Okanogan County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Okanogan County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1888, when the county was formed.

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the Okanagan language place name ukʷnaqín. The name Okanogan (Okanagan) also refers to a part of southern British Columbia. The County is located in the north-central area of the state.

Parent County(s)
Okanogan County, Washington was created 2 February 1888 from Stevens County.

County Seat: Okanogan. See also Towns and Communities in. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse
Okanogan County Courthouse 149 3rd N; PO Box 72 Okanogan, WA 98840 Phone 509–422–7275

According to Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America'', 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Okanogan County, Washington page 733, ; :''


 * County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1908, marriage and land records from 1891, and patents from 1892.
 * County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1896.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in.

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

Biography

 * "Okanogan County, Washington Biographical Sketches" online at Rootsweb.

Business and Commerce

 * Professional License Records 1998 - 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

Census

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free); and Ancestry ($)
 * Includes 1910 federal census (no territorial censuses listed)
 * These censuses were 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

 * Transcripts of judgements 1889-1903 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * Okanogan 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
The Colville Indian Reservation is located in southern Ferry and southern Okanogan Counties.
 * 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.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

History

 * Early Okanogan history by William Compton Brown [Okanogan: Press of the Okanogan Independent, (1911)] online at Washington History


 * Glimpses of pioneer life… Okanogan County [Okanogan: Okanogan Independent, 1924] online at Washington History


 * Illustrated History of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan Counties, State of Washington by Richard F. Steele [(Spokane, Wash.): Western Historical Pub. Co., 1904] Commonly known by title History of North Washington. Online at Washington Secretary of State site (Free).
 * This book has numerous errors and its facts should viewed with circumspection.

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 Wilma, David. Okanogan County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7608.


 * Prior to 1805 - For at least several hundred years prior to contact with Europeans, the indigenous peoples of the Okanogan consisted of three major bands of a group called the Northern Okanogans or Sinkaiek, the Tokoratums, the Kartars, and the Konkonelps.
 * 1782-1783 - A smallpox epidemic may have cost the lives of a third to a half of the people in the Okanogan.
 * 1805 - William Clark of the (Lewis and Clark expedition) Corps of Discovery was the first to map the Okanogan River.
 * 1811 - July, David Thompson was the first European to visit the Okanogan River.
 * 1811 - David Stuart and Alexander Ross built a log cabin at the mouth of the Okanogan River and called it.
 * 1814 - Fort Okanogan was taken over by the.
 * 1821 - Fort Okanogan was sold to the.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1855 - May, Territorial Governor Issac Stevens signed the.
 * 1858 - Gold strikes in New Caledonia in British Columbia attracted prospectors from California to the aea.
 * 1859 - The Army established at Mill Creek in the Colville Valley.
 * 1858-1861 - Surveyors from the Royal Engineers and the U.S. Army established a boundary between Canada and the U.S.A.
 * 1871 - Congress authorized the president to establish reservations by executive order.
 * 1872 - Pres. Ulysses Grant created the.
 * 1886 - Colville Indian Reservation was reduced in size to its current size making possible non Indian settlement.
 * 1888 - Feb 2, Okanogan County came into being.
 * 1888 - was the first county seat of Okanogan County.
 * 1888 - The county seat was moved to.
 * 1893 - Repeal of the / ended the mining boom in Okanogan County.
 * 1890-1900 - The population nearly tripled
 * 1900-1910 - The population nearly tripled again.
 * 1906 - The first rail service came into Okanogan County.
 * 1914 - Okanogan became the county seat of Okanogan County.
 * 1934-1942 - A big spurt to the economy of the county and the state of Washington was the construction of.

Land and Property

 * The County Recorder's Office has deeds, mining claims, copies of county plat maps and records dating back to 1878, prior records having been destroyed in a fire.


 * Land Records 1993-present at Washington State Digital Archives, indexes and images (free)
 * Plats and Survey Records1993 - 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

Maps

 * Map from HomeTownLocator

Military

 * 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — index
 * World War II enlistments. Select search codes for state and county. These are partial lists. The NARA website cautions: "This series does not contain records of all World War II Army enlistees."
 * Military Separation and discharge records (no dates mentioned) at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization Records 1890 - 1968 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)


 * Declarations of intention 1890-1945 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Declarations of intention, petition evidence 1899-1916; Depositions 1915-1922; Petition evidence 1902-1947; Petitions for naturalization 1900-1945.

Newspapers

 * Okanogan 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

 * 1888-1903 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)


 * Probate case files 1888-1953 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Probate petitions 1888-1894; Special Naturalization 1944-1953.

Public Records

 * Okanogan County Auditor, Miscellaneous Recordings 1998-2012 (Free index, with images of non-sensitive items) Includes a variety of records, such as child support liens, community property agreements, and an occasional will.


 * Power of Attorney 1998 - 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)


 * Okanogan Postmaster Index A-L • Postmaster Index L-Z. Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections for Washington. (Free, browse images)


 * Miscellaneous public records 1888-1985 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Schools
School records vary from yearbooks, class photos, and more. School censuses were taken to plan and fill educational needs, and include names and birth dates of the children, residences, and the names of the parents or guardians.

Birth

 * 1884-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse)


 * — index and images


 * Okanogan County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1891-1913 ("O" surnames only) at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)


 * Delayed birth registrations 1884-1907 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Marriage

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


 * 1888-1985 Marriage affidavits 1888-1985 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free to browse images)
 * The affidavits start on image 31. Images 10-30 are an index to the groom.


 * 1998-2013 Marriage Records, 1998-2013 Okanogan County Auditor, at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free, index only)


 * 1888-1985 Marriage affidavits 1888-1985 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — index

Divorce
Online Records
 * 1969 - 2014 at FamilySearch — index

Death

 * 1881-1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1881-1922 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
 * 1891-1907Death Register, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * 1891-1907 Part of: Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * 1907-1960 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Voting Registers

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

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.

See also Courthouse·FamilySearch Centers·Libraries·Museums·Other Repositories·Societies

Family History Centers

 * Brewster Washington Family History Center
 * Coulee Dam Washington Family History Center
 * Omak Washington Family History Center
 * Oroville Washington Family History Center
 * Republic Washington Family History Center


 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library

Libraries
The public libraries in Okanogan County are part of North Central Regional Library. Their Research and Homework Center includes Heritage Quest. Library cards and passwords may be required for access.


 * Brewster Community Library 108 S Third Brewster Brewster, WA 98812 Phone: 509-689-4046 Website
 * Okanogan Library 228 Pine Okanogan, WA 98840 Phone: 509-422-2609 Website
 * Omak Community Library 30 S Ash Omak, WA 98841 Phone: 509-826-1820 Website
 * Oroville Community Library 1276 Main Street Oroville, WA 98844 Phone: 509-476-2662 Website
 * Pateros Community Library 174 Pateros Mall Pateros, WA 98846 Phone: 509-923-2298 Website
 * Tonasket Community Library 209 S Whitcomb Tonasket, WA 98855 Phone: 509-486-2366 Website
 * Twisp Community Library 201 N Methow Valley Hwy Twisp, WA 98856 Phone: 509-997-4681 Website
 * Winthrop Community Library 509 State, Rt 20 Winthrop, WA 98862 Phone: 509-996-2685 Website

Societies
Okanogan County Historical Society 1410 2nd Avenue North Okanogan, WA 98840-1129 509-422-4272 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


 * Boom Town Tales at GhostTownsUSA.com

Indian Reservation

The Colville Indian Reservation is located in southern Ferry and southern Okanogan Counties