Washington County, Idaho Genealogy

United States &gt; Idaho &gt; Washington County

County Courthouse
Washington County Courthouse 256 East Court Weiser, ID 83672-0670

Quick Facts
Wikipedia

Named for George Washington, first President of the United States of America.

Parent County
20 February 1879: Washington County was created from Boise County.

Boundary Changes
3 March 1911: Adams County created from part of Washington County

Places/Localities
The following list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

This list of places in Washington County, Idaho was compiled from the Lists of Places in Idaho in Wikipedia and from the map of Washington County in Virtual Earth.

Cities
Cambridge | Midvale | Weiser

Other inhabited places
Barton | Cobb | Concrete | Crystal | Diamond | Eaton | Feltham | Jonathan | Mineral | Presley | Rebecca | Rock Island

Neighboring Counties
Adams | Gem | Payette | Oregon counties: Baker | Malheur

Resources
Many of the older court, land, naturalization, probate, pension, and vital records for Washington County have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City and through their family history centers. They are also available at the Idaho State Historical Society's Library in Boise. Details of the county records in these respective institutions can be obtained from their online catalogs or listings. Original records which have been microfilmed and more recent records are in the county courthouse in Weiser.

Cemeteries
There are many cemeteries in Washington County. For a list of those that have been identified, and links to transcriptions and/or photographs of tombstones, go to Washington County, Idaho Cemetery Records.

For the cemeteries in or immediately adjacent to the cities, please see the city pages for the cities listed above.

Census
For a summary of census records for the state of Idaho, see Idaho Census Records.

The 1890 federal census for Idaho was destroyed. However, the Idaho State Historical Society Public Archives and Research Library is creating a list of 1890 Idaho residents by indexing a variety of records, 1885-1894. This reconstructed list will substitute for the destroyed 1890 federal census. Washington County is included in this reconstructed census.

Church History and Records (Rural)
Please refer to the cities for local churches.

County Commissioners' Records
The minute books of the County Commissioners contain interesting tidbits of history about the county as well as the names of individuals appealing to the County Commissioners for action on issues of concern to them. Minutes of those meetings were recorded from the formation of the county, for most counties. Some counties now post the minutes of current meetings online.

Most of these records have been preserved in the county courthouses of the State of Idaho. Few have been microfilmed. Contact the county clerk for information about years covered and availability.

History
A Washington County History by Judge Frank Harris is available online.

Maps

 * An 1895 map of Washington and surrounding counties is available online.
 * A digital Washington County Idaho map is available online.
 * Map of Washington County, Idaho is available online.

Military
World War I draft registration cards, 1917-1918, for Washington County have been microfilmed. Copies of these records are available at the Family History Library (their microfilm number 1452223) and are also available online at Ancestry.com, for a subscription fee. The original cards are maintained in the Southeast Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in East Point, Georgia and have been microfilmed by the National Archives as their Microcopy M1509.

Current

 * Upper County Reporter
 * Weiser Signal - American

Birth
The Birth Registers for Washington County, 1907-1911, have been microfilmed and are available at the Idaho State Historical Society Library in Boise and at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Birth records, 1911 to present, for individuals born in Washington County are included in and recorded at the state level. These records are restricted for a period of one hundred years from the time of the individual's birth but can be obtained by following the guidelines as issued by the State of Idaho. See the Vital Records section under the subject Idaho for more details.

Marriage
NOTICE: Familysearch Indexing, a division of the Family History Library has begun indexing the marriage volumes for this county. When finished researchers will be able to search by name of bride or groom and be linked to an image of the actual page from the registers. You are invited to join their team of volunteers as they work to make additional vital records available on the Web. For details google Familysearch Indexing.

In the meantime, nearly 13,200 marriages, 1879-1969, are listed on the Western States Marriage Index.

Death
The Death Registers for Washington County, 1907-1911, have been microfilmed and are available at the Idaho State Historical Society Library in Boise and at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. After 1911, deaths occuring in Washington County are included in the state-wide registration program. These records are restricted for a period of fifty years from the time of the individual's death but can be obtained by following the guidelines as mandated by the State of Idaho. See the Vital Records section under Idaho for details Idaho Vital Records.

Copies of death certificates from 1911-1954 are on microfilm and can be used at the Idaho State Historical Society (PARL) Library in Boise, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, BYU-Idaho University Library in Rexburg and several other locations.

A state-wide index to Idaho Deaths, 1911-1956 is available online. Efforts to expand this index to 1960 are underway. Another version is Idaho Death Index 1911-1956.

Societies and Libraries
Many public libraries provide internet access to sites of value to the family historian. Some have special collections of historical and cultural interest, as well. The following libraries may have some resources of value, but use of some or all of them may require a visit to the library.


 * Cambridge District Library 120 N Superior St Cambridge, ID 83610 Phone: (208) 257-3434
 * Midvale District Library 70 E Bridge St Midvale, ID 83645 Phone: (208) 355-2213 Website
 * Weiser Public Library 628 E 1st St Weiser, ID 83672 Phone: (208) 549-1243

Websites

 * The Washington County ID GenWeb Project, a member of The IDGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Washington County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Washington County. (backup site)
 * FamilySearch.org Family History Library Catalog for Washington County.