Mason County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Mason 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)
Mason County, Washington was created 13 March 1854.

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

Neighboring Counties
is surrounded by:Grays Harbor | Jefferson | Kitsap | Pierce | Thurston

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.

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

 * 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.)

LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Shelton

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. 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.
 * 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.
 * The Panic of 1893 was the most severe economic crisis in the nation’s history and many logging and milling operations shut down.
 * Mason County grew as immigrants flooded into the logging camps and mill towns

Land and Property

 * County Land Records, 1850-1954 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

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

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization Records, 1850-1982 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

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.)

Newspapers

 * Allyn Times - full-text digital issues in Google News Archive; covers 1889-1891


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

Probate Records

 * County Probate Case Files, 1832-1950 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

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.
 * County Divorce Records, 1852-1950FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Death

 * County Deaths, 1891-1907 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
 * 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

 * Mason County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Mason County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)

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
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.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Shelton Washington Family History Center
 * Elma Washington Family History Center

Libraries

 * North Mason Timberland Library, 23081 Ne State Rt. 3, Belfair 98528 Phone: (360) 275-3232


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:


 * Hoodsport Timberland Library,, Hoodsport 98548 Phone: (360) 877-9339


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:


 * William G. Reed Public Library, 710 W. Alder St., Shelton 98584 Phone: (360) 426-1362


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:


 * Hoodsport Timberland Library,, Hoodsport 98548 Phone: (360) 877-9339


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:


 * William G. Reed Public Library, 710 W. Alder St., Shelton 98584 Phone: (360) 426-1362


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:

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