Wahkiakum County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Wahkiakum 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 Chief Wahkiakum ("Tall Timber") of the Chinook, who is buried in the Pioneer Cemetery in Cathlamet. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
 Wahkiakum County Courthouse 64 Main Street Cathlamet, WA 98612 Phone: 360-795-3558 County Website

County Auditor has birth records 1891-1907 and marriage records from from 1891. County Clerk has burial, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1868.

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

 * 1792 May, American fur trader Robert Gray became the first non-Indian to enter the Columbia River.
 * 1806 Lewis and Clark met up surviving Cathlamets from the south bank and crossed the river.
 * 1800s For a generation, those who followed Gray and Lewis and Clark to the Columbia came not to settle but to trade, especially for furs.
 * 1853 March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1854 April 24, The Washington Territorial Legislature established Wahkiakum County.
 * 1846 James and Charlotte Birnie and their children became the first pioneers to settle permanently in Wahkiakum County.
 * 1850s Homesteaders began farming the Elochoman Valley near Cathlamet.
 * 1870s Scandinavian immigrants began arriving.
 * The lower Columbia River, including the future Wahkiakum County, was home to one of the most numerous and richest indigenous populations north of Mexico.
 * Until well into the twentieth century, the Columbia River and its tributaries were virtually the only transportation system for Wahkiakum County.

Census Records

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives
 * Federal: 1910
 * Territorial: 1857, 1871,1885,1887
 * State-funded: 1892


 * 1850-1914 Web: Washington, U.S., Various County Census Records, 1850-1914 at Ancestry (Free)

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
 * 1853-1889 Wahkiakum 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.

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

Guardianship
Guardianship of orphans or adults unable to manage their own affairs were handled by the probate and the Federal District courts. See Washington Court Records.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1854 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

Local Histories

 * "Wahkiakum County Heritage" digital collection, per Washington State Library blog.
 * "Wahkiakum County, Washington Facts" at StateOfUS.com. (Mis-labeled as Wahkiakum County, Alabama.)

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
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 this collection: Declaration of intention 1890-1951; Final record 18911958; Miscellaneous naturalization records 1884-1974; Certificate receipts 1907-1925; Petition records 1907-1961.
 * 1891-1913 Miscellaneous Naturalization Records, 1891-1913 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.
 * 1891-1951 Declarations of Intention, 1891-1951 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.
 * 1891-1961 Petitions for Naturalization, 1891-1961 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.

Newspapers

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

Other Records
Public Records
 * 1832-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

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

Periodicals

 * Washington Periodicals

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes Probate of wills 1877-1914; Record of wills 1915-1921.
 * 1832-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

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

 * 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
 * 1891-1907 Wahkiakum County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1891-1907 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images;   *Includes Index 1907-1915 Vol 2 & 3; Affidavits 1907-1939.
 * 1891-1947 Marriage returns (1891-1947) and marriage certificates (1899-1995 with images, at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.
 * 1907-1939 Marriage Affidavits, 1907-1939 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.
 * 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
 * 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
 * 1891-1907 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1891-1907 Death Returns 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.
 * 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

 * 1852-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 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

 * Astoria Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Long Beach Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Longview Washington FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Resources for Wahkiakum County are available in libraries, archives, and other repositories at all levels: the town, the county, the state (including universities), and the nation.
 * Cathlamet (Blanche Bradley) Public Library 100 Main Street Cathlamet, WA 98612 Phone: 360-795-3254 Website

Museums

 * Wahkiakum Historical Society Museum 65 River Street PO Box 541 Cathlamet, WA 98612 Phone: 360-849-4353 Facebook

Societies

 * Wahkiakum Historical Society
 * Lower Columbia Genealogical Society Wahkiakum County books in the genealogy room.

Websites

 * WAGenWeb
 * Wahkiakum County Washington Genealogy Research
 * USGenWeb
 * Washington State Digital Archives
 * Websites at RootsWeb -Wahkiakum WA
 * – 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.