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Cowlitz County, Washington Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Kelso
Organized: April 21, 1854
Parent County(s): Lewis
Neighboring Counties
Clark • Lewis • Skamania • Wahkiakum • Columbia (OR)
See County Maps
Courthouse
Washington, Cowlitz County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Wa-cowlitz.png

Mount St. Helens, Cowlitz County, Washington, United States Forest Service

County Information

Description

The county was named from the anglicized version of the Cowlitz Indian term, Cow-e-liske, meaning either "river of shifting sands" or "capturing the medicine spirit." The county is located in the southwest area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse

Cowlitz County Courthouse
312 SW 1st Ave
Kelso, WA 98626-1798
Phone 360-577-3016
Cowlitz County Website

County Auditor has marriage record from 1867, death record 1891-1907 and land records.
County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1874, naturalization and adoption records from 1869. [2]

Cowlitz County, Washington Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1891 1867 1891 1874 1854 1874 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:[5]

Cities
Unincorporated communities
  • Ariel
  • Bunker Hill
  • Caples
  • Caples Landing
  • Carrolls
  • Coal Creek
  • Cougar
  • Davis Terrace
  • Eufaula
  • Eufaula Heights
  • Evergreen Terrace
  • Harrington Place
  • Headquarters
  • Kid Valley
  • Oak Point
  • Olequa
  • Ostrander
  • Pigeon Springs
  • Pleasant Hill
  • Rocky Point
  • Rose Valley
Census-designated places
  • Ryderwood

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

History Timeline

  • The original inhabitants of the lands drained by the Cowlitz River were variously called The Cawalitz, Cow-a-lidsk, Cowalitsk, Cow-e-lis-kee, Cowelits, Cowlitch, Co-litsick, Kawelitsk, Kowlitz.
  • 1792 The first Europeans to visit the county were British seafarers.
  • 1805 November 5, Lewis and Clark camped at the mouth of the Kalama River, under orders from President Thomas Jefferson.
  • 1825 Permanent settlers arrived from the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) at Fort Vancouver.
  • 1828 The first white man credited with ascending the Cowlitz River was HBC Factor George Simpson.
  • 1820s (late)- 1830s The Cowlitz became an important artery for trappers and for communication with Fort Vancouver subposts at Cowlitz Farms and Nisqually Farms.
  • 1847 December 25, The first American to settle in the future Cowlitz County was Scotsman Peter W. Crawford (1822-1889), who took a Donation Claim on the left bank of the Cowlitz near the mouth of the Coweeman.
  • 1853 March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
  • 1854 April 21, The Washington Territorial Legislature formed Cowlitz County.

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 Cowlitz 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 406 —
1870 730 79.8%
1880 2,062 182.5%
1890 5,917 187.0%
1900 7,877 33.1%
1910 12,561 59.5%
1920 11,791 −6.1%
1930 31,906 170.6%
1940 40,155 25.9%
1950 53,369 32.9%
1960 57,801 8.3%
1970 68,616 18.7%
1980 79,548 15.9%
1990 82,119 3.2%
2000 92,948 13.2%
2010 102,410 10.2%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".
Federal:1910
Territorial: 1870, 1871, 1883, 1885, 1887.

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.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint

  • Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Kelso

Lutheran

  • Records of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Castle Rock, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

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

  • 1853-1889 Cowlitz Frontier Justice. Part of "Frontier Justice’’: Guide to the Court Records of Washington Territory, 1853-1889 at Washington State Archives - index & 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 Cowlitz 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

LewisSkamaniaClarkWahkiakumColumbia County, ORWA COWLITZ.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 codes for state and county. These are partial lists. 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.

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

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

Online School Indexes and Records

Includes collections of various records: vital, probate, school, tax, naturalization and other records.
School Registers are arranged by grade and gives names, ages, attendance.
School Censuses include names, birth dates, parents or guardians.

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.

Online Tax Indexes and Records

Includes collections of various records: vital, probate, school, tax, naturalization and other records.

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.[6]

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

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

Libraries

  • Castle Rock Public Library
    137 Cowlitz Street West
    PO Box 1350
    Castle Rock, WA 98611
    Phone: 360-274-6961
    Email: rocklibrary@hotmail.com
    Website
  • Kalama Public Library
    312 N 1st
    PO Box 576
    Kalama, WA 98625
    Phone: 360-673-4568
    Website
  • Kelso Public Library
    Three Rivers Mall
    351 Three Rivers Drive, Suite 1263
    Kelso, WA 98626
    Phone: 360-423-8110
    Website
  • Longview Public Library
    1600 Louisiana Street
    Longview, WA 98632
    Phone: 360-442-5300
    Website
  • Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries
    1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd.
    Vancouver, WA 98663
    Phone: 360-906-5000
    Website

Museums

Societies

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

Cowlitz County Historicial Society and Museum
405 Allen St.
Kelso, WA 98626
360-577-3119
Website
Facebook

Websites

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

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Cowlitz County, Washington," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowlitz_County,_Washington. accessed 15/07/2019
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Clark 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), Cowlitz 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. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Cowlitz County, Washington," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowlitz_County,_Washington, accessed 4 March 2019.
  6. ↑ Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, Birth Records, About this Collection & Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, Death Records About Death Records
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