Ferry County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Ferry County ''  Guide to  genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1861, when the county was formed.

Parent County(s)
Ferry County, Washington was created 18 February 1899 from Stevens.

County Seat: Republic. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Neighboring Counties
is surrounded by: Lincoln | Okanogan | Stevens | British Columbia (to the north)

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Dates of Major County Records
Note: The dates you see below have not yet been adapted to.

Topics
Below are resources used for family history and genealogy, with dates, value of records, and how to access them for. Internet links may contain names, images, or more information for the county.

Census

 * See Washington Census for online indexes and images of US federal censuses. of: 1856, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940.
 * See statewide printed indexes, including 1856.
 * Check county indexes when online indexes fail. Created by people who knew the families of the area, they are often more accurate and they may have added insights. See periodicals and local libraries or other record holders.


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

Church Records

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

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

American Indian
The Colville Indian Reservation is located in southern Ferry and southern Okanogan counties.

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. Ferry County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7787.


 * The original inhabitants of what is now Ferry County were several semi-nomadic Indian tribes, with the Colville predominating.
 * 1811 - The North West Company fur trader and cartographer, David Thompson (1770-1857), reached Kettle Falls.
 * 1825 - The Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC)establish a fur post.
 * 1872-April - the Colville Reservation was established.
 * 1892-July 2 - The United States government purchased the northern half of the Colville Reservation.
 * 1896-February 21 - The northern half was opened to prospectors after minerals, especially gold, were discovered.
 * 1898-June 30 - The southern half was opened to prospectors.
 * 1899-February - Ferry County was formed and Republic, its only sizeable town, was declared county seat.
 * 1900 - Approximately 12,500 mining claims had been staked in Ferry County.
 * 1900 - The northern half of the reservation was opened to timber claims and homesteading.
 * 1916-July 1 - The southern half of the reservation was opened to homesteading.

Land and Property

 * 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.

Military

 * World War II (1941–1945) army enlistments at the county GenWeb site has about 400 entries, mostly from Okanogan and other counties. Key (at end of the list) explains codes and columns. Gives year and state of birth. Free.

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.

Newspapers

 * The Miner

Public Records
Ferry County Board of Commissioners, Minutes, 1899-1952, 1983-2006 available online at www.digitalarchives.wa.gov.

Taxation
The SCHS has the county assessor's personal property tax assessment ledgers for 1898. Images of the ledger are viewable on the Crossroads on the Columbia project.

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

 * Ferry County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Northeast Washington Genealogical Society
 * Stevens County Historical Society
 * Stevens County Historical Society

Courthouse
Ferry County Courthouse 350 East Delaware; PO Box 302 Republic, WA 99166 Phone: 509.775.5232 County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1899.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Republic_Washington_Family_History_Center

Societies
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.

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

Indian Reservation

The Colville Indian Reservation is located in southern Ferry and southern Okanogan counties.