Grays Harbor County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Grays Harbor County   Guide to  genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1854, when the county was formed as Chehalis County.

Parent County(s)
Parent County: created in 14 April 1854 as Chehalis County from Thurston. Renamed to Grays Harbor County 15 March 1915.

Boundary Changes
Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Neighboring Counties

 * Neighboring Counties: Jefferson | Mason | Pacific | Thurston

See also Towns and Communities in

Courthouse
Grays Harbor County Courthouse 102 West Broadway Room 203 Montesano, WA 98563 Phone 360.249.3842 County Clerk has probate, divorce and court records from 1860. County Auditor has marriage records from 1891. County Assessor has land records from 1855. County Health Department has birth and death records.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in.


 * County Seat: Montesano.

See also Archives, libraries, etc.

Business and Commerce
Commercial fishing, the lumber industry were major industries historically. Tourism is more recent.


 * Mining Claims 1881-1928 Part of: Washington County Records 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Census

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free)
 * Federal: 1860 • 1870 • 1880 •  1910
 * Territorial: 1871 • 1879 • 1881 • 1882 • 1885 • 1887 • 1889
 * State-funded: 1892 • 1894
 * These were indexed by local societies and individuals.

Church Records

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

LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Montesano

Court Records

 * Power of Attorney Records 1981 - 2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * Grays Harbor 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)
 * Includes court actions arising from criminal accusations, estate (probate) and property disputes, debt collections, and other matters brought to the court.
 * The names in the index often reveal a “who’s who” of Washington Territory, but in a greater sense the abstract sheds light on the affairs, disputes, settlements, crimes, and forms of justice that touched nearly every inhabitant of territorial Washington.

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

Genealogy

 * "Grays Harbor Genealogical Society" online
 * "Grays Harbor County, Washington Public Records" online
 * "1881 Grays Harbor County Census" online

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

 * "1885 Grays Harbor County" online
 * "1889 Grays Harbor County" online
 * "1892 Grays Harbor County" online
 * "Grays Harbor County, Alabama (Washington) Facts" online

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. Grays Harbor County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7766.


 * The original residents of what would become Chehalis, then Grays Harbor County, were members of the Quinault Tribe.
 * 1787 - The largest village in the area was at the mouth of the Quinault River and was so named.
 * 1792 - May 7, Boston fur trader Robert Gray crossed the bar into the bay he called Bullfinch Harbor, but which later cartographers would label Chehalis Bay, then Grays Harbor.
 * 1824 - Irishman John Work of the Hudson's Bay Company explored the area.
 * 1800s (mid) - The county’s first permanent white settler was Irishman William O’Leary.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1907 - February 27, Grays Harbor County was founded.
 * Early 1900s - Grays Harbor County boomed. Immigrants from all over the world flocked to jobs offering cash wages.
 * 1920s - The wood-products industry -- logging, milling, and pulp manufacture -- started a long, slow decline.

Land and Property

 * County Land Records, 1850-1954 at Washington, County Land Records, 1850-1954 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * Land Records 1981 - present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * Plats and Surveys Records 1980 - 2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1981 - present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * Mining Claims 1881-1928 Part of: Washington County Records 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Maps
Area map and other information from 1895:

http://www.livgenmi.com/1895/WA/

The BLM also has Cadastral and other survey information at Oregon and Washington Land Status and Cadastral Record, please note this is separate from the survey dropdown on the main glorecords.blm.gov page.

Military
Some military records for this county have been digitized at the Washington State Digital Archives.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982. at Washington, County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Included in this collection: Petition records, Petition index, Petition records index, Naturalization certificate receipts, Journal of Citizenship, Journal of Citizenship index, Delectation of Intention, Delectation of Intention Index, and Application & Oaths.


 * Declarations of Intention, 1884-1971 Washington State Archives.  These records include both an index and images to Declarations on Intention, Vol 1-20, 32 filed with Grays Harbor County Superior Court, between 1884-1971.

Newspapers

 * Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)

Obituaries
Also check:


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

Probate Records

 * Probate Case Files, 1832-1950 Part of Washington, County Probate Case Files, 1832-1950, at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Probate Case Files 1884-1929 Part of: Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * Probate Case Files 1895-1905 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

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

School Records

 * School Registers are arranged by grade and gives names, ages, attendance. School Censuses include names, birth dates, parents or guardians.

Birth
Aberdeen City Clerk, Birth Register, 1890-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives


 * 1891-1908 Part of: Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * 1891-1930 Part of: Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
 * Birth Register, 1891-1908 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Birth register 1891-1908 Part of the Washington County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images) These records were filed under Chehalis, now Grays Harbor County.

Marriage

 * 1893-1922 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)


 * Marriage Records, 1871-2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

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.


 * County divorce Records, 1852-1950. Washington, County Divorce Records, 1852-1950 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Death

 * 1891-1937 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)


 * County Deaths, 1891-1907. Part of: Washington, County Deaths, 1891-1907 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.


 * Death Register, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

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
Sites with online indexes or images of records:
 * Web Sites at RootsWeb - Grays Harbor WA (Free)
 * The Grays Harbor County WAGenWeb Project (Free)
 * Member of The WAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project (free) for Grays Harbor County. (Mirror site)
 * Current Collections at Washington State Digital Archives (Free) Type county name, click Search, then select a collection. Collections were posted to the appropriate headings for this Wiki page in November, 2013.
 * Historical Collections at FamilySearch.org. (Free) Click "Last Updated." Collections through October 2013 have been posted to the appropriate headings for this Wiki page.

Sites that search the Internet for records online:


 * Linkpendium (free)
 * CyndisList (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

 * Elma Washington Family History Center 702 Main St E, Elma, WA 98541-9353 United States Location Map


 * Ocean Shores Washington Family History Center 928 Albatross ST., Ocean Shores, WA 98569 United States Location Map


 * Westport Washington Family History Center 708 Englewood Ln., Westport, WA 98547 United States Location Map

Libraries

 * Timberland Libraries - Grays Harbor County
 * Grays Harbor County Libraries Branches and Locations
 * Genealogy / Data Base Tools
 * Special or Unique Collections (help needed from each branch)

Museums

 * Aberdeen Museum of History
 * Chehalis Valley Historical Museum
 * Museum of North Beach
 * Polson Museum

Societies

 * Grays Harbor Historical Societies
 * Grays Harbor Genealogical Society

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