Cowlitz County, Washington Genealogy

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

Description
The County was named from the anglicized version of the Cowlitz Indian term, Cow-e-liske, meaning either "river of shifting sands" or "capturing the medicine spirit." The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Cowlitz County Courthouse 312 SW 1st Ave Kelso, WA 98626-1798 Phone 360-577-3016 Cowlitz County Website

County Auditor has marriage record from 1867, death record 1891-1907 and land records. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1874, naturalization and adoption records from 1869.

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

History Timeline

 * The original inhabitants of the lands drained by the Cowlitz River were variously called The, Cow-a-lidsk, Cowalitsk, Cow-e-lis-kee, Cowelits, Cowlitch, Co-litsick, Kawelitsk, Kowlitz.
 * 1792 The first Europeans to visit the county were British seafarers.
 * 1805 November 5, Lewis and Clark camped at the mouth of the Kalama River, under orders from President Thomas Jefferson.
 * 1825 Permanent settlers arrived from the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) at Fort Vancouver.
 * 1828 The first white man credited with ascending the Cowlitz River was HBC Factor George Simpson.
 * 1820s (late)- 1830s The Cowlitz became an important artery for trappers and for communication with Fort Vancouver subposts at Cowlitz Farms and Nisqually Farms.
 * 1847 December 25, The first American to settle in the future Cowlitz County was Scotsman Peter W. Crawford (1822-1889), who took a on the left bank of the Cowlitz near the mouth of the Coweeman.
 * 1853 March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1854 April 21, The Washington Territorial Legislature formed Cowlitz County.

Cemeteries

 * Cowlitz County Genealogical Resources by Cowlitz County Genealogical Society at FamilySearch - images only

Census Records

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives and Ancestry ($)
 * Federal:1910
 * Territorial: 1870, 1871, 1883, 1885, 1887.


 * 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
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint
 * Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * Kelso

Lutheran
 * Records of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Castle Rock, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

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
 * 1853-1889 Cowlitz Frontier Justice. Part of "Frontier Justice’’: Guide to the Court Records of Washington Territory, 1853-1889 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 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.


 * 1876-1951 Washington, Cowlitz County Civil Court Dockets, 1876-1951 at FamilySearch - images only
 * 1986-present Power of Attorney Records 1986 - present at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * Inventory of the county archives of Washington, no. 8. Cowlitz County (Kelso) at Ancestry - index and images ($)

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
American Indians
 * 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

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1986-2023 Cowlitz County Auditor, Recorded Land Records, 1986-2023 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1986-2023 Cowlitz County Auditor, Plats and Surveys, 1986-2023 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1986-2023 Cowlitz County Auditor, Recorded Agreements and Contracts, 1986-2023 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * County Recorder's Office: check deeds, file mining claims, get assistance in finding ownership of a particular property, and obtain copies of county plat maps. This office has county plat records dating back to 1878, prior records having been destroyed in a fire.

Local Histories

 * "Logging Industry in Cowlitz Co., Washington " online at DrizzleHosting.com
 * "Cowlitz Co., WA Databases " at DrizzleHosting.com
 * Cowlitz County, Washington Facts at StateofUS.com (mis-labeled as Cowlitz County, Alabama)
 * Inventory of the county archives of Washington, no. 8. Cowlitz County (Kelso) at Ancestry - index and images ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records

 * 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
 * World War II enlistments at The National Archives. Select search codes for state and county. These are partial lists. The NARA website cautions: "This series does not contain records of all World War II Army enlistees."

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
 * 1850-1982 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1856-1980 Cowlitz County, Naturalization Records, 1856-1980 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Newspapers

 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * Cowlitz County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)
 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library

Other Records
Public Records
 * Prior to 1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

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

Periodicals

 * Washington Periodicals

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only. Includes: collection of various records including vital, probate, school, tax, naturalization and other records.
 * 1832-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

School Records
Online School Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Includes collections of various records: vital, probate, school, tax, naturalization and other records.
 * School Registers are arranged by grade and gives names, ages, attendance.
 * School Censuses include names, birth dates, parents or guardians.

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

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Includes collections of various records: vital, probate, school, tax, naturalization and other records.

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
 * 1891-1940 Cowlitz County Birth Records, 1891-1940 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1854-1887 Western States Marriage Index at BYU Special Collections and Family History
 * 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1986-2022 Cowlitz County Auditor, Marriage Records, 1986-2022 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1968-1997 Department of Health, Marriage Certificates, 1968-1997 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 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
 * 1898-1907 Cowlitz County Auditor, Death Records, 1898-1907 at Washington State Archives - index and images
 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index ($)
 * 1907-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; 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
 * 1941-1943 Kalama City Clerk (Cowlitz Co), Burial Transit Permits, 1941-1943 at Washington State Archives - index and images

Divorce

 * 1852-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 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

 * Centralia Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Longview Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Morton Washington FamilySearch Center
 * St Helens Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Stevenson Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Vancouver Washington FamilySearch Center
 * Vancouver Washington North FamilySearch Center
 * Vancouver Washington West FamilySearch Center
 * Vernonia Oregon FamilySearch Center
 * Clark County Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library

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

Libraries
 * Castle Rock Public Library 137 Cowlitz Street West PO Box 1350 Castle Rock, WA 98611 Phone: 360-274-6961 Email: [mailto:rocklibrary@hotmail.com rocklibrary@hotmail.com] Website
 * Kalama Public Library 312 N 1st PO Box 576 Kalama, WA 98625 Phone: 360-673-4568 Website
 * Kelso Public Library Three Rivers Mall 351 Three Rivers Drive, Suite 1263 Kelso, WA 98626 Phone: 360-423-8110 Website
 * Longview Public Library 1600 Louisiana Street Longview, WA 98632 Phone: 360-442-5300 Website
 * Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries 1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd. Vancouver, WA 98663 Phone: 360-906-5000 Website

Societies
Cowlitz County Historicial Society and Museum 405 Allen St. Kelso, WA 98626 360-577-3119 Website Facebook

Websites

 * Cowlitz WAGenWeb Project
 * USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Washington State Digital Archives
 * Websites at RootsWeb - Cowlitz WA
 * – 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.