Franklin County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Franklin County

Guide to Franklin County Washington genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.


 * Quick start:
 * Census
 * Birth
 * Marriage
 * Death

County Overview

 * County Seat:: Pasco

County Formation
Franklin County, Washington was created 28 November 1882.

Boundary Changes
Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Neighboring Counties

 * Neighboring Counties: Adams | Benton | Columbia | Grant | Walla Walla | Whitman

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.

Census

 * 1885
 * 1887
 * 1890 Veterans
 * 1900
 * 1910
 * 1920
 * 1930
 * 1940

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. Franklin County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7452.

Military
Some military records for this county have been digitized at the Washington State Digital Archives.

Naturalization and Citizenship
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.)

Washington State Digital Archives has digitized various types of naturalization-related records, including declarations of intentions, delayed birth files, naturalization affidavits, notifications of application for admission to US citizenship, orders fixing naturalization terms, petitions and records, petitions, receipts for certificates of citizenship, record of final decrees of citizenship and record of petitions dockets. Depending on the county, records range from 1854-1988.

Marriage

 * Marriages from 25 Aug 1892 to 24 Oct 1906 are available on the Western States Marriage Index website.

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.

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

 * Franklin County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Tri-City Genealogical Society (TCGS) has online data for Benton and Franklin Counties.
 * Tri-City Genealogical Society (TCGS) has online data for Benton and Franklin Counties.

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
Franklin County Auditor has birth, death and burial records 1891-1910, marriage records from 1891; land records. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1891.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Basin City Washington Family History Center
 * Columbia Basin Washington Family History Centerr
 * Pasco Washington Family History Center

Museums

 * The Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science, and Technology (CREHST) is a museum and science center created to tell the dynamic story of the Columbia Basin and surrounding region." It features an excellent exhibit and materials available on the Hanford project and the huge influx of people to support it starting in the 1940's and continuing through today. Two collections of interest specifically to genealogists are their photos collections (indexes for Marlin's Columbia Photography, North Light Studio and Wendland Studio) and their collection of General Electric Company newsletters. Both these collections contain information on residents of Franklin County.

Societies

 * The Tri-City Genealogical Society has an extensive collection of local and regional resources as well as references for other areas. Check their resources page for an updated list of their holdings. They also provide genealogical help at the Mid-Columbia Library, have online resources, and conduct local research for a small fee.

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