Whatcom County, Washington Genealogy

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

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County was named for the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water." The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

Parent County(s)
Whatcom County, Washington was created 9 March 1854 from Island County.

County Seat: Bellingham. See also Towns and Communities in. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse
Whatcom County Courthouse 311 Grand Avenue PO Box 1144 Bellingham, WA 98227 Phone: 360.676.6777 Whatcom County Website County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907, marriage records from 1869 and land records; County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Biography
History of Whatcom County, WorldCat: Author: Lottie Roeder Roth, Publisher: Chicago : Pioneer Historical Pub. Co., 1926. Brief biographies of well-known citizens of the era of publication, as well as history of the early years of the community.

Cemeteries

 * Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)


 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Lot and burial record 1884-1959; Lot purchase record 1887-1904; Woodlawn Cemetery burial list 1886-2007.


 * Map of Whatcom County cemeteries (PDF)


 * Bayview Cemetery

Census

 * Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes School census index 1890-1932; School census records 1885-1933.


 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free); and Ancestry ($)
 * Federal: 1910
 * Territorial: 1871 • 1885 •  1889
 * 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.)


 * Records From Some Early Bellingham Churches

Lutheran

 * Records of Central Lutheran Church, Bellingham, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * Whatcom 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)
 * The court procedure of Frontier Justice touch nearly all pioneers of 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.

Directories

 * Earliest Directories for Fairhaven, Bellingham, Whatcom and New Whatcom/Sehome
 * 1905-1906 Bellingham / Whatcom Directory (28,300K PDF)
 * 1915 Bellingham / Whatcom Directory (44,200K PDF)

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

Maps and Gazetteers

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

History
Edition/Format:


 * "Whatcom County, Washington Facts" at StateOfUS.com (it is mis-labeled as Whatcom County, Alabama)
 * "History of Whatcom County", Author: Lottie Roeder Roth, Publisher:Chicago : Pioneer Historical Pub. Co., 1926. There are a few versions of this work beginning in 1926, with later works adding an index and microform format available.

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 Janet Oakley. Whatcom County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7327.


 * In historic times there were three tribal groups in the county: the Lummi, Nooksack, and Semiahmoo.
 * 1791 - Spanish explorer Manuel Quimper sent a sloop into the Strait of San Juan de Fuca and "discovered" Mount Baker.
 * 1827 - The Hudson’s Bay Company established Fort Langley north of modern day Lynden.
 * 1853 - Edward Eldridge arrived in Whatcom from California to work at the mill, bringing sawmill machinery.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1854 - Settlers filed claims on the south end of the bay, setting the future site of Fairhaven, one of four towns that would develop on the shoreline.
 * 1854 - March 9, Whatcom County was established by the Washington territorial government from a portion of Island County.
 * 1857-1858 - Survey work began on the international boundary at the 49th parallel.
 * 1859 - John Tennant and his Lummi wife Clara filed the first official claim on the Nooksack River.
 * 1881 - The "Washington Colony," a group of utopian Kansans, re-established the mill at Whatcom Creek.
 * 1899 - Whatcom County boomed when the Pacific American Fisheries (PAC) organized in Fairhaven.

Military

 * 1921-1925 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Louis Jacobin, comp. With the colors, from Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan Counties : an honor roll containing a pictorial record of the gallant and courageous men from northwestern Washington, U.S.A., who served in the world war, 1917-1918-1919.Seattle, Washington : Peters Pub. Co, 1921


 * Some Whatcom County Military Records Mostly Civil War related

Naturalization and Citizenship

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


 * Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Applications to take oath of allegiance 1921-1945; Certificate of citizenship 1892; Citizenship petitions granted 1930-1947; Declarations of intention 1872-1947; Final citizenship record 1890-1906; Index to declarations of intention 1884-1945; Index to naturalization certificates 1890-1896; Index to naturalizations 1884-1945; Memorandum of declarations of intention 1906-1907; Minors final citizenship record 1896-1902; Naturalization final record 1890-1906; Petition and record 1906-1946.


 * Naturalization Records, 1872-1988 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Newspapers

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

Obituaries

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

Probate Records

 * FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Public Records

 * Whatcom County recorded documents online
 * Whatcom Postmaster Index. Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections for Washington. (Free, browse images)

Repositories

 * Whatcom Genealogical Society

School Records
School Censuses provide name of parent or guardian, name and age of child, and residence.


 * Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes School census index 1890-1932; School census records 1885-1933.

Birth

 * Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)


 * Includes Birth registers 1891-1907; Birth returns 1891-1907; Births (delayed) 1871-1907.


 * — index and images


 * Birth Returns, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 - Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1855–2008 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Index to Certificates 1870-1984; Affidavits 1883-1939; Marriage and Miscellaneous Business Licenses 1879-1917; Applications and Affidavits, Probate Bonds 1869-1877; Certificates 1890-1928; License Applications 1890-2011; Licenses 1900-1971; Returns 1891-1947.


 * 1891-1947 - Marriage returns (1891-1947) and marriage certificates (1899-1995 with images, at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)


 * 1969-2014 - at FamilySearch — index

Divorce

 * 1969 - 2014 - at FamilySearch — index

Death

 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
 * Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)


 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes Death registers 1890-1904; Death returns 1891-1907; Bellingham death registers 1904-1915; Obituaries 1889-1995.


 * Washington State Digital Archives also has a database of Whatcom County Death Records containing the names and death records of people who died or whose deaths were recorded in Whatcom County from 1891 to 1907.


 * at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.

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

 * Bellingham Washington Family History Center
 * Mount Vernon Washington Family History Center
 * San Juan Washington Family History Center


 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Bellingham Public Library  Website


 * Branches, locations and hours


 * Whatcom County Library System Website


 * Branches, locations, and hours

Societies
WHATCOM GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY P.O. Box 1493 Bellingham, WA 98227-1493 Website Facebook

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: