Court Records

JCGL holdings include several types of records concerned with Jackson County court actions:

• The first is a set of four volumes of abstracts of court records taken from the Oregon State Archives. These include wills, probates, guardianships, and estate files. We have prepared indexes for these four volumes. Follow this link, Indexes to Abstracts of Wills, Probates, Estates, etc., to view these indexes.


• The second type of holding consists of photographs of actual records contained in two Will Books. We have prepared indexes for each of these two volumes as well. These indexes include all names mentioned in the record aside from witnesses. Thus they include testators, heirs, legatees, executors, debtors, etc. Separate indexes have been prepared for witnesses mentioned in these two volumes. Follow this link, Indexes to Will Book Images, to view the index.


• The third type of record comprises two books of circuit court legal actions. These court record indexes contain information regarding various legal actions in Jackson County, Oregon. The first book includes cases from 1853 through 1873. The second book includes cases from 1858 through 1861. Follow this link, Circuit Court Legal Actions, to view this index.


• The fourth type of record includes a circuit fee book for the years 1859-1862 and four circuit court fee books covering the years 1856-1890. These fee books have little of genealogical value aside from placing an individual in the county at a particular time. Follow this link, Court Fee Books, to view this index.


• The fifth type of record comprises digitized images of microfilmed Divorce and Criminal case files taken from the Jackson County Archives beginning in 1912. The digitizing process is on-going, so more records will be added as they are completed. Follow this link, Divorce/Criminal Files, to view this index.


• The sixth type of record is a five-volume set containing either Declaration of Intent forms for individuals intending to become naturalized citizens or information abstracted from those forms. Our library holds actual copies of these forms for most of the names included in these volumes, and abstracted information for the remainder. Follow this link, Naturalization Forms, to view these indexes or abstracts.