Chelan County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Chelan County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1899, when the county was formed.

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for a Chelan Indian word meaning "deep water," likely a reference to 55-mile (89 km)-long Lake Chelan, which reaches a maximum depth of 1,486 feet (453 m). The County is located in the northcentral area of the state.

Parent County(s)
was created 13 March 1899 from Kittitas and Okanogan counties

County Seat: Wenatchee. See also Towns and Communities in. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

For animated maps illustrating Washington County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Washington County Boundary Maps" (1843-1915) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Neighboring Counties
is surrounded by: Douglas | King | Kittitas | Okanogan | Skagit | Snohomish

Courthouse
Chelan County Courthouse 350 Douglas Street Wenatchee, WA 98801 Phone: 509.667.6380 Chelan County Website 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.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Business and Commerce

 * Professional License Records at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Cemeteries

 * Wenatchee Area Cemetery Records (Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society (WAGS))

Census

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free); and Ancestry ($)


 * Miscellaneous papers regarding state census 1902-1953 Part of the Washington County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * Federal 1910
 * These were indexed by local societies and individuals.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) for are listed in the . (Press space bar to select town.)
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * Inventory of the county archives of Washington, no. 4. Chelan County (Wenatchee) (If the link does not work, log in to Ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

American Indian
The Colville Indian Reservation is located in southern Ferry and southern Okanogan Counties, including a small portion of Chelan County.


 * 1911-1919 - at FamilySearch — images

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.

Funeral Homes

 * Funeral Home Records (Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society, (WAGS)). From Jones & Jones Funeral Home, when it merged with Betts Funeral Home of Wenatchee. 27,000 records between the years 1906-2001 for Jones & Jones of Wenatchee, Kuelbs or Braun of Cashmere, Waterville of Waterville and a few from Wards of Leavenworth have been archived and indexed. Records may include only the funeral card with/without parents, etc. Other records may include death certificates, obituaries, gift lists, military records, etc.  See WAGS database to search for information on your family members, and options for ordering that information.

Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

History

 * A history of central Washington : including the famous Wenatchee, Entiat, Chelan and the Columbia Valleys, with an index and ei (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)


 * "Chelan County, Washington Facts" at genealogyinc.com
 * Illustrated History of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan Counties, State of Washington by Richard F. Steele [(Spokane, Wash.): Western Historical Pub. Co., 1904] Commonly known by title History of North Washington. Online at Washington Secretary of State site (Free).
 * This book has numerous errors and its facts should viewed with circumspection.

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.


 * 1803 - Before this time, the (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.
 * 1863 - The first non-Indians to live in the Chelan and Wenatchee valleys were Chinese prospectors looking for gold in the rivers and streams, starting at about this time.
 * 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.
 * Land 1888 - 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Plats and Surveys Records at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1974 - 2008, 1900 - 2008 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Maps

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military

 * at FamilySearch — index
 * World War II enlistments of Chelan County, Washington residents. This is a partial list. The NARA website cautions: "This series does not contain records of all World War II Army enlistees."

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization Records, 1900-1973 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * Naturalization and Citizenship 1900-1948 Part of the Washington County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Facts for declarations of intention1900-1945; Naturalization certificate stubs 1921-1926; correspondence files 1907-1915; depositions 1904-1945; petitions vol 10 1900-1948; proceedings 1907-1915; records 1900-1906; Oath of allegiance applications 1940-1945; Preliminary declarations of intention 1926-1927; Preliminary petitions for citizenship 1924-1926; Index to naturalization 1925-1928.

Newspapers

 * Chelan County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)
 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)


 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library

Obituaries
The Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society (WAGS) has an Obituary database that contains an index of over 110,000 obituaries from the Wenatchee Area from 1895 to 2014. These obituaries may be ordered thru WAGS. See https://wags-web.org/cpage.php?pt=246.


 * Web: Wenatchee, Washington, Obituary Index, 1884-2009 (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

Probate Records

 * Probate Records 1888-1930. Part of Washington County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Public Records

 * Chelan Postmaster Index. Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections for Washington. (Free, browse images)


 * Public Records 1923. Part of Washington County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Cashmere Municipal Government Special Election Poll Book and Tally Sheet 1 1923 and Mothers' pensions 1913-1937.


 * Election Records 1923-1923 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

School Records

 * School Records 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes School Census Records 1914-1925.

Birth

 * Birth Returns, 1900-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * — index and images
 * Birth Records 1899-1926. Part of: Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Birth and death returns, 1899-1905; Birth certificate applications and orders (delayed) 1888-1926

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 - Washington, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1855–2008 - at FamilySearch — index and images


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


 * 1900-2008 - Marriage Records, 1900-2008 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * 1900-2004 - Marriage Records1900-2004 Part of: Washington, County Records, 1856-2009. Part of FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free browse images)


 * 1969-2014 - at FamilySearch — index


 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Index to affidavits 1999; Index to certificates 1900-1983; Index to licenses direct and reverse 1900-1983; Index to licenses 1900-1907 and 1974-1983; Affidavits 1900-2001; Application returns 1939-1945; Certificates 1900-1970; Returns 1900-1939.

Divorce
Online Records


 * 1969 - 2014 - at FamilySearch — index

Death

 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
 * at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Death Returns 1895 - 1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Death Records. Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images.
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Birth and death returns vol 1 1899-1905; Coroner's record 1905-1930

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.


 * Inventory of the county archives of Washington, no. 4. Chelan County (Wenatchee) (If the link does not work, log in to Ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

Family History Centers

 * Brewster Washington Family History Center
 * Chelan Washington Family History Center
 * Coulee Dam Washington Family History Center
 * Issaquah Washington Family History Center
 * North Bend Washington Family History Center
 * Omak Washington Family History Center
 * Wenatchee Washington Family History Center


 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library
 * The Seattle Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Snohomish Washington Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries
North Central Regional Library System 
 * Branch: Chelan Public Library
 * Online Resources: History and Genealogy

Societies

 * Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society 127 S Mission Wenatchee, WA (509) 888-6246 Website
 * Has a genealogical library located in the Annex adjacent to the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. The WAGS library is rich with resources that share the data and history of families of the region.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county: