Ferry County, Washington Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Republic
Organized: February 18, 1899
Parent County(s): Stevens
Neighboring Counties
Lincoln • Okanogan • Stevens • British Columbia (Canada)
See County Maps
Courthouse
Washington, Ferry County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Wa-ferry.png

Corylus johnsonii Holotype, Ferry County, Washington

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

Ferry County was named for Elisha P. Ferry, the state's first governor. The county is located in the northeastern area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Ferry County Courthouse
350 East Delaware Ave
Republic, WA 99166
Phone: 509-775-5225
Ferry County Website

County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1899. [2]

Ferry County, Washington Record Dates[edit | edit source]

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1899 1900 1891 1899 1898 1899 1850
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1907. General compliance by 1917.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

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

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

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:[6]

Cities
Unincorporated communities
  • Covada
  • Goldstake
  • Harter
  • Impach
  • Karamin
  • Kewa
  • Meteor
  • Orient
  • Pollard
  • Toroda
  • West Fork
American Indian Communities
Census-designated places
  • Orient
  • Pine Grove
  • Torboy
  • Twin Lakes
Ghost towns

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

Indian Reservation

The Colville Indian Reservation is located in southern Ferry and southern Okanogan counties.

History Timeline[edit | edit source]

  • The original inhabitants of what is now Ferry County were several semi-nomadic Indian tribes, with the Colville predominating.
  • 1811 The North West Company fur trader and cartographer, David Thompson (1770-1857), reached Kettle Falls.
  • 1825 The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC)establish a fur post.
  • 1872 April, The Colville Reservation was established.
  • 1892 July 2, The United States government purchased the northern half of the Colville Reservation.
  • 1896 February 21, The northern half was opened to prospectors after minerals, especially gold, were discovered.
  • 1898 June 30, The southern half was opened to prospectors.
  • 1899 February, Ferry County was formed and Republic, its only sizeable town, was declared county seat.
  • 1900 Approximately 12,500 mining claims had been staked in Ferry County.
  • 1900 The northern half of the reservation was opened to timber claims and homesteading.
  • 1916 July 1, The southern half of the reservation was opened to homesteading.

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

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

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Ferry 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[edit | edit source]

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

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1900 4,562 —
1910 4,800 5.2%
1920 5,143 7.1%
1930 4,292 −16.5%
1940 4,701 9.5%
1950 4,096 −12.9%
1960 3,889 −5.1%
1970 3,655 −6.0%
1980 5,811 59.0%
1990 6,295 8.3%
2000 7,260 15.3%
2010 7,551 4.0%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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.

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

American Indians
The Colville Indian Reservation is located in southern Ferry and southern Okanogan counties.

Japanese

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

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.

Genealogy Research Aids

  • Basic Guide for Genealogy Research in Stevens, Ferry and Pend Oreille Counties by Nancy Wright, Susan DeChant, and Shirley Dodson of NeWGS.

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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

  • Illustrated History of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan Counties, State of Washington, by Richard F. Steele. (Spokane, Wash.): Western Historical Pub. Co., 1904. Also known by the title History of North Washington. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

OkanoganStevensLincolnWA FERRY.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

Indian Wars

World War I

World War II

  • World War II enlistments. 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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

Public Records

Voting Records

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

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.

School Records[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

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

  • The SCHS has the county assessor's personal property tax assessment ledgers for 1898. Images of the ledger are viewable on the Crossroads on the Columbia project.

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

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.[7]

Birth[edit | edit source]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Death[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

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

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

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

FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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

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

Libraries
Kettle River East Library
5th And C Street
Orient, WA 99160
Phone: 509-738-3033

Republic Community Library
794 S. Clark Avenue
Republic, WA 99166
Phone: 509-775-3328
Website


Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

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

Ferry County Historical Society
15-2 N Kean St
PO Box 287
Republic, WA 99166
Phone: 509-775-2605
Email: ferrycountyhs@gmail.com
Website

Northeast Washington Genealogical Society
c/o Colville Public Library
195 S Oak
Colville, WA 99114
Email: info@newgs.org
Website

Research in Ferry, Pend Oreille, and Stevens Counties.

Websites[edit | edit source]

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

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Ferry County, Washington," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferry_County,_Washington, accessed 15/07/2019
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ferry 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), Ferry 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 Evolution of Washington Counties by Newton Carl Abbott, Fred E. Carver, 1979. Published by the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society and Klickitat County Genealogical Society.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Ferry County, Washington," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferry_County,_Washington, accessed 13 March 2019.
  7. ↑ Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, Birth Records, About this Collection & Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, Death Records About Death Records
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