Jefferson County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Jefferson County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1852, when the county was formed.

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for Thomas Jefferson. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

Parent County(s)
Jefferson County, Washington was created 22 December 1852 from Thurston.

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse
Jefferson County Courthouse 1820 Jefferson Street; PO Box 1220 Port Townsend, WA 98368-0920 Phone: 360.385.9125 County Clerk has divorce records from 1886, probate records from 1891 and court records from 1890. County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907 and marriage records from 1853.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Census

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free); and Ancestry ($)
 * Federal: 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1910
 * Territorial: 1871, 1875, 1877, 1878, 1879 1881, 1883, 1885, 1887, and 1889
 * State-funded: 1891
 * These were all indexed by local societies and individuals.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) for are listed in the . (Press space bar to select town.)
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * Jefferson Frontier Justice. Part of "Frontier Justice’’: Guide to the Court Records of Washington Territory, 1853-1889 at Washington State Digital Archives. (Free Index, no images)
 * The court procedure of Frontier Justice touch nearly all pioneers of Washington Territory. The index has many abstracts that provide names and what is happening in disputes, settlements in civil and criminal cases as well as probate, equity and admiralty cases.

American Indian

 * 1911 - 1919 - at FamilySearch — images

Japanese
World War II Files, 1942-1946

Public Welfare/Social Security Department, (Japanese Internment) Assistance Cases, Evacuee Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946 from the Washington State Archives – Digital Archives

Genealogy
Genealogy Resources


 * Genealogy and Family History Resources online at Washington Jefferson County Genealogical Society

History

 * History of the Puget Sound Country, Volume 1, Volume 2 by William Farrand Prosser [New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company, 1903] online at Washington History


 * Jefferson County, Washington Facts at StateofUS.com (mis-labeled as Jefferson County, Alabama)

History Timeline
Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Daryl C. McClary. Jefferson County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7472.


 * For thousands of years the only occupants of the Olympic Peninsula were Coast Indians.
 * 1851 - April 24,The first permanent American settlement on the peninsula was Port Townsend.
 * 1852 - December 22, Jefferson County was created by the Oregon Territorial Legislature from a portion of Lewis County.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1800s - mid, White settlers came to the north Olympic Peninsula, but the rugged interior remained unexplored.
 * 1889-1890 - The great land boom was predicated on the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad, linking Port Townsend with the rest of the nation. Due to financial difficulties, the Union Pacific Railroad abandoned the project, causing the boom to collapse in 1891.

Land and Property

 * Land Records 1982 to present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Plats and Surveys Records1961 to present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1982-2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Maps

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places



Military

 * 1921-1925 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Some military records for this county have been digitized at the Washington State Digital Archives.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization Records, 1852-1974 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Includes Declarations of Intention, Petitions for Naturalization, and Final Records filed at the Jefferson County Superior Court.


 * Certificates of naturalization 1893-1903 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Certificates of naturalization 1903-1906; Declarations of intention 1855-1971; Memorandum of naturalization 1906-1911; Naturalization final record 1893-1906; Naturalization papers 1865-1906;Petition and record 1906-1945; Reports of naturalization petitions granted 1929-1973.

Newspapers

 * Jefferson County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)
 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)


 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library

Obituaries
Also check:


 * Newspapers of
 * Local Funeral Homes, Libraries, or family records.
 * Obituaries of neighboring counties

Probate Records

 * Probate Case Files, 1853-1889 Part of:"County Probate Records, 1853-1929" FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Public Records

 * Jefferson Postmaster Index. Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections for Washington. (Free, browse images)

Birth

 * Birth certificates 1869-1907 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * — index and images
 * Birth registers 1891-1907

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 - Washington, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1855–2008 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1872-2013 - Marriage Records, 1872-2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * 1969-2014 - at FamilySearch — index

Divorce
Online Records
 * 1969 - 2014 - at FamilySearch — index

Death

 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
 * at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * Death registers 1891-1907Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Archives, Libraries, etc.
Resources for are available in libraries, archives, and other repositories at all levels: the town, the county, the state (including universities), and the nation.


 * Check websites and catalogs, such as items in (Utah) or Allen County Public Library (Indiana) for.

Family History Centers

 * Port Townsend Washington Family History Center (Chimacum)

Libraries

 * Jefferson County Library 620 Cedar Avenue Port Hadlock, WA 98339 Phone: 360-385-6544 Website
 * Port Townsend Public Library 1220 Lawrence Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 Phone: 360-385-3181 Website

Societies
Jefferson County Historical Society 540 Water St Port Townsend, WA 98368 (360) 385-1003 Website Facebook

Jefferson County Genealogical Society Mailing address: PO Box 627 Port Townsend, WA 98368-0627 Research Center (not a mailing address): 13692 Airport Cutoff Road (Highway 19) Port Townsend, WA 98368 Phone: 360-385-9495 Website Facebook

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties