Washington State Archives

= Digital Archives =

The nation's first archives dedicated to the preservation of electronic records from both state and local agencies. Located in Cheney, Washington on the Eastern Washington University Campus. It is the storehouse for very important electronic records found thoughout the state and to provide simple access to researchers. Over 3.7 million records are available for research online, including marriage, naturalization, census, death, birth, and military.

Digital Archives

Collections
•	Audio Records • Auditor Misc Records • Birth Records • Cemetery Records • Census Records • Corporation Records • Death Records • E-Publications • Frontier Justice • Indian Census • Institution Records • Land Records • Map Records • Marriage Records • Military Records • Minutes and Meeting Records • Miscellaneous Family History • Naturalization Records • Oaths of Office • Ordinance Records • Photographs • Plats and Surveys Records • Power of Attorney Records • Professional License Records • Real Property Record Cards • Recorded Agreements and Contracts • Resolution Records • Superior Court Cases • Trademark Records • Uniform Commercial Code Recordings

People Search:
Researchers can search ALL records in the collections that have index fields that are name based.

Keyword Search:
Researchers can search on all other records that are NOT name based records. Also a search can be done by selecting one of the records series from the drop down box to limit a search.

Detailed Search:
Researchers can select one record series and search on additional fields that are pertinent only to that records series.

State Archives
The State Records Collections provide an account of the public government in Washington State. They begin with the Washington Territory in 1853 and continue to the present.

The collection contains the papers of each governor, legislative records, court records, records from state agencies, "official records" of the state. Records from accounting, maps, natural resources, volunteer firemen, and more, including women's council. All the case files of the Washington Territorial District Court for 1853 to 1889 including civil, criminal and probate records.

A state-wide guide to all of the manuscript collections in museums, libraries, universities, historical societies, churches, etc. in the state (the Washington State Archives collections were published in a separate volume, now up to date and searchable on-line). The data was published in a limited number of hard-copy volumes, and the data base was somehow not forgotten. It was migrated from Spindex to Gencat to Access, and now to PDF format. The information is arranged by city, then by repository, and then the collections for each repository are listed. Contact information for the repositories (as of 1981) is at the end of the guide.

Statewide Historical Records Guide (1981)

There are five regional archive locations in the state. Each region has specific counties that it covers.

Northwest Region
Northwest Regional Branch Western Washington University, MS-9123 Bellingham, WA 98225-9123

NWBranchArchives@sos.wa.gov

Clallam, Island, Jefferson, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom Counties

Southwest Region
Washington State Archives Southwest Regional Branch 1129 Washington Street SE PO Box 40238 Olympia, Washington 98504-0238

SWBranchArchives@sos.wa.gov

Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Skamania, Thurston, and Wahkiakum Counties

Central Region
The Washington State Archives’ Central Region Branch is located on the campus of Central Washington University, at the northwest corner of 14th and D Streets in Ellensburg.

State Archives Central Branch Bledsoe &amp; Washington Archives Building 400 E. University Way Mail Stop 7547 Ellensburg, Washington 98926-7547

CEBranchArchives@sos.wa.gov

Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Kittita Countie s, Klickitat, Okanogan, and Yakimas 

Genealogical records include birth and death records from the turn of the nineteenth century, marriage records ca.1867-1997, naturalization records, probate records, and a lot of additional records such as pre-statehood county censuses, and school children censuses ca.1890-ca.1932. Completeness of these records in the Archives' holdings may vary from county to county.

Eastern Region
The Eastern Region Archives is at 960 Washington Street on the campus of Eastern Washington University in Cheney.

Washington State Archives: Eastern Washington Regional Archives 960 Washington Street Cheney, Washington 99004

EABranchArchives@sos.wa.gov

Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman Counties

Collections span the years from the territorial period to the present and include school census records, tax assessment rolls, court dockets and case files, photographs, maps, plats, and engineering drawings.

Sound Region
Puget Sound Regional Archives Pritchard-Fleming Building 3000 Landerholm Circle SE, MS-N100 Bellevue, WA 98007-6484

PSBranchArchives@sos.wa.gov

King, Kitsap, and Pierce Counties

Collections at the Puget Sound Regional Archives include primary sources containing historical information on: • Buildings • Businesses • Communities • Economic Development • Education • Genealogy • Land Use • Local Government Policies and Actions • Pioneers • Ports • Property ownership • Social Issues • Trade • Transportation (Roads, Highways, Street Railways, Bus Systems)

Information about King County Property Records Information about Genealogical sources (King, Kitsap, &amp; Pierce)