Pacific County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Pacific County   Guide to  genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1861, when the county was formed.

Parent County(s)
Pacific County, Washington was created 4 February 1851.

County Seat: South Bend. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Neighboring Counties
is surrounded by: Grays Harbor | Lewis | Wahkiakum | Clatsop County, Oregon]]

Boundary Changes
Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Dates of Major County Records
Note: The dates you see below have not yet been adapted to.

Topics
The types of records that follow are used for genealogy and family history. Most tell what you may learn and how to locate the records. Links to Internet sites usually go directly to entries with names, images, or information.

Cemeteries

 * Lone Fir Cemetery, Long Beach BillionGraves

Census

 * See Washington Census for online indexes and images of US federal censuses. of: 1856, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940.
 * See statewide printed indexes, including 1856.
 * Check county indexes when online indexes fail. Created by people who knew the families of the area, they are often more accurate and they may have added insights. See periodicals and local libraries or other record holders.


 * 1890 Veterans
 * 1900
 * 1910
 * 1920
 * 1930
 * 1940

Church Records

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

LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Raymond

Court Records
Many of your ancestors may be found in court records as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors. Court records can establish family relationships and places of residence, occupations, and other family history information. See Washington Court Records for the various courts through the years.

For specialized court records, see Divorce · Guardianship · Land · Naturalization · Probate

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.

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. Pacific County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7914.


 * The Chinook Indians were original inhabitants of the lower Columbia River including the future Pacific County.
 * 1775 - Bruno Heceta, aboard the Spanish frigate Santiago, mapped the entrance to the Columbia River
 * 1792 May 11 - Captain Robert Gray of Boston aboard the Columbia Rediviva sailed into the Columbia River as the first European to do so.
 * 1805 November 15 - The Lewis and Clark expedition first viewed the Pacific Ocean from the sandy beach of the Long Beach Peninsula.
 * 1843 - Englishman James A. Scarborough settled at Chinook Point on the Columbia River.
 * Settlement in the future Pacific County was framed first by nearby Hudson's Bay Co. fur trappers.
 * The Chinook and the Chehalis were eventually decimated by introduced diseases.
 * 1851 - The Oregon Territorial Legislature created Pacific County out of the southwestern corner of Lewis County.
 * 1866 September 22 - The Shoalwater Indian Reservation was established by an executive order signed by President Andrew Johnson.

Land and Property

 * County Land Records, 1850-1954 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization Records, 1850-1982 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Declarations of Intent before 1906 often include the nation of origin, his* foreign and "Americanized" names, residence, and date of arrival. See Washington Naturalization and Citizenship for more information. (*Women were not naturalized until 1922 in the United States.)

Newspapers

 * Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)

Probate Records

 * County Probate Case Files, 1832-1950 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Marriage

 * County Marriages, 1855-2008 FamilySearch Historicl Collections (free)

Divorce
Divorce records give the names of the parties and may give the date and place of their marriage. See Washington Vital Records for excellent information.
 * County Divorce Records, 1852-1950FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Death

 * Washington Death Certificates 1907-1960 A free internet index to the 1907-1960 death certificates can be found at FamilySearch Record Search, no images are available. A transcribed death certificate may contain such information as name of the deceased, date and place of death, age, gender, birth date and birth place, mother’s maiden name and name of spouse, place of residence, occupation and certificate numbers.

Websites

 * Pacific County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Pacific County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)

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.

Courthouse
Pacific County Courthouse 300 Memorial Ave; PO Box 67; South Bend, WA 98586-0067 Phone: 360–875–9320 County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1905 and marriage records from 1868. County Clerk Clerk has divorce, probate and court records. County Assessor has land records.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Long Beach Washington Family History Center
 * Raymond Washington Family History Center

Libraries
Local Libraries:

Towns and Communities
See a list of towns and communities in Pacific County per Wikipedia.