Island County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Island County

Guide to Island County Washington genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.


 * Quick start:
 * Census
 * Birth
 * Marriage
 * Death

County Overview

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

County Formation
Island County, Washington was created 6 January 1853.


 * Parent County: created 6 January 1853 from Thurston County.

Boundary Changes
Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Neighboring Counties

 * Neighboring Counties: Jefferson | Kitsap | San Juan | Skagit | Snohomish | Yakima

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

Topics
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
In 1998 Ralph Seefeld and the Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island (GSSWI) set out to record the inscriptions on all the gravestones in the cemeteries of Island County, Washington. These records are now available on the GSSWI website.

http://www.gsswi.org/cemetery/cemeteries.php

Census

 * 1860
 * 1870
 * 1880
 * 1889
 * 1890 Veterans
 * 1900
 * 1910
 * 1920
 * 1930
 * 1940

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

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. Island County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7523.

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.)

Washington State Digital Archives has digitized various types of naturalization-related records, including declarations of intentions, delayed birth files, naturalization affidavits, notifications of application for admission to US citizenship, orders fixing naturalization terms, petitions and records, petitions, receipts for certificates of citizenship, record of final decrees of citizenship and record of petitions dockets. Depending on the county, records range from 1854-1988.

Obituaries
Ralph Seefeld, with the help of The Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island has collected virtually all obituaries for Island County residents from local newspapers. These obituaries range from the 1890s through December 2010; however, there are gaps for The Island County Times in the early 1890’s and the South Whidbey Record before 1935 and during 1944. An index to the obituaries is now available on the GSSWI website.

http://www.gsswi.org/obits/searchObits.php

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

 * Island County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Island 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
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.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Oak Harbor Family History Center

Societies

 * Genealogical Society of South Whidbey Island www.gsswi.org
 * Island County Historical Society www.islandhistory.org

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