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Guide to Benton County, Washington ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
Benton County Courthouse 600 Market Street Prosser, WA 99350-0190 Phone: 509.786.5624 Benton County Website Benton County Courthouse 600 Market Street Prosser, WA 99350-0190 Phone: 509.786.5624 County Auditor has birth records 1905-1907 and marriage records from 1905. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records. County Assessor has land records.
 * Inventory of the county archives of Washington, no. 3. Benton County (Prosser)

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:

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 Elizabeth Gibson. Benton County -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org, Essay 5671.
 * 1803 - The first inhabitants were the, Umatillas, Klickitats, and Wallulas.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1858 - A gold rush to British Columbia brought the first influx of white people, as rushers traveled through on their way north.
 * 1880s - Steamboats and railroads connected what would become known as Kennewick to the other settlements along the Columbia River.
 * 1880s and earlier - Benton County has very little rainfall, and some farmers had been successful at dryland farming.
 * 1890s - Irrigation came to the county and brought many changes.
 * 1905 - March 6, Washington State Legislature creates Benton County (out of Klickitat).
 * 1942 - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Manhattan District, surveyed the northern part of the county for a secret government project.
 * 1943 - The government ordered everyone living in the town sites of Hanford, White Bluffs, and [Old] Richland, as well as all the rural communities in northern Benton County, to evacuate. Shortly thereafter, a huge government construction project began, known only as the . Thousands of people moved to the Eastern Washington desert. No one knew what they were building, just that it would help the war effort. Only when they heard the news of the devastation caused by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6, 1945, did the workers know what they had built. "Our bomb clinched it!" read the Richland Villager.

Census Records

 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Washington online census links to FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest and others. Includes Federal Censuses, 1860–1940; 1890 Veterans Schedule; '''Territorial and State Censuses, 1847–1898
 * Statewide printed indexes of federal censuses
 * See Washington Census Years for online availability of Federal, Territorial, and State-funded censuses.
 * Censuses at Washington Digital Archives

Church Records

 * Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) for Benton County are listed in the.

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

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
American Indian
 * 1911-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & 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.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 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, 1878-present (prior records having been destroyed in a fire).
 * Online Document Searching Deeds, mortgages, etc. from 1985

Local Histories
Local Histories
 * Benton County place names includes dozens of obscure historical communities with origins, dates, and how they disappeared.
 * Benton County, Washington - a glimpse of the past
 * History of the Yakima Valley, Washington : comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton counties
 * Kennewick, Washington
 * Kin-i-wak, Kenewick, Tehe, Kennewick
 * Great memories : early Hanford and the Tri-Cities
 * "The long road to self-government" : the history of Richland Washington, 1943-1968 : compiled from clippings, data, booklets, etc. in honor of the 25th anniversary of Richland
 * Tales of Richland, White Bluffs, and Hanford, 1805-1943, before the atomic reserve
 * Goodbye, White Bluffs
 * Tri Cities : the Mid Columbia hub, an illustrated history
 * Colors of change in Plymouth
 * Finley-Hover history & River View High School

History Resources
 * "TCGS Digital Collections" online at Tri-Cities Genealogical Society

Maps and Gazetteers

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


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

Military Records

 * 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * World War II enlistments of Benton 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
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * Naturalization Records, 1905-1954 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free index, no images)
 * Includes Declarations of Intention, Petitions for Naturalization and Certificate Stubs.
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Includes Declarations of intention 1901-1954; Petitions 1907-1954; Naturalization Records 1907-1929.

Newspapers

 * Benton 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

Other Records
Topics for Benton County %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Public Records

 * Prior to 1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Petitions for roads, courthouse removal, other civil matters.
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * These were single mothers trying to qualify for welfare support.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

School Records
Online School Indexes and Records


 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Birth

 * Washington State Digital Archives has a database of Benton County Birth Register.
 * For FHL entries, 1905-1907, click.
 * Birth Returns, 1905-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * 1873-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1905-1920 Washington State Digital Archives has a database of Benton County Marriages from 1905 to 1920. This database is an index to marriage certificates filed with the Auditor in Benton County, Washington. For FHL entries, click.
 * 1905-1980 Marriage Records, 1905-1980 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * Includes Marriage license applications 1939-1980, certificates 1905-2008, license index 1906-1926; Marriage affidavits 1905-1922.

Death

 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * 1881-1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1907-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Divorce

 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Family History Centers

 * Basin City Washington Family History Center
 * Columbia Basin Washington Family History Center
 * Dayton Washington Family History Center
 * Kennewick Washington Family History Center
 * Othello Washington Family History Center
 * Pasco Washington Family History Center
 * Prosser Washington Family History Center
 * Richland Washington Family History Center
 * Sunnyside Washington Family History Center
 * Wahluke Washington Family History Center
 * Walla Walla Washington Family History Center
 * West Richland Washington Family History Center

Libraries
Resources for Benton County 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 Benton County.

Libraries Branches and LocationsWebsite Genealogy Research ToolsWebsite
 * Mid-Columbia Public Libraries -
 * Special or unique Collections: collections of genealogical value are available from 1800s to the present. (Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest and others)

Museums

East Benton County Historical Museum is located at 205 Keewaydin Drive, Kennewick, WA 99336-0602 (509) 582-7704 / ebchs @ frontier.comWebsite The REACH is the new museum that has replaced CREHST. The museum is located in Columbia Park West. The photo collections are no longer available.Website
 * CLOSED** The Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science, and Technology (CREHST) is a museum and science center created to tell the dynamic story of the Columbia Basin and surrounding region." It features an excellent exhibit and materials available on the Hanford project and the huge influx of people to support it in the 1940's. Two collections of interest specifically to genealogists are their photos collections (indexes for Marlin's Columbia Photography, North Light Studio and Wendland Studio) and their collection of General Electric Company newsletters.

Societies East Benton County Historical Society & Museum 205 WEST KEEWAYDIN DRIVE KENNEWICK, WA, 99336 (509) 582-7704 Website Facebook Tri-City Genealogical Society P.O. Box 1410 1314 Jadwin Ave Richland, WA 99352-1410 Website Facebook

The Tri-City Genealogical Society has an extensive collection of local and regional resources as well as references for other areas. Check their resources page for an updated list of their holdings. They also provide genealogical help at the Mid-Columbia Library, have online resources, and conduct local research for a small fee.Website
 * East Benton County Historical Society primarily runs a museum of local history and a research library. The museum features local history, from the ancient petrified forests to the Native Americans to the pioneers and settlers. Of special note is an extensive photograph collection depicting life in Kennewick, Richland, Finley, Hover, Hanford, White Bluffs and surrounding areas. "The museum library houses an extensive collection of materials including obituaries, local history files, family history information, high school annuals and books of local and regional interest. There are also 121 books from Dr. Glen Axford's Audubon Collection."

Websites

 * The Benton County WAGenWeb Project
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Washington State Digital Archives
 * Websites at RootsWeb - Benton WA
 * Tri-City Genealogical Society
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.