Skamania County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Skamania County, Washington ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The County was named for the Cascades Chinook word sk'mániak, meaning "swift waters". The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Skamania County Courthouse 240 Vancouver Avenue Stevenson, WA 98648 Phone: 509-427-3765 Skamania County Website

County Auditor has land records. County Clerk has marriage records, divorce, probate and court records from 1856.

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:

History Timeline

 * In what was to become Skamania County, the first residents called themselves Chilluckittequw. American settlers named them Cascades.
 * 1780 The population of the Chilluckittequw dropped from about 3,000 to a few hundred in the mid-nineteenth century because of diseases acquired from Europeans and Americans.
 * 1805 The first Americans to visit the future Skamania County were the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
 * 1805 The Cascades Rapids became the main engine of economy in Skamania County.
 * 1830s The Chilluckittequw charged tolls and rented their labor to the fur trappers.
 * 1850 Before, The names and dates of arrival of the earliest settlers around the Cascades are obscure. Whites squatted where they liked without any legal title.
 * 1851 July, Francis Chenoweth built a railroad consisting of one wagon on wood rails pulled by a single mule.
 * 1850s Americans who crossed the Oregon Trail settled around the rapids.
 * 1853 March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1854 March 9, Skamania County was formed.
 * 1855 Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens secured treaties with many of the Indian tribes in Washington, who ceded their lands to the United States.
 * 1860 Captain John C. Ainsworth, Simeon G. Reed, and Robert R. Thompson founded the Oregon Steam Navigation Company.
 * 1865 January, The legislature deleted Skamania County.
 * 1867 Due to a Legislature repeal, Skamania became a county again

Census Records

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives
 * Federal: 1910
 * Territorial: 1871, 1885,1887.


 * 1850-1914 Web: Washington, U.S., Various County Census Records, 1850-1914 at Ancestry (Free)
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only. Select Browse all images, click county

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Power of Attorney Records 2008 - present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
American Indians
 * 1911-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & 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

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 2008-2013 Skamania County Auditor, Plats and Surveys, 2008-2013 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 2008-2013 Skamania County Auditor, Recorded Agreements and Contracts, 2008-2013 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 2008-2013; 2016-Present Skamania County Auditor, Recorded Land Records, 2008-2013; 2016-Present at Washington State Archives - index and images

Local Histories

 * "Skamania County Heritage" blog about a digital collection of the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records

 * Skamania County Auditor, Military Records at Washington State Archives - index and images

World War I
 * 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1982 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Included in collections: Declaration of intention 1884-1964; Final record 1893-1906; Final record 1931-1973 vol B no 1-42; Miscellaneous naturalization records 1906-1974; Certificate Receipts 1906-1923; Petition records 1907-1964.
 * 1896-1929 Certificate Receipts, 1896-1929 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * 1894-1964 Declarations of Intent, 1894-1964 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * 1903 Final Records, 1903 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * 1907-1973 Petitions, 1907-1973 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Newspapers

 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library
 * Skamania County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)
 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)

Obituaries
Also check:
 * Newspapers of Skamania County, Washington Genealogy
 * Local Funeral Homes, Libraries, or family records.
 * Obituaries of neighboring counties

Other Records
Public Records
 * Prior to 1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

Voting Records
 * 1876-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Periodicals

 * Washington Periodicals

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1832-1950 at FamilySearch Historical Collections, at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes Record of wills 1872-1913; Wills 1907-1921.

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Birth

 * 1852-1963 Washington, Births at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
 * 1871-1921 Department of Health, Delayed Birth Records at Washington State Archives - index and images; includes some earlier and later dates
 * 1873-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1893-1907 Skamania County Auditor, Birth Records, 1893-1907 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1893-1900 Western States Marriage Index- index
 * 1905-2013 Skamania County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1905-2013 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1968-1997 Department of Health, Marriage Certificates, 1968-1997 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; Includes Marriage applications 1914-2007; Marriage certificates 1905-2005; Marriage returns 1907-1939.
 * 1969-2022 Department of Health, Marriage Index, 1969-2022 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Death

 * 1881-1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1907-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * 1907-1997 Department of Health, Death Certificates, July 1, 1907-1997 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1907-2020 Department of Health, Death Index, 1907-1960; 1965-2020 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1915-1928 Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Fatal Accident Cards, 1915-1928 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1919-1921 Department of Health, Fetal Death Records, 1919-1921 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Divorce

 * 1968-1997 Department of Health, Divorce Certificates, 1968-1997 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1969-2017 Department of Health, Divorce Index, 1969-2017 at Washington State Archives - index and images

FamilySearch Centers

 * St Helens Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Stevenson Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Vancouver Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Vancouver Washington North FamilySearch Center
 * Vancouver Washington West FamilySearch Center
 * Clark County Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library
 * The Genealogical Forum of Oregon - an affiliate library
 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library

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


 * North Bonneville Community Library North Bonneville, WA 98639 Phone: 509-427-4439 Website
 * Stevenson Community Library 120 NW Vancouver Avenue Stevenson, WA 98648 Phone: 509-427-5471 Website

Societies

 * Skamania County Historical Society PO Box 396 Stevenson, WA 98648 Website

Websites

 * Skamania County Washington Genealogy Research. Free Contains information for researching genealogy in Skamania County WA, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records
 * WAGenWeb for Skamania County
 * USGW Archives
 * Washington State Digital Archives


 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.