Island County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Island 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 fact that it is composed entirely of islands. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
 Island County Courthouse 101 6th St NE Coupeville, WA 98239 Phone: 360-679-7361 Island County Website

County Auditor has birth and death records 1870-1907, marriage records from 1855 land records from 1853. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court 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:

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 Daryl C. McClary. Island County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7523.
 * For thousands of years, the only occupants of the Pacific Northwest were Indians
 * 1792 The area that comprises Island County was first explored by Captain George Vancouver.
 * 1850 September 27, Congress passed the Oregon Donation Land Act, granting a "donation" of free land -- 320 acres to each single man and 640 acres to each married couple -- to anyone who had settled on the land before December 1 of that year.
 * 1850 October 15, Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey was the first man to file a claim, for 640 acres, in Central Whidbey Island.
 * 1852 December 22 Island County was created by the Oregon Territorial Legislature from a portion of Thurston County.
 * 1853 March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1850s Irish immigrants began to settle in the Oak Harbor area, followed by Dutch immigrants in the 1890s.

Cemeteries

 * Cemetery Inscriptions by Ralph Seefeld and the Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island (GSSWI)

Census Records

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free); and Ancestry ($)
 * Federal: 1910
 * Territorial: 1870, 1871, 1883, 1885, 1887, 1889.
 * State-funded: 1892


 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 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
 * 1982-2022 Island County Superior Court Case Files at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * Island 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 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 Indian
 * 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

Genealogies
Genealogy Research
 * Genealogical Resources are listed by Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island.

Local Histories

 * History of the Puget Sound country,] Volume 1, Volume 2 by William Farrand Prosser [New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company, 1903] at Washington History

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
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes Certificates of naturalization 1908-1928; Declarations of intention 1890-1973; Naturalization final record 1894-1905; Naturalization petitions granted 1929-1974 and Petition and record 1908-1930.
 * 1890-1974 Naturalization Records, 1890-1974 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.

Newspapers

 * Island 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

 * Obituary Index, 1890s-December 2010 by Ralph Seefeld and GSSWI
 * Virtually all obituaries have been collected for Island County residents from local newspapers, ranging from 1890s - December 2010. Gaps for The Island County Times in the early 1890s and the South Whidbey Record before 1935 and during 1944.


 * Obituaries in the Whidbey News-Times newspaper.

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
 * 1853-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

School Records
Online School Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

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

 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Includes Birth and death returns 1870-1907.


 * 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 Birth Records, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1855-1994 Marriage Records, 1855-1994 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.
 * 1855-2008 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; Includes Applications 1903-2006; Certificates1855-2007; Certificates and Returns 1931-1938 Vol 2-3; Licenses 1869-1947 Vol 1; Registers 1891-1947 Vol 1; Marriage Returns 1927-1947 Vol 2; Certificate Index 1858-1859 Vol 1
 * 1969-2022 Department of Health, Marriage Index, 1969-2022 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Death

 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1881-1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1891-1907 Death Records, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * 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

 * Camano Island-Stanwood Washington Family History Center
 * Everett Washington Family History Center
 * Lake Stevens Washington Family History Center
 * Oak Harbor Washington Family History Center
 * Port Angeles Washington Family History Center
 * Port Townsend Washington Family History Center
 * Clallam County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Snohomish Washington Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

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

Libraries Clinton Library 4781 Deer Lake Rd Clinton WA 98236 Phone: 360-341-4280 Website Coupeville Library 788 NW Alexander Coupeville WA 98239 Phone: 360-678-4911 Website Freeland Library 5495 Harbor Ave Freeland WA 98249 Phone: 360-331-7323 Website Langley Library 104 Second Street Langley WA 98260 Phone: 360-221-4383 Website Oak Harbor Library 1000 Se Regatta Drive Oak Harbor WA 98277 Phone: 360-675-5115 Website

Museums
South Whidbey Historical Society Museum 312 Second Street PO Box 612 Langley, WA 98260 Website Facebook

Societies
Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island Website Island County Historical Society 908 NW Alexander St PO BOX 305 Coupeville, WA 98239 Phone: 360-678-3310 Website Facebook

Websites

 * Island County Wa Genealogy Research (Free)
 * Contains information for researching genealogy in Island County WA, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records


 * USGenWeb Archives Island County
 * WAGenWeb
 * 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.