Island County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Island County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1853, when the county was formed.

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the fact that it is composed entirely of islands. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

Parent County(s)
Island County, Washington was created 6 January 1853 from Thurston.

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

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse
Island County Courthouse NE 6th &amp; Main St; PO Box 5000 Coupeville, WA 98239-5000 Phone 360.679.7359 County Auditor has birth and death records 1870-1907, marriage records from 1855 land records from 1853. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in.

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

Cemeteries

 * Cemetery Inscriptions by Ralph Seefeld and the Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island (GSSWI)

Census

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free); and Ancestry ($)
 * Federal: 1910
 * Territorial: 1870 • 1871 •  1883 •  1885 •  1887 •  1889
 * State-funded: 1892
 * These were indexed by local societies and individuals.


 * Census Records 1904-1908 Part of: Washington County Records 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * School census records 1898-1932 Part of: Washington County Records 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

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

 * Island Frontier Justice. Part of "Frontier Justice’’: Guide to the Court Records of Washington Territory, 1853-1889 at Washington State Digital Archives. (Free Index, no images)
 * The court procedures of Frontier Justice touch nearly all pioneers of Washington Territory. The index has many abstracts that provide names and what is happening in disputes, settlements in civil and criminal cases as well as probate, equity and admiralty cases.

American Indian

 * 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

Genealogy
Genealogy Research


 * Genealogical Resouces are listed by Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island.

History

 * History of the Puget Sound country,] Volume 1, Volume 2 by William Farrand Prosser [New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company, 1903] at Washington History

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 Daryl C. McClary. Island County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7523.


 * For thousands of years, the only occupants of the Pacific Northwest were Indians
 * 1792 - The area that comprises Island County was first explored by Captain George Vancouver.
 * 1850 - September 27, Congress passed the Oregon Donation Land Act, granting a "donation" of free land -- 320 acres to each single man and 640 acres to each married couple -- to anyone who had settled on the land before December 1 of that year.
 * 1850 - October 15, Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey was the first man to file a claim, for 640 acres, in Central Whidbey Island.
 * 1853 - January 6 Island County was created by the Oregon Territorial Legislature from a portion of Thurston County.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1850s - Irish immigrants began to settle in the Oak Harbor area, followed by Dutch immigrants in the 1890s.

Maps

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



Military

 * 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization and Citizenship Records 1890-1974 Part of: Washington County Records 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Certificates of naturalization 1908-1928; Declarations of intention 1890-1973; Naturalization final record 1894-1905; Naturalization petitions granted 1929-1974 and Petition and record 1908-1930.


 * Naturalization Records, 1890-1974 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Newspapers

 * Island 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

 * Obituary Index, 1890s-December 2010 by Ralph Seefeld and GSSWI
 * Virtually all obituaries have been collected for Island County residents from local newspapers, ranging from 1890s - December 2010. Gaps for The Island County Times in the early 1890s and the South Whidbey Record before 1935 and during 1944.


 * Obituaries in the Whidbey News-Times newspaper.

Also check:


 * Newspapers of
 * Local Funeral Homes, Libraries, or family records.
 * Obituaries of neighboring counties

Probate Records

 * FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Public Records

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

School Records

 * School census records 1898-1932 Part of: Washington County Records 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Birth

 * Birth Records 1870-1907 Part of: Washington County Records 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Birth and death returns 1870-1907.
 * — index and images
 * Birth Records 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Birth index, 1841-2000 at Archives.com ($)

Marriage

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


 * 1855-1994 - Marriage Records, 1855-1994 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * 1867-1999 - Marriage Records Index, 1867-1999 at Archives.com ($)


 * 1855-2008 - County Marriages,1855-2008 at Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)


 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — index


 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Applications 1903-2006; Certificates1855-2007; Certificates and Returns 1931-1938 Vol 2-3; Licenses 1869-1947 Vol 1; Registers 1891-1947 Vol 1; Marriage Returns 1927-1947 Vol 2; Certificate Index 1858-1859 Vol 1

Divorce
Online Records
 * 1969 - 2014 at FamilySearch — index


 * Divorce Records Index, 1901 - 1999 at Archives.com ($)

Death

 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
 * Death Registers, 1870-1907 Part of: Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)


 * Death Records, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

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.

Family History Centers

 * Camano Island-Stanwood Washington Family History Center
 * Everett Washington Family History Center
 * Lake Stevens Washington Family History Center
 * Oak Harbor Washington Family History Center
 * Port Angeles Washington Family History Center
 * Port Townsend Washington Family History Center


 * Clallam County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Snohomish Washington Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Clinton Library, 4781 Deer Lake Rd, Clinton 98236 Phone: (360) 341-4280


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:


 * Coupeville Library, 788 Nw Alexander, Coupeville 98239 Phone: (360) 678-4911


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:


 * Freeland Library, 5495 Harbor Ave, Freeland 98249 Phone: (360) 331-7323


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:


 * Langley Library, 104 Second St., Langley 98260 Phone: (360) 221-4383


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:


 * Oak Harbor Library, 1000 Se Regatta Drive, Oak Harbor 98277 Phone: (360) 675-5115


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:

Museums
South Whidbey Historical Society Museum 312 Second Street PO Box 612 Langley, WA 98260 Website Facebook

Societies
Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island Website

Island County Historical Society 908 NW Alexander St PO BOX 305 Coupeville, WA 98239 (360) 678-3310 Website Facebook

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: