Pierce County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Pierce 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 U.S. President Franklin Pierce. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Pierce County Courthouse 930 Tacoma Ave South Tacoma, WA 98402 Phone: 253-798-7487 Pierce County Website

County Auditor has marriage and land records. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1890 and adoption records.

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

History Timeline

 * The land that would become Pierce County was home to the present day Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin, Steilacoom, and Muckleshoot tribes.
 * 1833 April Hudson's Bay Company employee Archibald McDonald established Fort Nisqually.
 * 1841 May 11 The crews of the U.S. Navy ships Vincennes and Porpoise, dropped anchor near Fort Nisqually during the first American charting of Puget Sound.
 * 1849 In response to increasing tensions between Indians and settlers, the United States Army established Fort Steilacoom.
 * 1852 December 22 Pierce County was established.
 * 1853 March 2 U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1854 December 26 Leaders of major Western Washington tribes, met with Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens and signed a treaty relinquishing their land.
 * 1855 April 30 The United States Congress ratified the Treaty of Medicine Creek.
 * Family farming was essential to the survival of early Pierce County pioneers.
 * Commercial farming in Pierce County has over time included hops, flower bulbs, berries, dairy cattle, and Christmas trees.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * 1984-2023 Pierce County Auditor, Professional License Records, 1984-2023 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Cemeteries

 * 1917-1938 McNeil Island Area Burial Removal Permits, 1917-1938 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1944-1961 McNeil Island Burial Transit Permits, 1944-1961 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * April 1938 McNeil Island Disinterment Permits Issued April 1938 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * Tacoma Mausoleum

Census Records

 * Census indexes at Washington State Archives
 * Federal: 1910
 * Territorial: 1854, 1857, 1871, 1879, 1883, 1885, 1887, 1889
 * State-funded: 1892


 * 1850-1914 Web: Washington, U.S., Various County Census Records, 1850-1914 at Ancestry (Free)
 * 1885-1889 Tacoma 2nd Ward Voter Registration, 1885-1889 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Church Records
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * Lincoln (Tacoma)
 * Tacoma
 * Tacoma Central

Lutheran
 * Records of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Tacoma, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

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
 * 1984-present Power of Attorney Records 1984 - present at Washington State Archives
 * Pierce 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.

Directories

 * 1889-91 Tacoma, Washington Directories, 1889-91 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1936 Polk's Tacoma, Washington, City Directory, 1936 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1937 Polk's Tacoma, Washington, City Directory, 1937 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1945 Polk's Tacoma, Washington, City Directory, 1945 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1947-1957 Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, Passenger and Crew Lists of Airplane Departures, 1947-1957 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

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

Japanese
 * 1942-1946 Public Welfare/Social Security Department, Evacuee (Japanese) Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946 at Washington State Archives - index and images; Assistance Cases, Evacuee Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1850-1954 Part of:"Washington County Land Records, 1850-1954" FamilySearch Historical Collections - images only
 * 1973; 1984-2023 Pierce County Auditor, Plats and Surveys, 1973; 1984-2023 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1984-2023 Pierce County Auditor, Recorded Land Records, 1984-2023 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1984-2023 Pierce County Auditor, Recorded Agreements and Contracts, 1984-2023 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Commemorative celebration at Sequalitchew Lake, Pierce County, Washington, July 5th, 1906 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * "History - Local" at Pierce County Library
 * History of the Puget Sound Country, Volume 1, Volume 2 by William Farrand Prosser [New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company, 1903]
 * Three Cities Of Washington; Origin Of Their Names... by Edmond Stephen Meany [Seattle: Washington University State Historical Society, 1917?] at Washington History covers the origins of the city names Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma
 * Washington Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records

 * 1885-1907 Military Department, National Guard Enlistment Register, 1885-1907 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1889-1892 Pierce County, Register of Persons Eligible for Military Service, 1889-1892 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1889-1946 Pierce County, military records, 1889-1946 at FamilySearch; images only
 * Pierce County Auditor, Military Records at Washington State Archives - index and images

Military Bases
 * Joint Base Lewis-McChord (Fort Lewis, McChord Field)

Indian Wars
 * 1855-1856 Military Department, Indian War Muster Rolls, 1855-1856 at Washington State Archives - index and images

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

World War II

Japanese
 * 1942-1946 Public Welfare/Social Security Department, Evacuee (Japanese) Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946 at Washington State Archives - index and images; Assistance Cases, Evacuee Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1982 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; Included in the collection: Certificate of citizenship 1889-1906; Declaration of intention 1884-1924; Index to declarations and final decrees of citizenship 1854-1906; Index 1854-1911 vol 3; Petitions 1906-1912.
 * 1853-1957 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers

 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library
 * Pierce County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)
 * The News Tribune (Tacoma) archives
 * Puyallup Herald (formerly Pierce County Herald)
 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library

Obituaries

 * 1984 to the present Tacoma Obituary Index at Tacoma Public Library contains more than 350,000 entries. File is complete from 1984 to the present day.
 * 1939-2010 Web: Tacoma, Washington, Obituary Index, 1939-2010 at Ancestry - index & images (free)

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

Other Records
Correctional Institutions


 * 1895-1904 Pierce County Sheriff, Jail Register, 1895-1904 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Prisons
 * 1875-1939 McNeil Island, Washington, U.S. Penitentiary, Photos and Records of Prisoners Received, 1875-1939 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

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
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records
Online School Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes: Tacoma District school registers 1895-1896; Tacoma school register 1888-1889.
 * 1888-1932 Pierce County Historical School Districts, Registers and Censuses, 1888-1932 at Washington State Archives - index and 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
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Includes Assessment Rolls, 1881-1885; Duplicate assessment rolls, 1877, 1884-1886; Original assessment rolls, 1886; Property assessment and tax rolls, 1859-1869

Birth

 * 1852-1963 Washington, Births at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1871-1921 Department of Health, Delayed Birth Records at Washington State Archives - index and images; includes some earlier and later dates
 * 1873-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1891-1907 Pierce County Auditor, Birth Records, 1891-1907 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1914-1923 Pierce County Birth Records, 1914-1923 at Archives.com ($)
 * 1914-1923 McNeil Island Area Register of Births, 1914-1923 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1876-1947; 1984-2022 Pierce County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1876-1947; 1984-2022 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1885-1959 Marriage Returns, 1885-1959. Part of: Washington, Pierce County Marriage Returns, 1891-1950 at FamilySearch Historical Collections''; images; Includes marriage certificate information, dates, names, and witlessness.
 * 1891-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & 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
 * 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
 * 1891-1898 Puyallup City Clerk, Death Register, 1891-1898 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1892-1907 Pierce County Auditor, Death Records, 1892-1907 at Washington State Archives - index and 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
 * 1940-1943 McNeil Island Death Record, 1940-1943 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

 * Auburn Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Federal Way Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Kent Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Maple Valley Washington FamilySearch Center
 * South Hill Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Sumner Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Tacoma Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Heritage Quest Research Library - an affiliate library
 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library

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

Tacoma Public Library 1102 Tacoma Ave S Tacoma, WA 98402 Phone: 253-591-5606 Website Pierce County Library System 3005 112th Street E Tacoma, WA 98446-2215 Phone: 253-548-3300 Puyallup Public Library 324 S Meridian Puyallup, WA 98371 Phone: 253- 841-5454 Website

Museums

 * Tacoma Art Museum: Website
 * LeMay Family Collection at Marymount Event Center: Website
 * Buffalo Soldier's Museum: Website
 * Children's Museum of Tacoma: Website
 * Museum of Glass: Website
 * Foss Waterway Seaport: Website
 * LeMay America's Car Museum: Website

Societies
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society PO Box 1952 Tacoma, WA 98401 Website Facebook

Websites

 * WAGenWeb for Pierce County
 * USGenWeb
 * Washington State Digital Archives
 * Pierce/ Websites at RootsWeb - Pierce 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.