Adams County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Adams County, Washington ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
Adams County was named for the second President of the United States, John Adams. The county is located in the southeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Adams County Courthouse 210 W. Broadway Ritzville, WA 99169 Phone: 509-659-3271 Adams County Courthouse

County Auditor has birth and death records to 1907 and marriage records. County Clerk has divorce and probate records. County assessor has land records.

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:

History Timeline
Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Paula Becker. Adams County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7835.
 * 1803 Before this time, the land that would later make up Adams County was part of the territory of the Palouse tribe.
 * 1853 March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1863 January 20, Washington Territorial Legislature creates Stevens County.
 * 1869 George Lucas, an Irish emigrant, was Adams County's first permanent white settler. He established a way-station at Cow Creek along the road to
 * 1871 November 29, Washington Territorial Legislature creates Whitman County (out of Stevens).
 * 1880 James G. Bennett harvested a small wheat crop near Ritzville.
 * 1881 May, The began laying track through Adams County.
 * 1883 November 28, Washington Territorial Legislature creates Adams and Franklin counties (out of Whitman).
 * 1884 Brothers Ben and Sam Hutchinson built a cabin on lower Crab Creek.
 * 1889 November 11, Washington becomes a state.
 * 1897 Adams County bumper wheat crop spurs shift from cattle ranching.
 * 1901 The first homesteaders arrived.
 * 1928-1931 During a severe drought that resulted in dustbowl conditions, many people left the area.
 * 1942 was completed in 1942.
 * 1950 Construction on the reached the Othello area, bringing the water of the Columbia River to irrigate Adams County's dry land.

Bible Records
See also Washington Bible Records.

Cemeteries

 * Tombstone inscriptions of Adams County, Washington at Ancestry - index and images ($)

Census Records

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives
 * Territorial: 1885,1887, and 1889


 * 1850-1914 Web: Washington, U.S., Various County Census Records, 1850-1914 at Ancestry (Free)
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only. Select Browse all images, click county

Church Records

 * Pioneer History to about 1900... Adams County, Washington Churches of Christ and Christian Churches, at NCBible.org.

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

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1885-1889 Adams Frontier Justice Part of "Frontier Justice": Guide to the Court Records of Washington Territory, 1853-1888 at Washington State Archives - index and transcription
 * The court procedures of Frontier Justice touch nearly all pioneers of the 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. (Only 14 records for Adams County)


 * 1988-Present Adams County Auditor, Power of Attorney Records, 1988-Present at Washington State Archives - index and images (images from 1996-present)

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
American Indian
 * 1911-1919 at FamilySearch— How to Use this Collection; index & images

Japanese
 * 1942-1946 Public Welfare/Social Security Department, Evacuee (Japanese) Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946 at Washington State Archives - index and images; Assistance Cases, Evacuee Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946

Genealogies

 * Adams County History Book, 2 v. by Adams County Historical Society, online index to vol 1. "The book contains over 300 family histories"

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1895-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images; Includes Land Index 1895-1920; Petitions for sale of real estate 1903-1910.
 * 1988-2023 Adams County Auditor, Recorded Land Records, 1988-2023 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1988-2023 Adams County Auditor, Plats and Surveys, 1988-2023 at Washington State Archives - index and images.

Local Histories
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Adams County -- Thumbnail History at Historylink.org
 * An Illustrated History of the Big Bend Country; v.2; Embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin Counties by Western Historical Publishing Company [(Spokane, Wash.) Western Historical Pub. Co., 1904] at Internet Archive.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records

 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1885-1907 Military Department, National Guard Enlistment Register, 1885-1907 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Indian Wars
 * 1855-1856 Military Department, Indian War Muster Rolls, 1855-1856 at Washington State Archives - index and images

