Whitman County, Washington Genealogy

Guide to Whitman 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 for Marcus Whitman, a Presbyterian missionary who, with his wife Narcissa, was killed in 1847 by members of the Cayuse tribe. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Whitman County Courthouse 400 North Main Street Colfax, WA 99111-2031 Phone: 509-397-6244 Whitman County Website

County Clerk has marriage records 1872-1891, probate records from 1870, divorce and court records from 1864, and naturalization records 1862-1942. County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907 and 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

 * 1805 October 11-13, Lewis and Clark canoed on the Snake River along the southern boundary of Whitman County.
 * 1853 March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1859 June, The first recorded Euro-American exploration along Union Flat Creek, the birthplace of settlement for Whitman County, by Lieutenant John Mullan of the United States Army.
 * 1871 November 29, The county was formed from Stevens County.
 * 2002 The county has a primarily agricultural history, with an emphasis on wheat (today it ranks first in wheat production among Washington counties and second among counties in the nation).
 * Whitman County, was home to bands of Palouse and other Sahaptin-speaking people, including the Nez Perce tribe.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

Census Records

 * Index to the 1880 census of Whitman County, Washington Territory Publication online.
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives
 * Federal: 1910
 * Territorial: 1883, 1885,1887,1889


 * 1850-1914 Web: Washington, U.S., Various County Census Records, 1850-1914 at Ancestry (Free)

Church Records
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
 * Whitman 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.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
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

Local Histories
Washington State University is located in Pullman.
 * Historic sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and Garfield Counties, Washington Territory, and Umatilla County, Oregon . For free at Archive.org.
 * An Illustrated history of Whitman County, state of Washington
 * Pullman Primer Pullman Washington Home of the State college of Washington planned and executed by Sunset Magazine Homeseekers' Bureau [Pullman, Wash.: Pullman Chamber of Commerce, 1911?]

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Family Maps of Whitman County, Washington (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

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

World War II
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

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes Declarations of intention 1868-1907; Petitions for naturalization 1894-1945.
 * 1868-1945 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images); See what genealogical information may be in these records; Includes Declarations of intention 1868-1907; Petitions for naturalization 1894-1945.

Newspapers

 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library
 * Walla Walla Statesman newspaper, online at the Washington State Library, may have articles covering early Whitman County.
 * Whitman County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)
 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)

Other Records
Election Records
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

Public Records
 * Prior to 1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes Certificates of election and oath of office 1876-1930; Record of general elections 1892-1938; Record of primary elections 1892-1924.

Voting Records


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

Periodicals

 * Washington Periodicals

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Includes Probate bonds 1877-1951; journal 1897-1967; minute book 1885-1954; Real estate index 1877-1882; Wills 1892-1937; Wills and bonds 1876-1878.


 * 1892-1937 Whitman County Washington list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills. - free

School Records
Online School Indexes and Records
 * 1892-1938 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes School census records 1894-1932; School vouchers and orders paid 1881-1889

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

Birth

 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1871-1921 Department of Health, Delayed Birth Records at Washington State Archives - index and images; includes some earlier and later dates
 * 1873-1907 Birth Records, 1873-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.
 * 1873-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1875-Aug 1907 Births from Whitman County Jan. 1875 to Aug 1907.
 * 1890-1907 Washington State Digital Archives has a database of Whitman County Birth Records. This database contains the names and birth records of people who were born in Whitman County from 1890 to 1907.

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Includes Marriage affidavits 1917-1939; certificates 1872-1925; record index 1873-1947 register 1891-1943.
 * 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1872-1909 Western States Marriage Index
 * 1872-2002 Marriage Records, 1872-2002 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.
 * 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

 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1881-1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1891-1907 Death Returns, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives
 * 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

 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 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

Family History Centers

 * Basin City Washington Family History Center
 * Columbia Basin Washington Family History Center
 * Othello Washington Family History Center
 * Ritzville Washington Family History Center
 * Warden Washington Family History Center
 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library

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

Libraries
 * Whitman County Rural Library District Website
 * Pullman (Niell Public Library) Website

Societies

 * Whitman County Genealogical Society 115 NW State Street, Room 103A PO Box 393 Pullman, Washington 99163-0393 Website Facebook

Websites

 * WAGenWeb Whitman County
 * USGW Archives
 * Washington State Digital Archives
 * Websites at RootsWeb -Whitman 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.