Yakima County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Yakima County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1865, when the county was formed.

Parent County
Yakima County, Washington was created 21 January 1865 from Klickitat and Walla Walla counties.

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

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Neighboring Counties
is surrounded by: Benton | Grant | King | Kittitas | Klickitat | Lewis | Pierce | Skamania

Courthouse
Yakima County Courthouse 128 N 2nd Street Yakima, WA 98901 Phone: 509.574.1430 County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907, marriage records from 1880 and land records; County clerk has probate, divorce and court records from 1881.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in.

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

Census

 * Index to the 1880 census of Yakima County, Washington Territory
 * If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search


 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free)
 * Federal: 1900 • 1910 • 1920
 * Territorial: 1871 • 1883 •  1885 •  1887
 * These were indexed by local societies and individuals.


 * School Records 1875-1925 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes School attendance records 1875-1925; School census records 1894-1925.

Church Records

 * Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) for are listed in the . (Press space bar to select town.)

Court Records

 * Power of Attorney 1992 - 2008 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)
 * Inventory of the county archives of Washington, no. 39 Yakima County (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)


 * Yakima 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
The Yakima Indian Reservation is located primarily in Yakima County, with a small portion in Klickitat County.

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

 * 100 Years 100 Women 1889-1989: Yakima County Washington, Editor-in-Chief Theo Mays. [Yakima, Washington: Print Masters, c1898] online at Washington History.


 * History of the Yakima Valley, Volume 1 ,Volume 2 by William Denison Lyman [(Chicago): S. J. Clarke 1919] online at WA History

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 Jim Kershner. Yakima County -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org Essay 9187.


 * The city of Yakima occupies what was once the traditional hunting and gathering grounds of the region's tribes, known collectively as the Peoples of the Plateau.
 * 1800s - Trappers traversed the country.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1860s - The first white settlers were cattle ranchers who recognized that the lush grasslands on the stream banks were excellent places to winter their cattle.
 * 1865 - January 21, Yakima County was established.
 * 1870 - Settlers began referring to a small village with two stores as Yakima City.
 * 1885 - By the end of the year, the population of North Yakima had swelled to 1,200 people.
 * 1885 - Paul Schulze, the railroad's land manager, laid out the streets on the rough general plan of his native city, Baden-Baden, Germany. By other accounts, the city was modeled after the plan of Salt Lake City.
 * 1890s - North Yakima, along with the rest of the country, hit hard times, largely because of a series of nationwide financial panics.
 * 1898 - All signs of commercial stagnation and business depression had completely disappeared" in North Yakima.

Land and Property

 * Land Records 1993 - 2008 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)
 * Plats and Survey Records 1994 - 2008 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)
 * Recorded Agreements and contracts 1994 - 2008 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

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

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization Records 1882-1907, 1973-1980 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)


 * Naturalization and Citizenship 1894-1945 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Newspapers

 * Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)

Obituaries

 * The Yakima Valley Genealogical Society has a massive collection of obituaries starting from 1860 on, from counties in and around Yakima. They are in the process of putting this collection online. For now, contact the Society at 509-248-1328 or [mailto:yvgs1901@gmail.com yvgs1901@gmail.com]. They have researchers who are willing to do lookups from this collection.

Probate Records

 * Probate Records 1874- 1977 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Probate case files 1874-1930; Probate index 1874-1977.

Public Records

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

School Records

 * School Records 1875-1925 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes School attendance records 1875-1925; School census records 1894-1925.

Birth

 * Birth 1891-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)


 * Birth Returns, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

Marriage

 * 1855–2008 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1877-2001 - Marriage1877-2001 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Marriage affidavits 1889-1939; application certificate record 1941-1948; applications 1939-1999; certificates 1877-2001; certificates index 1877-1985; licenses 1929-1979; record index 1902-1909; register 1891-1944; returns 1896-1944; returns and affidavits index 1891-1982.


 * 1896-2008 - Marriage Records, 1896-2008 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

Divorce

 * 1921-1977 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Death

 * Deaths1891-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * Death Returns, 1891-1907 Death Returns, 1891-1907


 * Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 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 (Utah) or Allen County Public Library (Indiana) for.

Family History Centers

 * Yakima Washington Family History Center 1006 S 16th Ave., Yakima WA 98902, United States Location Map


 * Selah Washington Family History Center 702 N 1st ST., Selah, WA 98942-9480 United States Location Map


 * Ellensburg Washington Family History Center 1700 Brick Rd, Ellensburg, WA 98926 United States Location Map


 * Sunnyside Washington Family History Center 2000 E. Lincoln, Sunnyside, WA 98944 United States Location Map


 * Wahluke Washington Family History Center Road 24, Mattawa, WA 99349 United States Location Map

Libraries

 * Yakima Valley Public Libraries
 * Branches and Locations
 * Genealogy / Database Tools
 * Special or Unique Collections (help needed from each branch)


 * Grandview Library Databases
 * City of Grandview

Societies
Yakima Valley Genealogical Society 1901 S 12th Ave. Union Gap, WA 98903-1256 Telephone: 509-248-1328 E-mail:[mailto:yvgs1901@gmail.com yvgs1901@gmail.com] Website


 * Gerald Shephard - current librarian
 * Sue Ericksen - Treasurer and President of the Washington State Genealogical Society
 * Judy Schuster - researcher

LIBRARY HOURS: The library is open from 10:00am to 4:00pm Monday-Saturday. The library is closed on Saturdays in November, December and January; January 1st, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day,Thanksgiving and December 24-25. The library can be opened during closed hours by appointment. Please call several days ahead to make arrangements.

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

Indian Reservation

The Yakima Indian Reservation is located primarily in Yakima County, with a small portion in Klickitat County.