wars covered that are availibele are:
Excerpts From the Book "Family History Made Easy"
Military records have originated at the federal, state, and local levels. Whether created in time of war or in time of peace, these records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served in the military forces of the United States. Almost every American family, in one generation or another, has seen one or more of its members serve in America’s armed forces. From regimental histories, which provide blow-by-blow accounts of a unit’s participation in military actions, to the personal details contained in the service and pension files of individual men and women, military records provide valuable information concerning a large and significant portion of the American population. And because military records have been preserved and made available at and through a number of research institutions, much information awaits the well-prepared researcher. How to Find Military Records When and where did the individual live? Did the family keep evidence of military service? Certificates, letters, journals, diaries, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, photographs, medals, swords, and other memorabilia kept in private collections may provide the basic facts needed to begin searching in military record collections. Military Time Lines Evidence of Military Service in Hometown Records Military History In addition to the standard histories, local public libraries and historical societies usually preserve and make available other types of publications that document the military history of the geographical areas they serve. Historical agencies collect biographies, letters, diaries, journals, and all sorts of memorabilia from military units and servicemen and -women. The personal accounts found in some collections are a fascinating means of stepping back in time. Firsthand accounts afford a better understanding of the day-to-day drudgery, loneliness, fears, and satisfactions of military life. Evidence of Military Service in Cemeteries Evidence of Military Service in Court Records Military Records in the National Archives A wonderful array of federal military records are available in major libraries and archives and through microfilm rental programs. (Heritage Quest, a division of AGLL, Inc., PO Box 329, Bountiful, UT 84011-0329, is a source of rental microfilms.) With sufficient identifying information, you may request a search of the registers of enlistments or the compiled military service records. The minimum information required for a search is (1) the soldier’s full name, (2) the war in which he or she served or period of service, and (3) the state from which he or she served. For the Civil War, you must also indicate whether the person served in Union or Confederate forces. A separate copy of the form must be used for military service, pension, and bounty-land warrant applications. Submit requests for information about individuals who served in the military before World War I on NATF form 80 (Order for Copies of Veterans Records). Write to the National Archives and Records Administration, General Reference Branch, Washington, DC 20408 to obtain copies of NATF form 80. Always ask for “all records” for an individual. Make requests for information about U.S. Army officers separated from the service after 1912 on standard form 180 (Request Pertaining to Military Records) and send it to the Military Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132. U.S. Military Records Records of state militias and the National Guard |
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Idaho Vital Records - The registration of births and deaths on the county level in Idaho was not required until 1907. Prior to that time, the only birth and death records were kept by churches, midwives, mortuaries, and physicians. These records are fragmentary at best. The County Resources section below lists those vital records which were available on the county level before mandatory recording.
Beginning in 1907 the state of Idaho required that professional midwives and physicians record births. The registration of deaths was the responsibility of any clergyman, coroner, physician, or undertaker who had cared for the deceased during the last sickness or made arrangements for the burial. This information was reported to the county recorder. The law governing the registration of births and deaths was changed in 1911, at which time the county recorder was relieved of this responsibility. After 1911 all births and deaths were registered directly with the state. The first laws in Idaho Territory concerning marriages and divorces were enacted in 1864. The first Territorial Legislative Assembly made provisions for books in which to record certificates issued by the person performing the marriage ceremony as well as contracts made by individuals. Under the law, the marriage contract did not have to be a written contract. If it was a written contract, there was no compulsion about making a public record of it. Although some early Idaho Territorial marriage contracts were recorded, most were not. Pre-1895 records located in the county courthouses of Idaho are certificates issued by the person performing the marriage ceremony—to the effect that such a ceremony was performed. Ricks College (see Archives, Libraries and Societies) has an index to all pre-1900 marriages recorded in Idaho. District courts in Idaho were given jurisdiction in divorce cases by an act passed by the first Territorial Legislative Assembly in 1864. Divorce and annulment actions were filed in the district court in the same manner as other civil cases. Statewide records of Idaho's birth and death certificates begin in 1911, and marriage and divorce records begin in 1947. These certificates can be obtained by contacting: the Vital Statistics Unit, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, 450 West State Street, Statehouse Mall, Boise, Idaho 83720-9990. It takes approximately three weeks to fill a request for a vital records search. Certain restrictions apply when requesting vital records from the state of Idaho. Written authorization is needed from the individual, immediate relative, or legal representative to obtain a birth, marriage, or divorce certificate for persons other than your own family. No written authorization is needed to verify vital records information if the exact information is supplied and no search is required. Ordering Vital Records Online - Getting documents by mail can take a long as six weeks or more. Through VitalChek Express Certificate Service you can get Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed, Sealed, & Delivered in as few as three business days!
Facts on Birth Records - Most early birth records contain very little biographical information. Typical early New England town and church records, for example, give little information beyond the name of the child, date and place of birth, and parents’ names. Some localities listed only the name of the father. While early birth records can be discouragingly lacking in information, by the mid-nineteenth century birth records in the United States began to include more information. Even though births were not widely recorded during the early years of America’s existence, the records that do exist may be the only source of a birth date for an individual and should always be consulted. Delayed births are also important vital registrations that you should consider for obtaining biographical information. When Social Security benefits were instituted in 1937, individuals claiming benefits had to document their birth even if the state of their birth did not require registration when they were born. Individuals who were not registered with state or county agencies at the time of their birth often applied for a delayed birth registration. Obtaining passports, insurance, and other benefits also required proof of age. Applications were accompanied with full name, address, and date and place of birth; father’s name, race, and place of birth; and evidence to support the facts presented. The evidence could be in the form of a baptismal certificate, Bible record, school record, affidavit from the attending physician or midwife, application for an insurance policy, birth certificate of a child, or an affidavit from a person having definite knowledge of the facts. Delayed birth records are usually filed and indexed separately from regular birth registrations, and it may be necessary to request a separate search for them.
Facts on Marriage Records - Because of the importance of the legal distribution and control of property, most states and counties began to record marriages before births and deaths. The recording of a marriage is a two-step process. Traditionally, couples apply for a license to marry, and the applications are usually filed loose among other applications or in bound volumes. Marriage returns are filed once the marriage has taken place. The latter document is the proof of a marriage (not the license application). Marriage applications are often filled out by both the bride and groom and typically contain a significant amount of genealogical information. They may list full names of the bride and groom, their residences, races, ages, dates and places of birth, previous marriages, occupations, and their parents’ names, places of birth, and occupations. Marriage certificates are issued by counties after the marriage ceremony is completed, and these are usually found among family items. While the certificates tend to have less biographical data than the application, the name of the individual officiating at the wedding may lead you to religious records by revealing the denomination. The religious records, in turn, may reveal the names of witnesses and other useful information. Early American records sometimes include marriage bonds, which served as a protection for the future children of the marriage. A bond obligated a prospective groom to pay the bond if he were discovered to be a bigamist or imposter or otherwise ineligible to contract a valid marriage. As long as the marriage was legal, the bond was void. Bonds generally include the groom’s name, name of the surety, the sum, and the date of the agreement.
Facts on Death Records - Early death records in the United States provide little more than the name of the deceased, the date of death, and the place of death. Obituaries and cemetery, court, and other records often provide more information about the deceased than do most official death records created before the last quarter of the 1800s. By 1900 death records included more details. They often include the name of the deceased; date, place, and cause of death; age at the time of death; place of birth; parents’ names; occupation; name of spouse; name of the person giving the information; the informant’s relationship to the deceased; the name and address of the funeral director; and the place of burial. Race is listed in some records, and modern death certificates generally include a Social Security number.
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