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Kittitas County, Washington Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Ellensburg
Organized: November 24, 1883
Parent County(s): Yakima
Neighboring Counties
Chelan • Douglas • Grant • King • Pierce • Yakima
See County Maps
Courthouse
Washington, Kittitas County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Wa-kittitas.png

Cascade pass, North Cascade National Park, Kittitas County, Washington

County Information

Description

The county was named for the language of the Yakama Nation. According to one source, it "has been said to mean everything from 'white chalk' to 'shale rock' to 'shoal people' to 'land of plenty'". The county is located in the central area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse

Kittitas County Courthouse
205 W 5th Avenue
Ellensburg, WA 98926
Phone: 509-962-7531
Kittitas County Website

County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907, marriage records from 1884 and land records from 1882.
County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1890s. [2]

Kittitas County, Washington Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1891 1884 1891 1890s 1882 1890s 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
Towns
Unincorporated communities
  • Bristol
  • Horlick
  • Hyak
  • Lavender
  • Liberty
  • Martin
American Indian Communities
Census-designated places
Ghost towns
  • Renslow
  • Roza
  • Rye

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

History Timeline

Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library[7]

Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Paula Becker. Kittitas County -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org Essay 7484.

  • The first inhabitants of the Kittitas Valley were the Psch-wan-wap-pams (stony ground people), also known as the Kittitas band of the Yakama or Upper Yakama.
  • 1814 Fur trader Alexander Ross was one of the earliest non-Indians to describe the Kittitas Valley.
  • 1853-March 2 U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
  • 1855-June 9 Yakima Chief Kamiakin and other tribal leaders signed a treaty ceding claim to all 16,920 square miles (10,828,800 acres) of the tribe's lands except a 1,875-square-mile (1,200,000 acre) portion of land to be used for a reservation. The future Kittitas County was part of the ceded land.
  • 1859-April 18 Congress ratified the Treaty of Yakima and President James Buchanan signed the ratification proclamation.
  • 1867 Frederick Ludi (1832-1916) and John Goller (1813-?) (known as Dutch John) became the first non-Indian settlers to the Kittitas area, building a cabin on the site of what is now Ellensburg.
  • 1883-November 24 Territorial Governor William Augustus Newell signed the act creating Kittitas County.
  • 1880s For farmers in the Kittitas Valley, the key to this transformation from wilderness to village was irrigation.
  • 1911 The Kittitas Reclamation District began preliminary surveys and cost analysis for what would become the High Line canal, the Kittitas Valley’s largest irrigation project.

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 Kittitas 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 8,777 —
1900 9,704 10.6%
1910 18,561 91.3%
1920 17,737 −4.4%
1930 18,154 2.4%
1940 20,230 11.4%
1950 22,235 9.9%
1960 20,467 −8.0%
1970 25,039 22.3%
1980 24,877 −0.6%
1990 26,725 7.4%
2000 33,362 24.8%
2010 40,915 22.6%
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 procedure of Frontier Justice touch nearly all pioneers of 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 Kittitas 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

Pierce CountyKing CountyChelan CountyDouglas CountyGrant CountyYakima CountyWA KITTITAS.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

School Records

Online School Indexes and 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 Kittitas 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 Kittitas County. For state-wide library facilities, see Washington Archives and Libraries. Resources for Kittitas County are available in libraries, archives, and other repositories at all levels: the town, the county, the state (including universities), and the nation.

Ellensburg Public Library
209 North Ruby Street
Ellensburg, WA 98926
Phone: 509-962-7252
Website

Includes Local History Collection and Archives - 7,000 historical photographs

Cle Elum (Carpenter Memorial) Library
302 Pennsylvania Avenue
Cle Elum, WA 98922
Phone: 509-674-2313
Website

Kittitas Public Library
2nd and Pierce Streets
Kittitas, WA 98934
Phone: 509-968-0226
Website

Roslyn Public Library
201 S. First Street
Roslyn, WA 98941
Phone: 509-649-3420
Website

Museums

Kittitas County Historical Museum
114 E 3rd Avenue
Ellensburg, WA 98926
Website

Societies

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

Northern Kittitas County Historical Society
302 West 3rd Street
Cle Elum, WA 98922
Phone: 509-649-2880
Email: nkcmuseums@gmail.com
Website

Websites

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

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Kittitas County, Washington," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kittitas_County,_Washington. accessed 17/07/2019
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kittitas County, Washington page 733, 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), Kittitas 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, "Kittitas County, Washington," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kittitas_County,_Washington, accessed 13 March 2019.
  7. ↑ John H. Long, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries (Chicago: Newberry Library, 2006) online.
  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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