by Kathleen L. Weber
It’s hard to deny Washington’s natural beauty. The Cascade Mountains divide the state into east and west, and the Columbia River serves as its southern border with Oregon. The waters of Puget Sound drew early settlement and connect communities to the Salish Sea and beyond, including into Canada and directly to the Pacific Ocean.
Find your ancestors in the Evergreen State with this timeless genealogy advice.
Part of the Oregon Territory, 1848; Washington Territory, 1853
1889
1857–1892 (sporadic)
1860
Public
1907
1968
Washington Department of Health
Center for Health Statistics
Town Center 1
101 Israel Rd. SE
Turnwater, WA 98501
(360) 236-4300
Native peoples have lived in what is now Washington for thousands of years. By the time of European contact, notable groups included the Chinook, Nez Perce, Puget Sound Salish, Walla Walla and Yakama. The names of many towns and rivers attest to their presence: Walla Walla and Yakima (referring to those respective peoples), and Tacoma and Seattle (both derived from Puget Sound Salish names). The state is home to 29 federally recognized tribes.
A few intrepid European and American adventurers arrived in the 18th century by land and by sea, in search of a famed Northwest Passage. They found waters full of salmon, forests full of timber, abundant wildlife, wide expanses of open space, rivers for transportation, and communities of Native Americans.
Lewis and Clark travelled west under President Jefferson’s discovery mandate, all while recording their observations. In 1805, their path crossed Eastern Washington and along the Columbia River, toward the Pacific Ocean. The United Kingdom also maintained claim to the broad “Oregon Country,” which stretched from the 42nd parallel all he way to the 54th. The Treaty of 1818 allowed joint British-US occupation, though the British Hudson Bay Company was the most prominent force in the region. The British founded Fort Vancouver in 1824 in an attempt to protect their fur-trading interests.
American settlement flowed gradually into the area by the mid-1800s, with pioneers arriving by horseback, then covered wagon, then railroads. The famous Oregon Trail passed just to Washington’s south, with some pioneers choosing to settle the northern banks of the Columbia River. The United Kingdom ceded its claim to Oregon Country south of the 49th parallel in 1846 with the Oregon Treaty. This largely ended tensions between the two powers, though they flared again in 1859 during the so-called “Pig War” in the San Juan Islands.
Congress initially organized the land as Oregon Territory, then spun off Washington Territory in 1853. At the time, it included parts of Idaho and Montana. Residents initially sought “Columbia” as the name of their new territory, but Congress felt that would cause confusion with the District of Columbia. Ironically, they chose “Washington” instead, in honor of the famous general and president. To distinguish the territory or state from that “other Washington” (the national capital), look for online resources for Washington state.
American settlers founded towns on the Puget Sound and near the Columbia River, taking advantage of the area’s ample natural resources through logging, fishing, mining and farming.
Early standout communities founded in the 1850s include Walla Walla and Port Townsend, plus Seattle and Olympia (the state’s capital) along the Puget Sound. Nearby Tacoma was incorporated in 1875.
Encroachment on Native lands (hastened by gold rushes) and broken agreements with the US government led to a series of wars with tribes throughout the 1850s. Territory Governor Isaac Ingalls Stevens brokered treaties with several tribes that confined them to reservations. Washington gained statehood in 1889—marking an important transition for genealogists from territorial to state records. The new state served as a jumping-off point for gold-seekers to Alaska and the Yukon, drawing a diverse population. By 1890, foreign-born residents (notably from Canada, England, Germany and Scandinavia) made up 28 percent of the population.
Among Washingtonians are many entrepreneurs, with internationally known brands such as Amazon, Boeing, Nordstrom, Starbucks and UPS all being founded in Washington. Famed tech company Microsoft has been headquartered in the state since 1979.
1805
Lewis and Clark reach modern Washington on
their survey of the West
1818
A treaty establishes joint occupation of Oregon
Country between the United States and the United Kingdom
1846
The Oregon Treaty confirms Washington
is US territory
1853
Washington Territory is spun off from Oregon Territory
1859
US and British troops both occupy the San
Juan Islands in the so-called “Pig War
1889
Washington become
the 42nd state; fires
wreak havoc in Seattle,
Spokane and Ellensburg
1909
The Alaska-Yukon- Pacific Exposition
attracts millions of visitors to the region
1911
Pend Oreille County is created from Stevens
County, the last major change to Washington’s county borders
1962
The Space Needle in Seattle opens for the
Century 21 Exposition world’s fair
1980
Mount St. Helens erupts, making international
headlines and creating widespread destruction of Mount Rainier National Park
Washington. Published By Asher and Adams. New York. 1874. (David Rumsey Map Collection)
The state first required birth and death certificates in 1907, and the state department of health holds documents created after July 1 of that year. Prior to that, vital record-keeping was left to individual county auditors. Records are widely available through the Washington State Digital Archives.
