How to prove you (or your parent) lived in Idaho in the 1950s

Many families can locate useful evidence through schools, churches, archives, county offices, or family records. This page lists every major source, with phone numbers and addresses, in the order we suggest trying them.

Start here: three questions

How old was the person during 1951–1962? If they were school-age, school records are usually the easiest proof. If they were an adult, city directories and county records work best.

What town did they live in? Everything below is organized by the kind of town — records for Boise are in different places than records for a farm outside Preston.

Was the family LDS? If yes, church membership records are often the single best source — the Church kept careful, dated records of every ward member.

Source 1: School records (best for anyone who was a child then)

Schools kept enrollment records, and many still have them or transferred them to the district office or the state archives.

• Call the school district office for the town where the person went to school. Ask for "student enrollment records from the 1950s" and explain it is for a federal RECA claim — many Idaho districts have started hearing these requests.
• If the district no longer has them, ask where their old records went. Many ended up at the Idaho State Archives (see Source 3).
• Old yearbooks also count. Check the school, the local library, and classmates.com or ancestry.com for digitized yearbooks.

Source 2: LDS Church membership records (often the best single source)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints kept detailed membership records for every ward, including dates and places. For families who were LDS in the 1950s, this is frequently the fastest, cleanest proof of where someone lived and when.

• Call the Church Membership Department: 801-240-3500. Ask for membership records for the person, explain it is for a federal RECA claim, and have their full name and birth date ready.
• Records of baptisms, ward membership, and ordinances all carry dates and locations.
• Other churches kept records too — baptism, confirmation, and membership rolls from Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, and other congregations all count. Call the parish or congregation office for the town.

Source 3: Idaho State Archives (city directories, county records, and more)

The Idaho State Historical Society runs the state archives in Boise and has set up a special request process for RECA claims because so many families are asking.

• Request records online: history.idaho.gov/archives/reca
• Their most useful holdings are Polk's City Directories — yearly books that listed residents of Idaho towns by name and address. If your family appears in the 1954 and 1956 directories for the same town, that is strong proof.
• They also hold county records, tax rolls, and other historical documents.
• Be patient: they have been receiving a high volume of RECA requests. Submit early.

Source 4: University of Idaho Special Collections

The University of Idaho library in Moscow holds city directories and old telephone books covering many Idaho towns, and has an online request form for RECA-related lookups.

• Search "University of Idaho Special Collections RECA" to find their request form, or call the library's Special Collections department.
• Old telephone book listings count as residency evidence.

Source 5: County records

Each of Idaho's 44 counties kept its own records. The county recorder and assessor for the county where the person lived may have:

• Property deeds and property tax rolls (excellent proof for homeowners and farm families)
• Voter registration records
• Marriage licenses issued in the county
• Call the county clerk/recorder's office and explain you are looking for records from the 1950s for a federal claim.

Source 6: Federal and state records

• Census records: The 1950 federal census is public and searchable free at 1950census.archives.gov. It shows exactly where a household lived in April 1950 — just before the eligible window opens, which helps establish the family was already settled in Idaho.
• Idaho vital records: Birth certificates of children born in Idaho during the window prove the family was present. Order from the Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics.
• Military and employment records: If the person worked for the railroad, a mine, a government agency, or served from an Idaho address, those records carry dates and places.
• Personal letters or envelopes with postmarks: An envelope addressed to the family in Idaho, with a dated postmark, is real evidence the DOJ accepts.
• Voting records: Old voter registration and voting rolls held by the county clerk are on the DOJ's accepted list.
• Tax records: Property tax bills, state tax filings, or federal returns filed from an Idaho address all count.
• Personal diaries: A dated diary or journal entry describing life in Idaho during the window is accepted by the Department of Justice.

Source 7: Family and neighbor statements (affidavits)

If paper records are thin, sworn written statements can help.

• A statement from a sibling, cousin, neighbor, or childhood friend describing where the family lived and when can support a claim.
• Affidavits work best alongside at least one document — but do not give up if documents are scarce. Start gathering statements from people who remember.

What if the person moved around?

That is common — farm families and railroad families moved often. Records from different Idaho towns across the window can add up.

A note on copies

If you file electronically through the DOJ portal, regular photocopies are accepted — certified or original documents are only needed if the program later asks for them. If you file by mail, you must send certified or original copies. When in doubt, ask the records office for a certified copy — most offices can provide one for a small fee.