Pierce County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Pierce 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)
Pierce County, Washington was created 22 December 1852.

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

Neighboring Counties
is surrounded by: King | Kitsap | Kittitas | Lewis | Mason | Thurston | Yakima

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.

Cemeteries

 * Sumner Cemetery, Sumner BillionGraves
 * Tacoma Mausoleum, Tacoma

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.)

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


 * Lincoln (Tacoma)
 * Tacoma
 * Tacoma Central

Lutheran

 * Records of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Tacoma, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

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. Pierce County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 8001.


 * The land that would become Pierce County was home to the present day Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin, Steilacoom, and Muckleshoot tribes.
 * 1833 April - Hudson's Bay Company employee Archibald McDonald established Fort Nisqually.
 * 1841 May 11 - The crews of the U.S. Navy ships Vincennes and Porpoise, dropped anchor near Fort Nisqually during the first American charting of Puget Sound.
 * 1849 - In response to increasing tensions between Indians and settlers, the United States Army established Fort Steilacoom.
 * 1852 December 22 - Pierce County was established.
 * 1854 December 26 - Leaders of major Western Washington tribes, met with Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens and signed a treaty relinquishing their land.
 * 1855 April 30 - The United States Congress ratified the Treaty of Medicine Creek.
 * Family farming was essential to the survival of early Pierce County pioneers.
 * Commercial farming in Pierce County has over time included hops, flower bulbs, berries, dairy cattle, and Christmas trees.

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
The News Tribune (Tacoma)

Puyallup Herald (formerly Pierce County Herald)

Obituaries
Tacoma Obituary Index contains more than 350,000 entries. File is complete from 1984 to the present day.

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

 * Pierce County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Pierce 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
Pierce County Courthouse 930 Tacoma Ave South Tacoma, WA 98402 Phone: 253.798.7455 County Auditor has marriage and land records. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1890 and adoption records.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Tacoma Washington Family History Center
 * Puyallup Washington Family History Center
 * Federal Way Washington Family History Center
 * Puyallup Washington South Family History Center

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