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Garfield County, Washington Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Pomeroy
Organized: November 29, 1881
Parent County(s): Columbia
Neighboring Counties
Asotin • Columbia • Whitman • Wallowa (OR)
See County Maps
Courthouse
Washington, Garfield County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Wa-garfield.png

Lower Granite Dam, Garfield County, Washington

County Information

Description

The county was named for the late U.S. President James A. Garfield, who had been assassinated a few weeks prior. The county is located in the southeastern area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse

Garfield County Courthouse
89 West Main Street
Pomeroy, Washington 99347
Phone: 509-843-1002
Garfield County Website

County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907, marriage and land records from 1891 and burial records 1891-1918.
County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1882. [2]

Garfield County, Washington Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1891 1891 1891 1882 1891 1882 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:[6]

Cities
Unincorporated communities
  • Dodge
  • Dould City
  • Mayview
  • Mentor
  • Pataha
  • Peola
  • Ping
Ghost towns
  • Unfried


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. Garfield County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7728.

  • Native Americans followed the Nez Perce Trail through Garfield County for many years.
  • 1806 Lewis and Clark's first arrival in what is now Garfield County.
  • 1834 Captain B. L. E. Bonneville passed through Garfield County, surveying the region on behalf of the United States government.
  • 1860 One of the earliest permanent white settlers in what would become Garfield County.
  • 1870s Settlers coming into the area began to establish farms and raise grain.
  • 1881 -November 29 Garfield County was formed from the eastern portion of Columbia 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 Garfield 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 3,897 —
1900 3,918 0.5%
1910 4,199 7.2%
1920 3,875 −7.7%
1930 3,662 −5.5%
1940 3,383 −7.6%
1950 3,204 −5.3%
1960 2,976 −7.1%
1970 2,911 −2.2%
1980 2,468 −15.2%
1990 2,248 −8.9%
2000 2,397 6.6%
2010 2,266 −5.5%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".
Federal: 1910
Territorial: 1883,1885, 1887, 1889, and 1898

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.

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

Local Histories

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

  • "Garfield County Heritage" online at Washington Rural Heritage
  • Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and Garfield Counties, Washington Territory, and Umatilla County, Oregon, by Frank T. Gilbert. Portland, Oregon : Printing and Lithographing House of A. G. Walling, 1882. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
  • History of Garfield County, by E. V. Kuykendall. Fairfield, Washington : Ye Galleon Press, [1984?]. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
  • 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

WhitmanAsotinColumbiaWallowa County, ORWA GARFIELD.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

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

Includes Estate Case files 1860-1897 and Record of wills 1882-1962.

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.[7]

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

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

Denny Ashby Library
856 Arlington Street
Pomeroy, WA 99347
Phone: 509-843-3710
Website

Museums

Garfield County Historical Association and Museum
66 South 7th Street
Pomeroy, WA 99347
Website

Eastern Washington Agricultural Museum
99 Fairgrounds Rd
Pomeroy, WA 99347
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Garfield County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Washington Societies. Garfield County Historical Association and Museum
The Pomeroy Historic Preservation Committee
66 South 7th Street
Pomeroy, WA 99347
Phone: 509-843-3814
Website

Websites

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

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Garfield County, Washington," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garfield_County,_Washington. accessed 17/07/2019
  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), Garfield 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. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Garfield County, Washington," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garfield_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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