Mason County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Mason County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1854, when the county was formed.

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for Charles H. Mason, the first Secretary of Washington Territory. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

Parent County(s)
Mason County, Washington was created 13 March 1854 from King and Thurston.

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

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse
Mason County Courthouse 411 N 5th PO Box 340 Shelton, WA 98584 Phone 360–472–9670 County Auditor has marriage records from 1892, death records 1891-1906 and land records from 1850’s. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in.

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

Business and Commerce



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

Census

 * The 1860 census records of Sawamish County, Washington Territory renamed Mason County in 1864. (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); and Ancestry ($)
 * Federal: 1910
 * Territorial: 1857 • 1871 • 1879 •  1880 •  1881 •  1883 •   •  1885 1887 •  1889
 * State-funded:1892
 * These were indexed by local societies and individuals.

Church Records

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

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Shelton
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * Power of Attorney Records 1985 - present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * Mason 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.

Directories

 * Online Historical Directories listed by Google.

American Indian

 * 1911 - 1919 at FamilySearch — images

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

Funeral Homes

 * "Mason County Death and Funeral Cards 1890-1931" at Washington Digital Archives

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

History

 * A brief history of Shelton, Washington (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)


 * History of the Puget Sound country, Volume 1 ,Volume 2 by William Farrand Prosser [New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company, 1903] at Washington History.


 * "Mason County, Washington Facts" at StateofUS.com (mis-labeled as Mason County, Alabama)

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. Mason County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7730.


 * The Coast Salish peoples who made their homes along the watershed of upper Hood Canal called themselves Tuanook (also Twana Twanoh, and Skokomish Twana) or "Big River People"
 * 1792 - George Vancouver of the British Royal Navy mapped Hood or Hood’s Canal
 * 1853 - March, Major Hugh A. Goldsborough took up a donation land claim in the Cota Valley near present-day Shelton.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * For the first settlers, the dense stands of fir, hemlock, spruce, and cedar represented a barrier to settlement.
 * These same forests later became a boom to the area.
 * 1854 - April 15, Sawamish County was created.
 * 1864 – The name of the county was changed to Mason County.
 * 1893 - The Panic of 1893 was the most severe economic crisis in the nation’s history and many logging and milling operations shut down.
 * 1900s - early, Mason County grew as immigrants flooded into the logging camps and mill towns

Land and Property

 * Land Records, 1850-1954 at Washington, County Land Records, 1850-1954 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * Includes: Deed Record indexes AND Deeds. (Mis-labeled as only deed record indexes)


 * Records at Washington State Digital Archives Collection: (Free)
 * Land Records 1985 and 2005
 * Plats and Surveys Records 1885 - present
 * Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1985 - present


 * Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * Locations of mining claims

Military

 * 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — index
 * Some military records for this county have been digitized at the Washington State Digital Archives.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982. at Washington, County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Included in the collection: Application &amp; oaths 1937-1974; Declaration of intention 1890-1969; Final record 1890-1911 vols 1-3; Miscellaneous correspondence 1908-1938; Petition records 1880-1948.

Newspapers

 * Mason County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)
 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)


 * Allyn Times - full-text digital issues in Google News Archive; covers 1889-1891
 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library

Obituaries
Also check:


 * Newspapers of
 * Local Funeral Homes, Libraries, or family records.
 * Obituaries of neighboring counties

Probate Records

 * at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free)


 * Record of wills 1884-1929 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)

Public Records

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

Birth

 * — index and images


 * Birth Returns, 1891-1894 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * Birth Records, 1891-1907 at Washinton State Digital Archives Collection (Free)


 * Birth register 1891-1906 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Birth returns 1891-1894.

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 - Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1855–2008 at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1857-2013 - Marriage Records, 1857-2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * 1887-2008 - Marriage Records1887-2008 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * Includes Marriage certificates 1951-2002.


 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — index

Divorce
Online Records
 * 1969 - 2014 at FamilySearch — index


 * County Divorce Records, 1852-1950. Washington, County Divorce Records, 1852-1950 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Death

 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
 * at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, search with links to images)


 * Death register 1891-1906 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)


 * "Mason County Death and Funeral Cards 1890-1931" at Washington Digital Archives

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

 * Poulsbo Washington Family History Center
 * Shelton Washington Family History Center
 * Silverdale Washington Family History Center
 * Tacoma Washington Family History Center
 * Vashon Washington Family History Center


 * Kitsap Regional Library - an affiliate library
 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library
 * The Seattle Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Timberland Public Libraries - Mason County - William G. Reed Public Library
 * Branches and Locations
 * Genealogy / Data Base Tools
 * Special or Unique Collections (help needed from each branch)

Societies
Mason County Historical Society 427 W Railroad Ave Shelton, WA 98584 (360) 426-1020 Website Facebook

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: