Washington, County Land Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection includes land and property records with indexes from the following counties:
 * Clark
 * Grays Harbor
 * King
 * Kitsap
 * Lewis
 * Mason
 * Pacific
 * Pierce
 * Thurston
 * Wahkiakum

More records will be added to the collection as images become available.

After the county's creation, a county land office was formed. Land transactions among private owners were then recorded by the registerar of deeds in the county office.

For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

The records cover the years 1850 to 1954.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Information aboaut creating source citaitons for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found in the Washington State, County Land Records may include the following information:


 * Name of Grantor
 * Name of Grantee
 * Nature of Instrument
 * Date of Transaction
 * Legal description of the Property
 * Amount of Money exchanged
 * Details of the Transaction

How to Use the Record
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the County ⇒ Select the Record Type, Date Range and Volume which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * Names of interested parties
 * Approximate date of the transaction
 * Location of the property

Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Make a photocopy of the deed, or extract the genealogical information needed.

These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:


 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and census records.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Search for the land transactions of a couple and their children. The parents may have sold or given property to a son or daughter. Such transactions confirm relationships that might not be found in other records.
 * Search for records of people in the county who shared a surname. These may have been the couple’s parents, uncles, or other relatives. Your ancestor may have been an heir who sold inherited land that had belonged to parents or grandparents.
 * To find later generations, search the land records a few years before and after a person’s death. Your ancestor may have sold or given land to his or her heirs before death, or the heirs may have sold the land after the individual died. For daughters, the names of their husbands are often provided. For sons, the given names of their wives may be included. Heirs may have sold their interest in the land to another heir even though the record may not indicate this. Continue this process for identifying each succeeding generation.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Keep in mind:


 * Some counties were subdivided or the boundaries may have changed. Consider searching neighboring counties as well since that courthouse may have been more convenient for the person.
 * One deed does not usually give sufficient information about a couple and their children. A careful study of all deeds for the person or the family will yield a richer return of information.
 * For each parcel of land owned, you should obtain two documents:


 * The deed that documents when ownership transferred to the individual or the family
 * The deed that documents when ownership was transferred to someone else

Related Websites
Washington State Archives

Related Wiki Articles

 * Washington
 * Washington Land and Property

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Washington State County Land Records, 1852-1935" images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 23 November 2011). r E.L. Price, January 10, 1911; citing County Records, King, Deed and mortgage index, 1911-1912, N-Pl, p.1-81, image 2; Washington State Archives, Olympia, Washington, United States.