Chelan County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Chelan County,Washington ''  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.

County Overview

 * County Seat: Wenatchee . For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

County Formation

 * Chelan County, Washington was created 13 March 1899 from Kittitas and Okanogan counties

Boundary Changes

 * Boundary Changes: No new counties created from this county.

Neighboring Counties
Douglas | King | Kittitas | Okanogan | Skagit | Snohomish

Dates of Major County Records
Note: The dates you see below have not yet been adapted to.


 * "Chelan" derives from a Chelan Indian word meaning "deep water."
 * On 14 Dec 1872, a very powerful earthquake centered near Lake Chelan was felt over 300,000 square miles, extending from Victoria, British Columbia south past Baker City, Oregon, and southwest past Portland, Oregon. There are numerous accounts of the quake in historical books and newspapers. It triggered additional quakes at the Yellowstone National Park. Aftershocks were observed for the next 2 years. Additional information

Topics
Below are resources used for family history and genealogy, with dates, value of records, and how to access them for. Internet links may contain names, images, or more information for the county.

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 Colville Indian Reservation is located in southern Ferry and southern Okanogan Counties, including a small portion of Chelan 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. Chelan County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7624.


 * The Wenatchee tribe (also spelled Wenatchi) lived along the Wenatchee River, which flowed from the Cascades into the Columbia.
 * 1853 - March - 2 - U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
 * The first non-Indians to live in the Chelan and Wenatchee valleys were Chinese prospectors looking for gold in the rivers and streams, starting in about 1863.
 * 1886 - Lake Chelan’s first white settlers were William Sanders and William Dumke. They arrived at the south end of the lake the hard way, from the north.
 * 1899 - March - 13 - Washington State Legislature created Chelan County.

Land and Property

 * 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 Chelan 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.)

Birth

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

Marriage

 * Washington State Digital Archives has a database for Marriage Records.This database is an index to marriage records filed with the Auditor in Chelan County, Washington, from 1900 to 1920. The records contained within this index include Marriage Returns (1900-1910) and Marriage Certificates (1911-1920).

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

 * The Chelan County WAGenWeb Project, a member of The WAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Chelan County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Chelan County. (Mirror site)
 * Family History Library Catalog for Chelan County.
 * Chelan 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
Chelan County Courthouse 350 Douglas Street Wenatchee, WA 98801 Phone: 509.667.6380 County Auditor has birth and death records 1900-1907 and marriage records from 1900. City Clerk has burial records. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Chelan Washington Family History Center

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