Skagit County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Skagit County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1883, when the county was formed.

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the Skagit Indian tribe, which has been indigenous to the area prior to European-American settlement. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Formation

 * Skagit County, Washington was created 28 November 1883 from Whatcom.

County Seat: Mount Vernon. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes
Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse
Skagit County Courthouse 700 South 2nd Street PO Box 837 Mount Vernon, WA 98273 Phone: 360.336.9440 Skagit County Website County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907, marriage records from 1884 and land records from 1872. County Clerk has divorce, probate county records from 1870.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in.

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

Census

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


 * Census Enumerator Cards, 1944 at Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * Genealogical information: cards in alphabetical order with name, age, exact address, occupation, enumerator's signature and date card was completed.
 * Includes: Anacortes, Burlington, La Conner, Mount Vernon, and Sedro-Woolley.


 * School census records 1888-1948 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

 * Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) for are listed in the . (Press space bar to select town.)

Lutheran

 * Records of Burlington Lutheran Church, Burlington, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * Skagit 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 procedure 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

Maps and Gazetteers

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

History

 * History of the Puget Sound Country, Volume 1, Volume 2 by William Farrand Prosser [New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company, 1903] online 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 Janet Oakley. Skagit County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 5663.


 * People have lived in present-day Skagit County and its environs for nearly 10,000 years. They were known as the Coast Salish.
 * 1791 - Rosario Strait is on the most western edge of Skagit County. The Spaniard Juan Francisco de Eliza charted it, and named it Canal de Fidalgo.
 * 1824 - John Work, a trader with Hudson’s Bay Company, came through the area.
 * 1852 - The first Euro-American to live in the county, was Englishman William (Blanket Bill) Jarman with his Coast Salish wife.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1863 - Settlement on the county’s mainland took hold when Michael Sullivan and Samuel Calhoun began diking the marshy flats near present day LaConner.
 * 1860s-1870s - New settlements and trading posts appeared on Guemes Island and Samish Island.
 * 1883 - November 28, A bill passed in the territorial legislature separated Skagit County from Whatcom 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.

Military

 * 1921-1925 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Louis Jacobin, comp. With the colors, from Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan Counties : an honor roll containing a pictorial record of the gallant and courageous men from northwestern Washington, U.S.A., who served in the world war, 1917-1918-1919.Seattle, Washington : Peters Pub. Co, 1921

Naturalization and Citizenship
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.


 * Naturalization and Citizenship records 1878-1955. 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 1922-1926; Citizenship record 1896-1906; Concrete census enumerator cards 1944; Declarations of intention 1878-1945; Naturalization card index 1928-1945; Naturalization proceedings and index 1906-1925; Petition and record 1906-1955; Reports of naturalization petitions granted or denied 1930-1945.

Newspapers

 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library
 * Skagit County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)
 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)

Obituaries
Also check:


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

Probate Records

 * Probate Case Files, 1890-1929. Part of: Washington, County Probate Records, 1853-1929 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Public Records

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

School Records

 * School census records 1888-1948 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Birth

 * — index and images
 * Birth Records, 1891-1908 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Birth Records, 1869-1946 at Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes: Birth and death record index, 1892-1946; Birth certificates, 1869-1907; Births (delayed) 1869-1907; Birth and death record index 1892-1946.

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 - Washington, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1855–2008 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1884-2000 - Marriage Records, 1884-2000 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)
 * 1969-2014 - at FamilySearch — index
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Birth, Marriage, Death Index 1891-1898;Index to Licenses 1923-1947; Affidavits 1909-1939; Applications Index 1940-1985; Applications 1905-2001; Certificate Index 1884-1923; Licenses 1940-1959; Record Index 1925-1994; Register 1891-1948; Returns 1891-1948.

Divorce

 * 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 and Birth records 1869-1946 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 record index 1892-1946; Death certificates 1892.


 * Death Returns, 1891-1908 at Washinton State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

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
 * Mount Vernon Washington Family History Center
 * Oak Harbor Washington Family History Center
 * Port Townsend Washington Family History Center
 * San Juan Washington Family History Center


 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Anacortes Public Library 1220 10th Street Anacortes, WA 98221 Phone: 360-293-1910 Website
 * Burlington Public Library 820 East Washington Avenue Burlington, WA 98233 Phone: 360-755-0760 Website
 * Upper Skagit Library District 45952 Main Street Concrete, WA 98237 Phone: 360-853-7716 Website
 * La Conner Regional Library 614 Morris Street La Conner, WA 98257 Phone: 360-466-3352 Website
 * Mount Vernon City Library 315 Snoqualmie Street Mount Vernon, WA 98273 Phone: 360-336-6249 Website
 * Sedro-Woolley Public Library 802 Ball Street Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 Phone: 360-855-1166 Website

Societies
Skagit Valley Genealogy Society 820 E Washington Ave Burlington, WA 98233 E-mail: [mailto:emailofsociety genealogy0715@gmail.com] 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: