Lewis County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Lewis County

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


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

County Overview

 * Parent County: organized 21 December 1845 as an original county in the Oregon Territory.
 * County seat: Chehalis
 * Neighboring Counties: Cowlitz | Grays Harbor | Pacific | Pierce | Skamania | Thurston | Wahkiakum | Yakima

Resources
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.

Census

 * 1849 Territorial Transcription and Index (part of Oregon Census)
 * 1850
 * 1860
 * 1870
 * 1871
 * 1880
 * 1883
 * 1890 Veterans
 * 1900
 * 1910
 * 1920
 * 1930
 * 1940

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Chehalis

Lutheran

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

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. Okanogan County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7608.

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.)

Courthouse
Lewis County Courthouse 351 NW North Street Chehalis, WA 98532 Phone 360.740.2704

County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907 and marriage records from 1850. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1870’s.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Centralia Washington Family History Center
 * Morton Washington Family History Center

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

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

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