Marriage records were not required by the state until 1968. Prior to that time, counties documented residents’ marriages. The state digital archives hold record images; you’ll have
access only to indexes for more-recent marriages. Newspapers often report local marriage licenses issued or wedding festivities, so they can often be a source of additional details. Specific churches may also retain records of marriages, as well as baptisms, and burials. These records are widely dispersed—consult the FamilySearch Research Wiki for suggestions.
Note that the state digital archives’ search form is unforgiving when it comes to name-spelling. When looking for vital records (as well as for other documents in the archives’ robust collections), try alternate spellings.
Settlements in modern Washington were enumerated as part of Oregon Territory in the 1850 US census. Washington first appeared as a territory in its own right in 1860. Conducted every 10 years, the US census is widely available on multiple websites, though most records of the 1890 census have been lost. Washington Territory helpfully kept many of its own censuses, with some places enumerated as early as the 1850s. Counts in 1889 and 1892 can stand in for the lost 1890 federal census. The Washington State Digital Archives, Ancestry.com, and FamilySearch each hold digital copies.
Like most Western states (which are public-land states), Washington had its land distributed by the federal government. Early residents may have received land grants directly from the government, while others took advantage of the Homestead Acts of 1862. The Bureau of Land Management holds land patents for these initial transfers of land.
Subsequent transactions (usually between individuals) are recorded by the county in its deed books. Each county has its own policy for if, how and where records are available online; start with FamilySearch and the county clerk’s office.
These document life events in different ways than more-traditional records, and often with interesting detail. From a newspaper article, for example, I learned that my great-grandparents’ window blew out in May 1915 after a boat full of dynamite mysteriously exploded in Seattle’s Elliott Bay. Free sites include both Washington Digital Newspapers and Chronicling America. Subscription sites include Newspapers.com and GenealogyBank.
The Washington State Library is Washington’s flagship institution, but several other libraries have statewide coverage. The Seattle Public Library has city directories
from across the region, a fabulous map collection, digitized newspapers, and genealogy librarians on staff. And University of Washington Libraries have collected original documents that are open to the public. Request an appointment ahead of visiting if you’d like help from library staff.
Likewise, historical and genealogical societies around the state can hold valuable resources for your genealogical search. The Seattle Genealogical Society, for example, has a Pacific Northwest (PNW) Special Interest Group that meets virtually each month to share sources, strategies and successes. Run an online search for societies in your area of interest. Or visit Washington Rural Heritage, where groups have uploaded documents and photos
Courts have been active in Washington since the territorial government was formed, and have heard probate, civil, naturalization and criminal cases. You can find some records at FamilySearch and Ancestry.com; original files are held by the state archives and can be requested for a fee. (Territorial-era cases are called “Frontier Justice” case files.) A court records index for King County, the most-populous in the state, is held by the Seattle Genealogical Society.
Though far from the main theaters of the Civil War, Washington Territory provided volunteers who maintained defensive positions elsewhere. And her residents served in other conflicts, notably the various Indian Wars. The FamilySearch Research Wiki provides a good overview of military record sources; FamilySearch and the state archives both offer ample sources to explore. The National Archives holds many original military documents.
FamilySearch Research Wiki: Washington
Washington State Digital Archives
Exploring Washington’s Past: A Road Guide to History, revised edition by Carmela Alexander and Ruth Kirk (University of Washington Press)
Historical Atlas of Washington by James W. Scott and Roland L. De Lorme (University of Oklahoma Press)
Washington State Place Names: From Alki to Yelm by Doug Brokenshire (Caxton Press)
Washington’s History: The People, Land, and Events of the Far Northwest, revised edition by Harry Ritter (WestWinds Press)
Seattle Public Library: Seattle Room Collections
Washington State Genealogical Society
Washington State Historical Society
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