Washington, Cowlitz County Civil Court Dockets - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection contains docket books from the Cowlitz County Superior Court and from the Territory of Washington, Second Judicial District Court. The dockets are a calendar of court actions in civil cases including primarily divorces and disputed estates. The page numbers refer to pages in the docket book, the file number range refers to the cases included in the docket book. There is no name index to these records.

Record Content
The records generally contain the following information:


 * Names of interested parties
 * Date of court proceeding or transaction
 * Details of the case
 * Amount of money exchanged or paid
 * Names of witnesses

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The place of residence
 * The court date
 * The names of interested individuals

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "Record type, year, volume or file number" which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:


 * Use the date and locality to search for census and church records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the deceased; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after 1900.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.
 * Witnesses in court cases may be close relatives.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local historical and genealogical groups also compile indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Related Websites

 * Records Project
 * Cowlitz County Genealogical Resources

Related Wiki Articles
Washington

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

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