Grays Harbor County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Grays Harbor County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1854, when the county was formed as Chehalis County.

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for a large estuarine bay near its southwestern corner. On May 7, 1792, Boston fur trader Robert Gray crossed the bar into a bay which he called Bullfinch Harbor, but which later cartographers would label Chehalis Bay, and then Grays Harbor. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

Parent County(s)
Parent County: created in 14 April 1854 as Chehalis County from Thurston. Renamed to Grays Harbor County 15 March 1915.

Boundary Changes
Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Neighboring Counties

 * Neighboring Counties: Jefferson | Mason | Pacific | Thurston

See also Towns and Communities in

Courthouse
Grays Harbor County Courthouse 102 West Broadway Room 203 Montesano, WA 98563 Phone 360.249.3842 County Clerk has probate, divorce and court records from 1860. County Auditor has marriage records from 1891. County Assessor has land records from 1855. County Health Department has birth and death records.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in.


 * County Seat: Montesano.

See also Archives, libraries, etc.

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

Business and Commerce
Commercial fishing, the lumber industry were major industries historically. Tourism is more recent.


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

Census

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free); and Ancestry ($)
 * Federal: 1860 • 1870 • 1880 •  1910
 * Territorial: 1871 • 1879 • 1881 • 1882 • 1885 • 1887 • 1889
 * State-funded: 1892 • 1894
 * These were indexed by local societies and individuals.

Church Records

 * Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) for are listed in the . (Press space bar to select town.)

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Montesano
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * Grays Harbor 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 procedures of Frontier Justice touch nearly all pioneers of the 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.

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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

Gazetteers

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

Genealogy
Genealogy Resources


 * Grays Harbor Resources at Grays Harbor Genealogical Society

History

 * Grays Harbor County, Washington Facts at StateofUS.com (mis-labeled as Grays Harbor 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 Wilma, David. Grays Harbor County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7766.


 * The original residents of what would become Chehalis, then Grays Harbor County, were members of the Quinault Tribe.
 * 1787 - The largest village in the area was at the mouth of the Quinault River and was so named.
 * 1792 - May 7, Boston fur trader Robert Gray crossed the bar into the bay he called Bullfinch Harbor, but which later cartographers would label Chehalis Bay, then Grays Harbor.
 * 1824 - Irishman John Work of the Hudson's Bay Company explored the area.
 * 1800s (mid) - The county’s first permanent white settler was Irishman William O’Leary.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1907 - February 27, Grays Harbor County was founded.
 * Early 1900s - Grays Harbor County boomed. Immigrants from all over the world flocked to jobs offering cash wages.
 * 1920s - The wood-products industry -- logging, milling, and pulp manufacture -- started a long, slow decline.

Land and Property

 * at Washington, County Land Records, 1850-1954 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * Land Records 1981 - present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * Plats and Surveys Records 1980 - 2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1981 - present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


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

Maps
The BLM also has Cadastral and other survey information at Oregon and Washington Land Status and Cadastral Record, please note this is separate from the survey dropdown on the main glorecords.blm.gov page.
 * 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

 * at Washington, County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Included in this collection: Petition records, Petition index, Petition records index, Naturalization certificate receipts, Journal of Citizenship, Journal of Citizenship index, Delectation of Intention, Delectation of Intention Index, and Application &amp; Oaths.


 * Declarations of Intention, 1884-1971 Washington State Archives. These records include both an index and images to Declarations on Intention, Vol 1-20, 32 filed with Grays Harbor County Superior Court, between 1884-1971.

Newspapers

 * Grays Harbor 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

 * Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Record of wills 1884-1929 and Index to wills 1860-1930.

Public Records

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


 * Power of Attorney Records 1981 - 2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

School Records

 * School Registers are arranged by grade and gives names, ages, attendance. School Censuses include names, birth dates, parents or guardians.

Birth
Aberdeen City Clerk, Birth Register, 1890-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives
 * — index and images
 * Part of: Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Birth register 1891-1930 and Birth returns index 1891-1907.


 * Birth Register, 1891-1908 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * Part of the Washington County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * These records were filed under Chehalis, now Grays Harbor County.

Marriage

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


 * 1871-2007 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Index to register of marriages 1893-1920; Marriage certificates 1871-2007; register 1893-1922; returns 1966.


 * 1872-2013 Marriage Records, 1871-2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — index

Divorce
Online Records
 * 1969 - 2014 at FamilySearch — index
 * part of Washington, County Divorce Records, 1852-1950 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Death

 * 1881-1922 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
 * 1881-1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1891-1907 Death 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, ($)
 * Death Records at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * 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.

Family History Centers

 * Elma Washington Family History Center
 * Federal Way Washington Family History Center
 * Ocean Shores Washington Family History Center
 * Olympia Washington Family History Center
 * Shelton Washington Family History Center
 * Silverdale Washington Family History Center
 * Tacoma Washington Family History Center
 * Vashon Washington Family History Center


 * Kitsap Regional Library - an affiliate library
 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library
 * Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Timberland Libraries - Grays Harbor County
 * Grays Harbor County Libraries Branches and Locations
 * Genealogy / Data Base Tools
 * Special or Unique Collections (help needed from each branch)

Museums

 * Aberdeen Museum of History
 * Chehalis Valley Historical Museum
 * Museum of North Beach
 * Polson Museum

Societies
Grays Harbor Historical Societies Website

Grays Harbor Genealogical Society PO Box 916 Aberdeen WA 98520 420 7th Street Hoquiam, WA 98520 E-mail:[mailto:emailofsociety info@graysharborgenealogy.com] 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