Washington, Postmaster Indexes - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection of indexes includes records prior to 1965. Directories are published books that are usually updated every year or so. This collection of directories consists of postal and shipping guides to Washington counties. They are usually arranged alphabetically.

The first directories were simple groupings of residents by street within large cities. The businesses that compiled the directories usually combined the listings with their own business or professional information and address. Information on other professionals and businesses quickly began to be included on the lists. Then the directories began dividing the names by function, and eventually there were multiple types of directories, such as city, telephone, county and regional business, professional, organizational, religious, and post office and street directories.

Directories were created to form a readily accessible record with current residence or contact information. They were created primarily by businesses for advertising and sales purposes. The information in directories is fairly reliable because it was usually provided by the business people and residents themselves.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Name of head of household or business
 * Name of spouse
 * Street address
 * Other contact information such as telephone number
 * Occupation or business enterprise

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * The location or date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the information to find other records such as birth, christening, census, land and death records
 * Use the information to find additional family members
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Washington.
 * Washington Guided Research
 * Washington Record Finder
 * Washington Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1907 &#124; 1907-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Washington postmaster indexes, prior to 1965
 * Record of appointment of postmasters, October 1789-1832

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Arthur Hecht and William J. Heynen, comp. Records and policies of the Post Office Department relating to place-names : reference information paper no. 72.Washington, D.C. : National Archives and Records Service, 1975. FHL Digital images

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.