Yakima County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Yakima 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)
Yakima County, Washington was created 21 January 1865.

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

Neighboring Counties
is surrounded by: Benton | Grant | King | Kittitas | Klickitat | Lewis | Pierce | Skamania

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
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.)

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 Yakima Indian Reservation is located primarily in Yakima County, with a small portion in Klickitat County.

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. Yakimn County -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org Essay 7651


 * The city of Yakima occupies what was once the traditional hunting and gathering grounds of the region's tribes, known collectively as the Peoples of the Plateau.
 * 1800s - Trappers traversed the country.
 * The first white settlers were cattle ranchers who recognized that the lush grasslands on the stream banks were excellent places to winter their cattle.
 * 1865 January 21 - Yakima County was established.
 * 1870 - Settlers began referring to a small village with two stores as Yakima City.
 * 1885 - By the end of the year, the population of North Yakima had swelled to 1,200 people.
 * Paul Schulze, the railroad's land manager, laid out the streets on the rough general plan of his native city, Baden-Baden, Germany. By other accounts, the city was modeled after the plan of Salt Lake City.
 * 1890s - North Yakima, along with the rest of the country, hit hard times, largely because of a series of nationwide financial panics.
 * 1898 - All signs of commercial stagnation and business depression had completely disappeared" in North Yakima.

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

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.)

Newspapers
The Yakima Valley Genealogical Society has a massive collection of obituaries starting from 1860 on, from counties in and around Yakima. They are in the process of putting this collection online. For now, contact the Society at 509-248-1328 or [mailto:yvgs1901@gmail.com yvgs1901@gmail.com]. They have researchers who are willing to do lookups from this collection.


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

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

 * Yakima County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Yakima 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
Yakima County Courthouse 128 N 2nd Street Yakima, WA 98901 Phone: 509.574.1430 County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907, marriage records from 1880 and land records; County clerk has probate, divorce and court records from 1881.

Familysearch Centers

 * Yakima Washington Family History Center


 * Selah Washington Family History Center


 * Ellensburg Washington Family History Center


 * Sunnyside Washington Family History Center


 * Wahluke Washington Family History Center

Libraries
Local Libraries:

Societies
Yakima Valley Genealogical Society


 * Yakima Valley Genealogical Society This society has a collection of over 18,000 records and books, including a massive obituary collection starting in 1860 for areas in and around Yakima County. Local librarians are willing to help with research and will look up information from their various collections. The site contains a catalog of all their holdings. Contact them by clicking on Contact Us or calling 509-248-1328, email [mailto:yvgs1901@gmail.com yvgs1901@gmail.com]. This Society is located at 1901 South 12th Avenue, Union Gap, Yakima, Washington 98903.


 * Gerald Shephard - current librarian
 * Sue Ericksen - Treasurer and President of the Washington State Genealogical Society
 * Judy Schuster - researcher

LIBRARY HOURS: The library is open from 10:00am to 4:00pm Monday-Saturday. The library is closed on Saturdays in November, December and January; January 1st, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day,Thanksgiving and December 24-25. The library can be opened during closed hours by appointment. Please call several days ahead to make arrangements.

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

Indian Reservation

The Yakima Indian Reservation is located primarily in Yakima County, with a small portion in Klickitat County.