San Juan County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to San Juan County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1873, when the county was formed.

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the San Juan Islands, which are in turn named for Juan Vicente de Güemes, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo, the Viceroy of New Spain. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

Parent County(s)
San Juan County, Washington was created 31 October 1873 from Whatcom.

County Seat: Friday Harbor. See also Towns and Communities in. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse
San Juan County Courthouse 350 Court Street #7 Friday Harbor, WA 98250-1249 Phone: 360–378–2163 San Juan County Website County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records. County Auditor has birth records 1892-1907, death records 1890-1907 and marriage records from 1878.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in.

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

Census

 * Census 1907 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * School census records 1879-1972 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free); and Ancestry ($)
 * Federal: 1910
 * Territorial: 1885 • 1887 •  1889
 * These were indexed by local societies and individuals.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) for are listed in the . (Press space bar to select town.)
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * San Juan 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.

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

Maps and Gazetteers

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

History
Oldham, Kit. San Juan County -- Thumbnail History online at History Link.org Essay 7505.

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 Oldham, Kit. San Juan County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7505.


 * For generations, the San Juans, neighboring islands, and portions of Vancouver Island, were home to peoples identified as Northern Straits Salish.
 * 1850 - The British-owned Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) establish the first non-Indian presence on the San Juan islands.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1858-1859 - The first real American challenge to the Hudson's Bay Company came when a handful of frustrated miners returning from the short-lived Fraser River gold rush settled on San Juan Island.
 * 1871-1872 - Several Spanish expeditions under the general command of Captain Francisco Eliza mapped the San Juans.
 * 1872 - The San Juan islands become an undisputed part of the United States following the "Pig War" boundary dispute with Great Britain.
 * 1873 - October 31, San Juan County was established.
 * 1910-1960 - Population, which had reached 3,600 by 1910, remained stagnant, actually declining to 2,872 in 1960.

Military

 * 1921-1925 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Louis Jacobin, comp. With the colors, from Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan Counties : an honor roll containing a pictorial record of the gallant and courageous men from northwestern Washington, U.S.A., who served in the world war, 1917-1918-1919.Seattle, Washington : Peters Pub. Co, 1921

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization and Citizenship 1871-1960 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes: Certificates of naturalization 1904-1918; Declarations of intention 1890-1957; Final decree of citizenship 1893-1900; Miscellaneous naturalization records 1871-1945; Petition and record 1892-1929; Reports of naturalization petitions granted/denied 1930-1960.


 * Naturalization Records, 1871-1960 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Newspapers

 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library
 * San Juan County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)

Obituaries

 * Newspapers of
 * Local Funeral Homes, Libraries, or family records.
 * Obituaries of neighboring counties

Probate Records

 * 1875-1948 Part of:"County Probate Records, 1853-1929" FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Public Records

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

School Records

 * Eighth grade graduates 1904-1951 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * School census records 1879-1972 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Birth

 * — index and images
 * Washington State Digital Archives has a database of San Juan County Birth Records. This database contains the names of people who were born in San Juan County in June 1891 – August 1907. The names were taken from the San Juan County Register of Births.

Marriage

 * 1764-1971 - Marriage Indexes, Affidavits, Applications, Certificates, Licenses, 1874-1971 Part of Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free)
 * 1801-1962 - Washington, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1855-2008 - County Marriages,1855-2008 at Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * 1864-1939 - Marriage Records, 1864-1939 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Index to Certificates 1874-1914 Vol 2; Certificates 1874-1914; License Applications Receipts 1923-1948; Records 1926-1971.
 * 1969-2014 - at FamilySearch — index

Divorce
Online Records
 * 1969 - 2014 - at FamilySearch — index

Death

 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
 * at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

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  for ..

Family History Centers

 * San Juan Washington Family History Center. (Friday Harbor)

Libraries

 * Orcas Island Library 500 Rose Street Eastsound, WA 98245 Phone: 360-376-4985 Website
 * San Juan Island Library 1010 Guard Street Friday Harbor, WA 98250 Phone: 360-378-2798 Website
 * Lopez Island Library 2225 Fisherman Bay Rd Lopez Island, WA 98261 Phone: 360-468-2265 Website

Museums

 * San Juan Historical Museum PO Box 441 323 & 405 Price Street Friday Harbor, WA 98250 Phone: 360.378.3949 Website

Societies
San Juan Historical Society 405 Price Street Friday Harbor, Washington, 98250 360-378-3949 Website

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: