Okanogan County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Okanogan County

Guide to Okanogan County Washington genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records since 1888, when the county was formed.

Quick start:


 * Census
 * Birth
 * Marriage
 * Death

County overview and major record years

 * County Seat: Okanogan

County formation
Okanogan County, Washington was created 2 February 1888 from Stevens County.

Neighboring Counties
Neighboring Counties: Chelan | Douglas | Ferry | Grant | Lincoln | Skagit | Whatcom

Resources
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
Washington Cemeteries


 * Published transcripts of cemetery records are listed in the FamilySearch Library Catalog at the (space, then select the town) or the  (select Cemeteries).

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
The information given in church records depends upon the practices of each religious group. Most include the names of members, often with ages and birth places. Several give birth, christening, or blessing dates for infants. See Washington Church Records for details about various denominations.


 * Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) are listed for at the  (space, then select a town) or  (select Church topics) in the FamilySearch Library Catalog.

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 Colville Indian Reservation is located in southern Ferry and southern Okanogan Counties.

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
Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from History Link.org Essay 7608 by David Wilma.


 * Prior to 1805 - For at least several hundred years prior to contact with Europeans, the indigenous peoples of the Okanogan consisted of three major bands of a group called the Northern Okanogans or Sinkaiek, the Tokoratums, the Kartars, and the Konkonelps.
 * 1782-1783 - A smallpox epidemic may have cost the lives of a third to a half of the people in the Okanogan.
 * 1805 - William Clark of the(Lewis and Clark expedition) Corps of Discovery was the first to map the Okanogan River.
 * - July - 1811 - David Thompson was the first European to visit the Okanogan River.
 * 1811 - David Stuart and Alexander Ross built a log cabin at the mouth of the Okanogan River and called it Fort Okanogan.
 * 1814 - Fort Okanogan was taken over by the North West Company.
 * 1821 - Fort Okanogan was sold to the Hudson Bay Company.
 * May - 1855 - Territorial Governor Issac Stevens signed the Walla Walla Treaty.
 * 1858 - Gold strikes in New Caledonia in British Columbia attracted prospectors from California to the aea.
 * 1859The Army established Fort Colville at Mill Creek in the Colville Valley.
 * 1858-1861 - Surveyors from the Royal Engineers and the U.S. Army established a boundary between Canada and the U.S.A.
 * 1871 - Congress authorized the preident to establish reservations by executive order.
 * 1872 - Pres. Ulysses Grant created the Colville Indian Reservation.
 * 1886 - Colville Indian Reservation was reduced in size to its current size making possible non Indian settlement.
 * Feb. - 2 - 1888 - Okanogan County came into being.
 * 1888 - Ruby was the first county seat of Okanogan County.
 * 1888 - The county seat was moved to Conconully.
 * 1893 - Repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act ended the mining boom in Okanogan County.
 * 1890 - 1900 - The population nearly tripled
 * 1900 - 1910 - The population nearly tripled again.
 * 1906 - The first rail service came into Okanogan County.
 * 1914 - Okanogan became the county seat of Okanogan County.
 * 1934 - 1942 - A big spurt to the economy of the county and the state of Washington was the construction of Grand Coulee Dam.

Land and Property
Land records (especially deeds) often give the name of a spouse, heir, other relatives, or other clues for further research. They often have other clues for further research, such as witnesses or the other parties who may be relatives or in-laws. See Washington Land and Property for more.


 * County Recorder's Office: check deeds, file mining claims, get assistance in finding ownership of a particular property, and obtain copies of county plat maps. This office has county plat records dating back to 1878, prior records having been destroyed in a fire.

Military

 * World War II (1941–1945) army enlistments at the county GenWeb site has about 400 entries, mostly from Okanogan and other counties. Key (at end of the list) explains codes and columns. Gives year and state of birth. Free.

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.)

Probate Records
Probate cases include court actions regarding property and estates of individuals who have died. Records may locate relatives, provide death dates, and identify property. See Washington Probate Records for more information.

Vital Records
Vital records of birth, marriage, death, and divorce are created by civil (state, county, or city) officials. See Washington Vital Records for details and history of the records.

Birth

 * Washington State Digital Archives has a database of Okanogan County Birth Records. This database contains the names of people who were born in Okanogan County from June 1891 – August 1913. The names were taken from the Okanogan County Register of Births.

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

 * Okanogan County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Okanogan 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 (Washington) or Allen County Public Library (Indiana) for.

See these headings for details: Courthouse·FamilySearch Centers·Libraries·Museums·Other Repositories·Societies

Courthouse
Okanogan County Courthouse 149 3rd N; PO Box 72 Okanogan, WA 98840 Phone 509–422–7275 County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1908, marriage and land records from 1891 and patents from 1892. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1896.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Brewster Washington Family History Center
 * Coulee Dam Washington Family History Center
 * Omak Washington Family History Center
 * Oroville Washington Family History Center

Towns and communities
Indian Reservation

The Colville Indian Reservation is located in southern Ferry and southern Okanogan Counties.