Washington, County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of various records including official actions, probate records, indexes, etc. The records are from various counties in Washington State, from 1803 to 2010. a The Washington State Archives maintains the state and local records considered to be permanently valuable. The individual records were made to establish legal rights and to help track the population for health and taxation purposes. The state collection was created to insure that the records are retained and archived properly. The information is generally reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant. Some transcription errors may have occurred.

This collection includes the following counties: Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chehalis, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Tahoma Cemetery, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima and various counties.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

Coverage Table
To see which counties are included in the collection, the type of record, and the years covered see: Coverage Table for Washington, County Records, 1803-2010

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * The location or date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information to search for birth, baptism, marriage, and death records
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, property and probate records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in the censuses
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching a nearby locality
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Washington.
 * Washington Guided Research
 * Washington Record Finder
 * Washington Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1907 &#124; 1907-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Washington, county records : COLLECTION RECORD, 1803-2010

Related Digital Books
 Inventory of the County Archives - Historical Records Survey


 * Adams
 * Asotin
 * Benton
 * Chelan
 * Cowlitz
 * Garfield
 * Lewis (Chehalis)


 * Lincoln
 * Pend Oreille
 * Skagit
 * Snohomish
 * Spokane
 * Stevens
 * Yakima

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.