Most of these censuses include only the name of the head of household, although the 1895 and 1905 censuses include some information on all members of the household. Lands were generally acquired from the federal government or from other individuals. Lands from the government were dispersed through a variety of programs, including the popular Homestead and Oregon Donation Land claims. Donation land claims were for early settlers who were in Oregon by 1855. These claims, filed with each land office, have been abstracted, indexed, and published by the Genealogical Forum of Oregon.
Indexing is both by name and geographical location.
The original Oregon homestead applications have been moved to the National Archives Pacific Northwest Region. Subsequent land records, including deeds and mortgages, were recorded in each county beginning at the creation of the county. All contain information about individuals within the area. It should be remembered that there are different levels of jurisdiction for courts in the United States, all of which should be considered for research under various circumstances. Court of Common Pleas, Orphan's Court, Probate Court, District Court, Superior Court, Supreme Court, and other titles are among those encountered.