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Clallam County, Washington Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Port Angeles
Organized: April 26, 1854
Parent County(s): Jefferson
Neighboring Counties
Jefferson
See County Maps
Courthouse
Washington, Clallam County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Wa-clallam.png



Cape Olympic National Park, Hon Rain Forest, Calallam County, Washington

County Information

Description

Clallam County was named for a Klallam word meaning "the strong people". The county is located in the northwestern area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse

Clallam County Courthouse
223 E 4th Street, PO Box 863
Port Angeles, WA 98362-3025
Phone: 360-417-2560
Clallam County Website

County Auditor has marriage and land records.
County Clerk has probate records.[2]

Clallam County, Washington Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1895 1878 1891 1889 1859 1888 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.

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
American Indian 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 Kit Oldham. Clallam County -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org, Essay 7576.

  • 1803 Before this time, the county was composed of the traditional lands of the Klallam (for whom it is named), Makah, and Quileute people.
  • 1700s It was one of the first parts of Washington contacted by European explorers.
  • 1850 The first permanent settlers came to the county.
  • 1850s The explorers brought European diseases that devastated Klallam, Makah, and Quileute populations, as they did all Northwest peoples.
  • 1851 The first settlers in the future Clallam County staked claims at New Dungeness.
  • 1853-March 2 U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
  • 1854-April 26 Washington Territorial Legislature creates Clallam County.
  • 1857 Henry R. Webster and others succeeded in establishing a trading post at Neah Bay.
  • 1878 Luther and Esther Ford and their children settled 15 miles inland from La Push on the fertile open ground known as Indian Prairie.
  • 1889-November 11 President Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) created the Quiluete Reservation at La Push by executive order.

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 Clallam 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. %±
1860 149 —
1870 408 173.8%
1880 638 56.4%
1890 2,771 334.3%
1900 5,603 102.2%
1910 6,755 20.6%
1920 11,368 68.3%
1930 20,449 79.9%
1940 21,848 6.8%
1950 26,396 20.8%
1960 30,022 13.7%
1970 34,770 15.8%
1980 51,648 48.5%
1990 56,464 9.3%
2000 64,525 14.3%
2010 71,404 10.7%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".
Federal: 1910
Territorial: 1857, 1870, 1871, 1883,1885, 1887 and 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

  • 1853-1888 Clallam Frontier Justice Part of "Frontier Justice": Guide to the Court Records of Washington Territory, 1853-1888 at Washington State Digital Archives. (Free Index, no images)
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

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

American Indians

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

Local Histories

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

Maps and Gazetteers

JeffersonSan Juan IslandVancouver Island, BCSan Juan IslandWA CLALLAM.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

  • World War II enlistments at the National Archives. Select search parameters for state and county. These lists are partial. The NARA website cautions: "This series does not contain records of all World War II Army enlistees."

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.

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

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 Clallam 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 Clallam County. For state-wide library facilities, see Washington Archives and Libraries.

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

North Olympic Library System
16990 Highway 112
Clallam Bay, WA 98326
Phone: 360-963-2414
Website
Multiple locations

Museums

Societies

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

Clallam County Genealogical Society
403 E 8th St
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Phone: 360-417-5000
Website
Facebook

Websites

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

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Clallam County, Washington," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clallam_County,_Washington, accessed 15/07/2019
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Clallam 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), Clallam 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. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
  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, "Clallam County, Washington," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clallam_County,_Washington, accessed 13 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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