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Asotin County, Washington Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Asotin
Organized: October 27, 1883
Parent County(s): Garfield
Neighboring Counties
Garfield • Whitman • Nez Perce (ID) • Wallowa (OR)
See County Maps
Courthouse
Washington, Asotin County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Wa-asotin.png

View of Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Asotin County, Washington

County Information

Description

Asotin County was named from a Nez Perce word meaning "Eel Creek". The county is located in the southeastern area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse

Asotin County Courthouse
135 2nd Street
Asotin, WA 99402-0159
Phone: 509-243-2027
Asotin County Website

County Auditor has birth and marriage records from 1891 and death records 1891-1907.
County Clerk has divorce and probate records.
County Assessor has land records from 1891. [2]

Asotin County, Washington Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1891 1891 1891 1886 1891 1885 1850
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1907. General compliance by 1917.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.[4]

Boundary Changes

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:[7]

Cities
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Ghost towns


History Timeline

Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Phil Dougherty. Asotin County -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org, Essay 7643.

  • 1805 Before this time, the Nez Perce Indians lived in Asotin County for many years before Lewis and Clark arrived.
  • 1805 Lewis and Clark passed through the county on their expedition, both outbound to the Pacific Ocean.
  • 1834 February, Captain Benjamin Bonneville led the next major expedition through Asotin County.
  • 1853 March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
  • 1854 April 25, Washington Territorial Legislature creates Walla Walla County.
  • 1850s Part of what would later become Asotin County (as well as part of adjoining Idaho) became an Indian reservation, resulting in the relocation of a fairly significant number of Native Americans to the future Asotin County.
  • 1861 June 10, Whites made a few tentative settlements in Asotin County during the 1860s. The first settler, Sam Smith, arrived near the confluence of Alpowa Creek and the Snake River.
  • 1861-1862 Severe winter devastates Eastern Washington settlers.
  • 1863-March 4 President Abraham Lincoln signs law separating new Idaho Territory from Washington.
  • 1875-November 11 Washington Territorial Legislature creates Columbia County (out of Walla Walla).
  • 1881-November 29 Washington Territorial Legislature creates Garfield County (out of Columbia County).
  • 1883-October 27 Washington Territorial Legislature creates Asotin County (out of Garfield).

Additional Information
The name "Asotin" is from the Nez Perce language and means "place of eel" from the abundance of eels caught there.

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Biographical information is often found in Local Histories and in Genealogies (please see those headings). See also Washington Biography.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Asotin County, Washington online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Washington Cemeteries for more information.


Census Records

See Washington Census for online censuses, including territorial. For more information, see United States Census.

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1890 1,580 —
1900 3,366 113.0%
1910 5,831 73.2%
1920 6,539 12.1%
1930 8,136 24.4%
1940 8,365 2.8%
1950 10,878 30.0%
1960 12,909 18.7%
1970 13,799 6.9%
1980 16,823 21.9%
1990 17,605 4.6%
2000 20,551 16.7%
2010 22,582 9.9%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".
Federal: 1910
Territorial: 1885,1887, 1889

Church Records

The information church records provide depends upon the church practices and the record keepers. Records may include names, ages, and dates of events such as baptism, marriage, or burial. See Washington Church Records.

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

Your ancestors may be found in court records as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors. Highly variable in personal information, court records can mention relatives, occupations, or pinpoint residences and dates. See Washington Court Records for the various courts used through the years.

Online Court Indexes and Records

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
Asotin County Frontier Justice Records Now Online blog post

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

American Indian

Japanese

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Many local libraries and societies have collections of family genealogies. Local histories or biographies often include brief genealogies of the featured persons. See also Washington Compiled Genealogies.

Guardianship

Guardianship of orphans or adults unable to manage their own affairs were handled by Probate or District courts. See Washington Court Records and Washington Probate Records.

