Washington, Cowlitz County Civil Court Dockets - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains docket books from the Cowlitz County Superior Court and from the Territory of Washington, Second Judicial District Court. The dockets are a calendar of court actions in civil cases including primarily divorces and disputed estates. The page numbers refer to pages in the docket book, the file number range refers to the cases included in the docket book. There is no name index to these records.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Names of interested parties
 * Date of court proceeding or transaction
 * Details of the case
 * Amount of money exchanged or paid
 * Names of witnesses

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * The location or date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * The records may contain names of family members, guardians, heirs and relatives
 * Use any date listed to search for birth, baptism, marriage and death records
 * Use the family names and relationships to trace to census records
 * Use the information to locate land, property, and immigration or emigration records

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching nearby locations
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Washington.
 * Washington Guided Research
 * Washington Record Finder
 * Washington Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1907 &#124; 1907-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Ruth Ott, and Dorothy York, co-editors; Margot Vaughan, consultant. History of Cowlitz County, Washington, 1983. Kelso, Washington : Cowlitz County Historical Society, c1983. FHL 979.788 H2hc
 * Cowlitz County civil court dockets, 1876-1951

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Guy Reed Ramsey. Postmarked Washington : Lewis and Cowlitz counties. Chehalis, Washington : Lewis County Historical Society (TN), 1978

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.