Washington, County Probate Case Files - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection includes probate records for the years 1832 to 1950. This collection includes probate records created in the following county courts: • 2 Each county began keeping probate records from the time the county was created.

Probate records were used to legally dispose of a person’s estate after his or her death. If the deceased had made a will, the probate process transferred the following from the deceased to an executor or executrix: the legal responsibility for payment of taxes, care and custody of dependent family members, liquidation of debts, and transfer of property title to heirs. If there was no will, the transfer went to an administrator or administratrix. A guardian or conservator was appointed if the deceased had heirs younger than 21 or if the heirs were incompetent due to disability or disease.

The death date, residence, and other facts that were current at the time of the probate proceedings are reliable, but realize that there is still a chance of misinformation. The records may omit the names of deceased family members or those who had previously received an inheritance. In some cases, the spouse mentioned in the will was not the parent of the children mentioned. Also, some wills do not name family members.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records: • 2

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.

What Do I Do Next?
If these are indexes, the original records may contain additional information than was not indexed, or the information might have been indexed incorrectly. You may want to search for the original record at the Washington State Archives.

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use a Probate record to identify adoptions, guardians, heirs and relatives
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to find birth, baptism, and marriage records
 * Use the probate dates to approximate a death date and search for death or burial information
 * Use the information found in the record to find land and property 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 in 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 research your family in the state of Washington.
 * Beginning Research in United States Probate Records
 * 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

 * Adams County, will records, 1888-1959
 * Asotin County, probate case files, 1884-1972
 * Chelan County, probate case files, 1888-1930
 * Clark County. wills, 1890-1951
 * Columbia County, probate case files, 1878-1943
 * Columbia County, probate case files, 1877-1915
 * Cowlitz County, index to wills, 1882-1914
 * Franklin County, probate case files, 1890-1930
 * Garfield County, wills, 1882-1962
 * Grays Harbor County, probate case files, 1857-1959
 * Grays Harbor County. wills, 1860-1938
 * Lincoln County, wills, 1884-1945
 * Mason County. Wills, 1884-1929
 * Pend Oreille County, wills, 1907-1969
 * Skamania County, wills, 1872-1962
 * Spokane County, wills, 1878-1886
 * Stevens County, probate case files, 1886-1891
 * Thurston County, wills, 1876-1937
 * Wahkiakum County, wills, 1865-1970
 * Whitman County, wills, 1892-1937
 * Yakima County, probate case files, 1874-1930

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.