Land and Property Records

Online Land Indexes and Records

  • 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.
  • Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Local Histories

Local histories for Asotin County may include biographies, history of churches, schools, local government with names of officials, military information, and more. See Washington Local Histories.

  • An Illustrated History of Southeastern Washington : including Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin Counties, Washington, compiled by Frederic Ambrose Shaver, et. al. [Spokane, Washington] : Western Historical Publishing Company, 1906. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • Lyman's History of Old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin Counties, by W.D. Lyman. Chicago, Ill., S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1918. Online at: HathiTrust.

Maps and Gazetteers

WhitmanGarfieldNez Perce County, IDLewis County, IDWallowa County, ORWA ASOTIN.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Most residents came to Washington from other states or crossed the border from Canada. (See Seattle Passenger Lists for those who came from other countries.) Although few other migration records exist, try:
• Censuses: (use birthdates and places of children as clues)
• Land Records: (1st deed may reveal previous residence)
• Death-related records of children may give town or county of birth
• Records of relatives and neighbors

Military Records

Indian Wars

World War I

World War II

Japanese

Naturalization and Citizenship

Declarations of Intent before 1906 often include the nation of origin, foreign and "Americanized" names, residence, and date of arrival. See Washington Naturalization and Citizenship for more information. Note: Until 1922 in the United States, women's citizenship was based on that of their husbands.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Newspapers

Small town newspapers provide historical content and contain obituaries, birth or death notices, legal notices, and community news, such as visits to or from out-of-town relatives. See Washington Newspapers for tips, resources, and details.

Obituaries

Obituaries may mention birth, marriage, spouse, parents, living family members, education, occupation, and more. See Washington Obituaries for state level collections and United States Obituaries for tips and insights.

Other Records

Correctional Institutions

Public Records

Voting Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

Probate records identify heirs of the decedents, give the (approximate) death dates, and provide specifics about property holdings. The records were kept by the county judge.

These include wills, inheritance records, dockets, and other documents regarding property and estates of individuals who have died. See also Court Records for civil actions involving estates. Also see Washington Probate Records.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

Washington tax records complement land records and can supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page Washington Taxation.

Vital Records

In 1891, coroners, physicians, and midwives were to "return" births and deaths to the county auditor. Many went unrecorded. On July 1, 1907, the State Center for Health Statistics assumed this responsibility.[8]

Birth

Marriage

Death

Divorce

The county clerk has the divorce records. To order certificates, see Washington State Department of Health.

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Asotin County. For state-wide facilities, see Washington Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Local public libraries—even smaller ones—often have Unique Genealogical Collections that are not online for the area they serve. Many libraries in Washington have an area dedicated to local history and genealogy. Listed below are libraries in Asotin County. For state-wide library facilities, see Washington Archives and Libraries.

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

Libraries
Asotin County Library
Downtown Branch
417 Sycamore
Clarkston WA 99403
Phone: 509-758-5454
Website

Asotin County Library
Heights Branch
2036 4th Ave.
Clarkston WA 99403
Phone: 509-758-4601
Website

Museums

Societies

Listed below are societies in Asotin County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Washington Societies.

Asotin County Genealogy
135 2nd St
Asotin, WA 99402

Websites

Check back often with websites. Local societies and libraries may know of other websites.

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Asotin County, Washington," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asotin_County,_Washington. accessed 15/07/2019
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Asotin County, Washington page 732, At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Asotin County, Washington . Page 732-735 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 733-734.
  4. ↑ Information extracted from Wikipedia, RAOGK, Handybook For Genealogists, Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, numerous state and county websites. There is no known record loss from these sources for this county.
  5. ↑ The Evolution of Washington Counties by Newton Carl Abbott, Fred E. Carver, 1979. Published by the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society and Klickitat County Genealogical Society.
  6. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  7. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Asotin County, Washington," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asotin_County,_Washington, accessed 4 March 2019.
  8. ↑ Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, Birth Records, About this Collection & Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, Death Records About Death Records
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