Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Kitsap County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1857, when the county was formed.

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for Chief Kitsap. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

Parent County(s)
Kitsap County, Washington was created 16 January 1857 as (Slaughter County) from King and Jefferson. Renamed Kitsap 13 July 1857.

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

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse
Kitsap County Courthouse 614 Division Street Port Orchard, WA 98366 Phone: 360.337.7164 Kitsap County Website County Auditor has birth records 1891-1907, death records 1892-1907 and marriage records from 1892. County Clerk has divorce and court records from 1888, probate and adoption records from 1861 and land records from 1857.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in.

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

Business and Commerce

 * Professional License Records at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Census

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free)
 * Federal: 1910
 * Territorial: 1857 • 1871 •  1883 • 1885 •  1889
 * 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.)

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


 * Bremerton
 * Port Orchard

Lutheran

 * Records of Port Madison Lutheran Church, Winslow, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * Kitsap 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

 * 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

Maps and Gazetteers

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

History

 * Kitsap County -- Thumbnail History at HistoryLink.org


 * 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


 * Kitsap County, Washington Facts at StateofUS.com (mis-labeled as Kitsap 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. Kitsap County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7864.


 * The first residents of the land and islands between Puget Sound and Hood Canal were called Suquamish.
 * 1792 - May, British Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver mapped Puget Sound.
 * 1850 - The big trigger to white settlement on the Kitsap Peninsula came with the California Gold Rush.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1855 - Washington Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens persuaded the tribes to sign the Point No Point and Point Elliott treaties, in which they ceded their lands to the United States.
 * 1857 - July 13, Slaughter County was officially formed and Port Madison became the county seat. Voters changed the name to Kitsap County.
 * 1880s - The United States government chose Port Orchard as the site of a repair facility to help support naval operations in the Pacific Ocean.

Land and Property

 * County Land Records, 1850-1954 at Washington, County Land Records, 1850-1954 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * Land Records 1986 to 2006 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1987-2006 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Military

 * 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — index

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.
 * Includes two collections: Declaration of intention 1929-1936 vol 7; Naturalization petitions 1910-1911 vol 6.


 * Naturalization Records, 1906-1910, 1929-1955 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Includes index to Petitions for Naturalization and Citizenship Petitions Granted and Denied

Newspapers

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


 * Port Orchard Independent


 * The Kitsap Sun


 * The Bainbridge Review
 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library

Obituaries
Also check:


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

Public Records

 * Kitsap Postmaster Index A-C.• Postmaster Index C-Z Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections for Washington. (Free, browse images)


 * Power of Attorney Records 1987 and 2006 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Birth

 * — index and images
 * Kitsap County Birth Records "coming soon" at Washington State Digital Archives (Free)
 * As of February, 2014

Marriage

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


 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — index


 * Marriage record for Kitsap County at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free):
 * Marriage License Application Affidavits, 1905-2005 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Kitsap County Auditor, Marriage License Register, 1868-1890
 * Marriage Records, 1860-2006


 * Kitsap County, Washington, Marriage Index, 1986-2010
 * If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search

Divorce
Online Records
 * 1969 - 2014 at FamilySearch — index

Death

 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index

Voting Registers

 * 1876-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

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

 * Auburn Washington Family History Center
 * Bellevue Washington Family History Center
 * Bellevue Washington South Family History Center
 * Bremerton Washington Family History Center
 * Federal Way Washington Family History Center
 * Issaquah Washington Family History Center
 * Kent Washington Family History Center
 * Kirkland Washington Family History Center
 * Maple Valley Washington Family History Center
 * Newport Washington Family History Center
 * North Bend Washington Family History Center
 * Poulsbo Washington Family History Center
 * Redmond Washington Family History Center
 * Seattle Washington Family History Center
 * Seattle Washington North Family History Center
 * Silverdale Washington Family History Center
 * Tiffany Park Washington Family History Center
 * Vashon Washington Family History Center
 * Woodinville Washington Family History Center


 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library
 * Seattle Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Kitsap Regional Library 1301 Sylvan Way Bremerton, WA 98310 Phone: 360-405-9158 Website
 * Branches:
 * Bainbridge Island Library 1270 Madison N. Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 Phone: 206-842-4162
 * Bremerton Library 612 5th Street Bremerton, WA 98337 Phone: 360-377-3955
 * Kingston Library 11212 NE State Hwy 104 Kingston, WA 98346 Phone: 360-297-3330
 * Little Boston Library 31980 Little Boston Rd. NE Kingston, WA 98346 Phone: 360-297-2670
 * Manchester Library 8067 E. Main Street Manchester, WA 98353 Phone: 360-871-3921
 * Port Orchard Library 87 Sidney Street Port Orchard, WA 98366 Phone: 360-876-2224
 * Poulsbo Library 700 NE Lincoln Street Poulsbo, WA 98370 Phone: 360-779-2915
 * Silverdale Library 3450 NW Carlton Street Silverdale, WA 98383 Phone: 360-692-2997

Societies
Puget Sound Genealogical Society 1301 Sylvan Way Bremerton, WA 98310 Website Kitsap County Historical Society and Museum 280 4th Street Bremerton, WA 98337 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: