Douglas County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Douglas 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 American statesman Stephen A. Douglas. The County is located in the northcentral area of the state.

County Courthouse
 Douglas County Courthouse 203 S Rainier Street Waterville, WA 98858 Phone: 509-745-9063 County Website

County Auditor has marriage records from 1907, burial records to 1909, land records to 1925, marriage, death, 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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

History Timeline
Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Paula Becker. Douglas County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7961.
 * The, a Salishan people, inhabited much of the area that would become Douglas County.
 * 1860s Chinese immigrants placer-mined for gold along the banks of the Columbia River.
 * 1875 Indians from the Methow River attacked these Chinese miners, killing an unknown number of miners and driving many others away from their mining operations.
 * 1877 Phillip McEntee, a member of a surveying party that was determining the boundary line between the United States and British Columbia, traveled through the future Douglas County.
 * 1881 McEntee returned to the area and settled near present-day Coulee City (now part of Grant County) and began a cattle ranching operation. He was one of the first permanent non-Indian residents of the region.
 * 1883 November 28, Douglas County was carved out of Lincoln County.
 * Lincoln County was created from Spokane County four days prior to the creation of Douglas County. Prior records would be held at Spokane County for 1879 to 1883, and Stevens County for 1860 to 1879. Stevens County holds the Spokane County commissioner and earliest land records.

Census Records

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives
 * Federal: 1910
 * Territorial: 1885, 1887, 1892


 * 1850-1914 Web: Washington, U.S., Various County Census Records, 1850-1914 at Ancestry (Free)
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes: School Census Records, 1912-1932 (browse images)

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
 * 1853-1888 Douglas Frontier JusticePart of "Frontier Justice": Guide to the Court Records of Washington Territory, 1853-1888 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * The court procedures of Frontier Justice touch nearly all pioneers of the 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
 * 1942-1946 Public Welfare/Social Security Department, Evacuee (Japanese) Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946 at Washington State Archives - index and images; Assistance Cases, Evacuee Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * County Recorder's Office: check deeds, file mining claims, get assistance in finding ownership of a particular property, and obtain copies of county plat maps. This office has county plat records dating back to 1878, prior records having been destroyed in a fire.

Local Histories

 * Douglas County, Washington Facts at StateofUS (mis-labeled as Douglas County, Alabama)
 * Illustrated history of the Big Bend country by Western Historical Publishing Company [(Spokane, Wash.) Western Historical Pub. Co., 1904] at Washington History

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Family Maps of Douglas County, Washington (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * 1885-1907 Military Department, National Guard Enlistment Register, 1885-1907 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Indian Wars
 * 1855-1856 Military Department, Indian War Muster Rolls, 1855-1856 at Washington State Archives - index and images

World War I


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

World War II


 * World War II enlistments. Select search codes for state and county. These are partial lists. The NARA website cautions: "This series does not contain records of all World War II Army enlistees."

Japanese
 * 1942-1946 Public Welfare/Social Security Department, Evacuee (Japanese) Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946 at Washington State Archives - index and images; Assistance Cases, Evacuee Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1891-1973 Douglas County Clerk, Naturalization Records, 1891-1973 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Newspapers

 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library
 * Douglas County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)

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

School Records
Online School Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1893-1925 Douglas County Historical School Districts, Registers and Censuses, 1893-1925 at Washington State Archives - index and images

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

 * 1852-1963 Washington, Births at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Includes Delayed births 1941-1943


 * 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, 1911 Douglas County Auditor, Birth Records, 1891-1907, 1911 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1877-1900 Western States Marriage Index - index
 * 1884-1975 Douglas County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1884-1975 at Washington State Archives - index and 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 Marriage certificates 1892-1975; certificates and returns 1900-1946; license applications 1939-1970; licenses 1884-1899; returns and license applications 1939-1970.


 * 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
 * 1907-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1891-1907 Douglas County Auditor, Death Records, 1891-1907 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 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

 * Brewster Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Chelan Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Coulee Dam Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Davenport Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Ephrata Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Quincy Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Wenatchee Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library
 * The Seattle Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

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

Libraries Online Resources: The public libraries in Douglas County are part of North Central Regional Library. Their Research and Homework Center includes Heritage Quest. Library cards and passwords may be required for access. Bridgeport Community Library 1206 Columbia Street Bridgeport, WA 98813 Phone: 509-686-7281 Website East Wenatchee Community Library 271 9th St NE East Wenatchee, WA 98802 Phone: 509-886-7404 Website Waterville Community Library 107 W. Locust Street Waterville, WA 98858 Phone: 509-745-8354 Website

Societies
Douglas County Washington Historical Society 113 East Locust Street Waterville, Washington, 98858 509-745-8800 Website

Websites

 * Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society
 * Douglas 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.