World War I
 * 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

World War II

Japanese
 * 1942-1946 Public Welfare/Social Security Department, Evacuee (Japanese) Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946 at Washington State Archives - index and images; Assistance Cases, Evacuee Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1890-1906 Adams County Clerk, Register of Orders of Naturalization, 1890-1906 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1890-1907 Adams County Clerk, Register of Declarations of Intent, 1890-1907 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1890-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images; Includes Naturalization card index 1890-1945; Naturalization records-miscellaneous 1917-1927; Naturalization records 1898-1906.
 * 1903-1956 Adams County Clerk, Naturalization Records, 1903-1956 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1906-1945 Adams County Clerk, Certificates of Naturalization, 1906-1945 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Newspapers

 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1898-1906 Adams County News at Washington State Library
 * 1903-1905 Adams County News at Chronicling America.
 * Adams County, Washington Newspapers - List of known newspapers for the county, including town and years published for each newspaper

Other Records
Public Records
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Prior to 1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1910-1938 Part of Washington County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch
 * 1988-Present Adams County Auditor, Miscellaneous Recordings, 1988-Present at Washington State Archives - Index & Images; Includes a variety of documents, such as affidavits for wills or property, judgements, even occasional death records.
 * 1988-Present Adams County Auditor, Recorded Ordinances, 1988-Present at Washington State Archives. Index & images. Passed by various governing bodies in Adams County and recorded by the Adams County Auditor
 * 1988-Present Adams County Auditor, Power of Attorney Records, 1988-Present at Washington State Archives. Index & images. (Indexes and some images); One person (grantor) appoints another person (grantee) to act on his or her behalf in health, financial, and property issues.

Voting Records
 * 1876-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1880-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images

Periodicals

 * Washington Periodicals

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1888-1964 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images; Includes Probate bonds 1903-1923; Probate claims 1903-1917; Probate letters 1904-1927; Probate records1885-1931; Will record index 1885-1920; Will records 1888-1959; Letters of Administration 1888-1964.

School Records
Online School Indexes and Records
 * 1903-1932 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images; Includes School census 1912-1932; School registers 1903-1926.

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Vital Records

 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010(*) at FamilySearch -How to Use this Collection; images - choose by record type

Birth

 * 1852-1963 Washington, Births at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1871-1921 Department of Health, Delayed Birth Records at Washington State Archives - index and images; includes some earlier and later dates
 * 1873-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1892-1907 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1894-1915 Adams County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1894-1915 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1894-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images; Includes School census 1912-1932; School registers 1903-1926.

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1865-2004 Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004 at Ancestry ($) - index and images
 * 1884-1892 Western States Marriage Index at BYU Idaho Special Collections; index
 * 1884-Present Adams County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1884-Present at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1937 Adams County Auditor, Marriage Certificates, 1937 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1968-1997 Department of Health, Marriage Certificates, 1968-1997 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1969-2022 Department of Health, Marriage Index, 1969-2022 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Death

 * 1881-1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1891-1907, 1929 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1893-1907 Adams County Auditor, Death Records, 1893-1907 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1907-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * 1907-1997 Department of Health, Death Certificates, July 1, 1907-1997 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1907-2020 Department of Health, Death Index, 1907-1960; 1965-2020 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1915-1928 Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Fatal Accident Cards, 1915-1928 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1919-1921 Department of Health, Fetal Death Records, 1919-1921 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Divorce

 * 1968-1997 Department of Health, Divorce Certificates, 1968-1997 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1969-2017 Department of Health, Divorce Index, 1969-2017 at Washington State Archives - index and images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Basin City Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Ephrata Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Moses Lake Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Othello Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Quincy Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Ritzville Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Royal Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Wahluke Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Warden Washington FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Resources for Adams County are available in libraries, archives, and other repositories at all levels: the town, the county, the state (including universities), and the nation.

Libraries Mid-Columbia Libraries, Othello Branch 101 E. Main Street Othello, WA 99344 Phone: 509-488-9683 Website
 * Online Resources: Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest, and others.

Ritzville Public Library 302 W Main Ritzville, WA 99169 Phone: 509-659-1222 Website

Societies
Adams County Historical Society Box 526 Lind, WA 99341-0526 509-677-3642 Facebook Website

Websites

 * Adams County WAGenWeb Project
 * USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Washington State Digital Archives
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.