Pend Oreille County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Pend Oreille 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 Pend d'Oreilles tribe, who in turn was ostensibly named for large shell earrings that members wore. ("Pend d'oreille", while awkward in French, could be translated as "hangs from the ear".) The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
 Pend Oreille County Courthouse 229 South Garden Ave Newport, WA 99156 Phone: 509-447-4110 Pend Oreille Website

County Auditor has birth, marriage and land records from 1911. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1911.

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

 * The area that became Pend Oreille County was in many ways the last frontier in the state. Its inhabitants were first the indigenous peoples, then fur traders and explorers, followed by missionaries, then miners, loggers, and homesteaders.
 * 1850s-later The first substantial influx of non-Indians came with the discovery of gold in the Metaline area.
 * 1853-March 2 U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1850s-1860s Timber was the other major extractive industry in the area that became Pend Oreille County.
 * 1906 The Forest Homestead Act was passed. Under its provisions, 160-acre plots judged to have agricultural potential were released from the reserved forests.
 * 1900-1910 The population of the area, still part of Stevens County, grew from roughly 1,200 to 5,900.
 * 1911- March 1 Pend Oreille County was the last county created in the state.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes Patent records transcription 1895-1910; Patents and final receipts-direct index 1911-1947; Patents and final receipts-direct index transcription 1903-1910.

Census Records

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives
 * Includes School census 1910-1932.


 * 1850-1914 Web: Washington, U.S., Various County Census Records, 1850-1914 at Ancestry (Free)
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

Church Records

 * Church and community survey of Pend Oreille County by Institute of Social and Religious Surveys. [New York: Doran, c1922]

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
 * Washington State Archives, Cheney holds many county court records from 1911 to the 1970s and later years.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
American Indians
 * The Kalispel Indian Reservation is located in Pend Oreille County.
 * 1911-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Japanese
 * 1942-1946 WWII Files
 * 1945-1946 Public Welfare/Social Security Department, (Japanese Internment) Assistance Cases, Evacuee Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, from the Washington State Archives – Digital Archives

Genealogies
Genealogy Research Aids
 * Basic Guide for Genealogy Research in Stevens, Ferry and Pend Oreille Counties by Nancy Wright, Susan DeChant, and Shirley Dodson of NeWGS.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Prior-1911 Land records prior to 1911 are held by the Stevens County Auditor. Records have been digitized and are available upon request.
 * 1850-1954 Part of:"Washington County Land Records, 1850-1954" FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images); These are labeled as direct (grantor/seller) and indirect (grantee/buyer) indexes, yet several include copies of the deed books. After selecting the years you need, explore various images to determine if the deeds are included.
 * 1912-1919 Washington State Archives, Cheney holds the 1912-1919 plat books and description and the list of forest lands and Indian lands acquired by the Federal government, 1913-1939, Board of Equalization correspondence and assessment review.

Local Histories

 * Illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan Counties, State of Washington by Richard F. Steele [(Spokane, Wash.): Western Historical Pub. Co., 1904] at Washington History
 * Pend Oreille County - Thumbnail History on HistoryLink.org, essay 7618.
 * Numerous local history books are available at the Pend Oreille County Historical Society and Museum

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Cram's 1909 map of Washington cropped to show Stevens County, which included Pend Oreille County.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

World War I

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

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1911-1969 Naturalization Records, 1911-1969 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection
 * 1912-1945 Orders of Repatriation, 1912-1945 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes: 1911-1996 Marriage affidavits; 1933-1935 Marriage affidavits and Marriage applications; 1911-2004 Marriage certificates; 1911-1947 Marriage registers; 1912-1927 Naturalization certificate stubs; 1911-1921 and 1921-1952 Naturalization records and Naturalization petitions; 1912-1945 Naturalization records-miscellaneous

Newspapers

 * Pend Oreille County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)
 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
 * Colville Stateman-Examiner newspapers prior to creation of the county will have references to Pend Oreille people and towns.
 * Crossroads on the Columbia has 1890s newspapers from the Colville area, which cover the Pend Oreille area on occasion.
 * Northeast Washington Genealogical Society listing of available historic newspapers. Scroll to bottom of page for Pend Oreille County newspapers.
 * The Miner (Newport)
 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library
 * Washington State Library has online historic newspapers. Search for Colville Mines for 1850s references to Pend Oreille mines and mining activities.

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

Other Records
Public Records
 * Prior to 1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 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
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Includes Probate case files 1912-1931; Probate fee book 1889-1937; Probate Journals 1911-1936; Will records 1907-1974.; Letters testamentary 1911-1968.

School Records
Online School Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes School census 1910-1932.

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

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records The SCHS has the Stevens County Assessor's personal property tax assessment ledgers for 1898 to 1906. Images of the 1898 ledger are viewable on the Crossroads on the Columbia project.

Birth

 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes: Certificates, 1912-1948; Delayed applications, 1941-1943; Miscellaneous, 1914-1916
 * 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
 * 1903-1938 Birth Records, 1903-1938 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection
 * 1914-1980 Washington State Archives, Cheney

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes: Marriage affidavits 1911-1996; Applications, 1933-1935; Certificates, 1911-2004; Registers, 1911-1947
 * 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1911-1915 Marriages from 12 Jul 1911 to 22 Sep 1915 are listed on the Western States Marriage Index website.
 * 1911-1947 Washington State Archives, Cheney; Marriage Register, 2 vols.
 * 1911-1948 Marriage Affidavits, 1911-1948 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.
 * 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
 * 1907-1931 Death Records, 1907-1931 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection
 * 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

 * Bonners Ferry Idaho Family History Center
 * Colville Washington Family History Center
 * Priest River Idaho Family History Center
 * Republic Washington Family History Center
 * Riverside Washington Family History Center
 * Spokane Washington North Family History Center
 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library

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

Pend Oreille County Library District has branches at the following locations:


 * Calispel Valley Branch Library 107 1st Avenue Cusick, WA 99119 Phone: 509-445-1215
 * Ione Branch Library 210 Blackwell, Suite 1 Ione, WA 99139 Phone: 509-442-3030
 * Metaline Falls Branch Library 302 Park Street Metaline Falls, WA 99153 Phone: 509-446-3232
 * Newport Branch Library 116 S Washington Avenue Newport, WA 99156 Phone: 509-447-2111

Societies
Pend Oreille County Historical Society and Museum 402 S. Washington Ave Newport, WA. 99156 509-447-5388 Website Facebook

Websites

 * Northeast Washington Genealogical Society includes Pend Oreille County.
 * Pend Oreille County WAGenWeb Project
 * USGenWeb Archives Project
 * 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.