Klickitat County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Klickitat County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1859, when the county was formed.

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the Klickitat tribe of the Yakama Native Americans. The County is located in the south-central area of the state.

Parent County(s)
Klickitat County, Washington was created 20 December 1859 from Skamania and Walla Walla.

County Seat: Goldendale. See also Towns and Communities in. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse
Klickitat County Courthouse 205 S Columbus Avenue Room 204 Goldendale, WA 98620 Phone 509.773.4559 County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records. County Auditor has marriage records.

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 ($) These were indexed by local societies and individuals.


 * • Federal: 1910
 * • Territorial: 1860 •  1870 •  1871 •  1883 •  1885 •  1887 •  1889
 * • State-funded: 1892


 * School census 1924-1925 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
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) for are listed in the . (Press space bar to select town.)
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * Klickitat 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
The Yakama Indian Reservation is located primarily in Yakima County, with a small portion in Klickitat County.
 * 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

Genealogy

 * Klickitat County Washington Genealogy (WAGenWeb)
 * Klickitat County, Washington Public Records (RecordsPedia)
 * 1892 Klickitat County Census (Washington State 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
A county history summary is available at http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&amp;file_id=7800


 * "1885 Klickitat County" online
 * "1889 Klickitat County" online
 * "Klickitat County, Washington Facts" online (mislabeled as Alabama)

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 Paula Becker. Klickitat County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7800.


 * The area was once home to the Klickitat and Wishram tribes, both of which ceded the land to the U.S. government
 * 1852 - The earliest non-Indian settlement in Klickitat County was the Erastus S. Joslyn farm near present-day White Salmon.
 * 1850s - Many early settlers to the future Klickitat County came east from the Willamette Valley in Oregon.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1859 December 20 - The County of Clickitat (after 1869 spelled Klickitat) was formally organized.
 * Early settlers raised Durham and Shorthorn cattle, selling large herds to supply miners in Idaho and British Columbia.
 * 1870 - The Klickitat Valley's first fruit orchards were planted.

Land and Property

 * Land Records 1984 and 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1988-2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Military

 * 1921-1925 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Some military records for this county have been digitized at the Washington State Digital Archives.

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.)


 * Naturalization Records, 1889-1961 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * Declarations of intention 1874-1924 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Declarations of intention 1889-1945; Naturalization index 1911-1945;Orders of the court (admitting the petitioner or denying the petition) 1913-1927; 1932-1945;Petition evidence 1907-1929; Petitions for naturalization 1893-1946; Special naturalizations 1894-1905.

Newspapers

 * Klickitat 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

Obituaries
Also check:


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

Probate Records

 * 1884-1930 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)


 * Probate Records 1884-1930 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Public Records

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

School Records

 * 1903-1941 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)


 * School registers 1903-1941 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes School census 1924-1925; School census and examination records 1916-1927.

Birth

 * Register of births 1881-1907 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * — index and images

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 - Washington, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1855–2008 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1867 - Marriages beginning 20 Aug 1867 are available from the Western States Marriage Index website.


 * 1867-1997 - 1867-1997 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)


 * 1867-2013 - Marriage Records, 1867-2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * 1867-1999 - Marriage Records 1867-1999 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Marriage certificates 1893-1999; Marriage record 1867-1893; Marriage returns 1935-1940; Miscellaneous marriage certificates 1934-1947.


 * 1969-2014 - at FamilySearch — index

Divorce
Online Records
 * 1969 - 2014 - at FamilySearch — index

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

 * 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.

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

 * Goldendale Washington Family History Center

Libraries

 * Ellensburg Public Library, 209 North Ruby Street, Ellensburg 98926 Phone: (509) 962-7252


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:


 * Kittitas Public Library, 2nd Pierce Sts, Kittitas 98934 Phone: (509) 968-0226


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:


 * Roslyn Public Library, 201 S. First St., Roslyn 98941 Phone: (509) 649-3420


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:


 * Goldendale Community Library, 131 West Burgen, Goldendale 98620 Phone: (509) 773-4487


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:


 * White Salmon Valley Community Library, 5 Town Country Square, White Salmon 98672 Phone: (509) 493-1132


 * Online Resources:


 * Unique Collections:

Museums
PRESBY MUSEUM AND KLICKITAT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 127 W. Broadway Goldendale, Washington 98620 (509) 773-4303 E-mail: [mailto:emailofsociety presbymuseum@gorge.net] Website

Societies
Klickitat County Historical Society 127 W. Broadway Goldendale, WA 98620 509-773-4303 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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties