Lewis County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Lewis County    Guide to  genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1861, when the county was formed.

Parent County(s)
Lewis County, Washington was created 21 December 1845.

Parent County: organized 21 December 1845 as an original county in the Oregon Territory.


 * County seat: Chehalis

County Seat: Chehalis. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Neighboring Counties
is surrounded by: Cowlitz | Grays Harbor | Pacific | Pierce | Skamania | Thurston | Wahkiakum | Yakima

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Dates of Major County Records
Note: The dates you see below have not yet been adapted to.

Topics
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

 * See Washington Census for online indexes and images of US federal censuses. of: 1856, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940.
 * See statewide printed indexes, including 1856.
 * Check county indexes when online indexes fail. Created by people who knew the families of the area, they are often more accurate and they may have added insights. See periodicals and local libraries or other record holders.


 * 1890 Veterans
 * 1900
 * 1910
 * 1920
 * 1930
 * 1940

Church Records

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

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. Lewis County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7449.


 * Native Americans calling themselves Chehalis and Meshall lived along the banks of the Chehalis River.
 * 1818-1846 - The United States and Great Britain jointly occupied Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.
 * 1838 - The Hudson's Bay Company established the Puget Sound Agricultural Company.
 * Cowlitz Farms, a part of the Puget Sound Agricultural Company, represented the first white settlement in the future Lewis County.
 * 1845 December 21 - The Oregon Territorial Legislature delineated Lewis County.
 * 1853 - Congress split off the land north of the Columbia to be Washington Territory.
 * 1855 February - Washington Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens convinced coastal tribes to sign the Quinault Treaty with the U.S. government.

Land and Property

 * County Land Records, 1850-1954 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization Records, 1850-1982 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

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.)

Newspapers

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

Probate Records

 * County Probate Case Files, 1832-1950 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Marriage

 * County Marriages, 1855-2008 FamilySearch Historicl Collections (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, 1852-1950FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Death

 * County Deaths, 1891-1907 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
 * 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.

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.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Centralia Washington Family History Center
 * Morton Washington Family History Center

Libraries
Local Libraries:

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