Pierce County, Washington Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Tacoma
Organized: December 22, 1852
Parent County(s): Thurston
Neighboring Counties
King • Kitsap • Kittitas • Lewis • Mason • Thurston • Yakima
See County Maps
Courthouse
Washington, Pierce County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Wa-pierce.png

Mount Rainier over Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The county was named for U.S. President Franklin Pierce. The county is located in the west-central area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Pierce County Courthouse
930 Tacoma Ave South
Tacoma, WA 98402
Phone: 253-798-7487
Pierce County Website

County Auditor has marriage and land records.
County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1890 and adoption records. [2]

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

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1891 1853 1891 1855 1858 1855 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
  • Puyallup
    		•
    Towns
    Unincorporated communities
    • Shorewood Beach
    • Sunny Bay
    • Sunrise Beach
    • Sylvan
    • Tehaleh
    • Victor
    • Villa Beach
    American Indian Communities
    Census-designated places
    Ghost towns

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

    History Timeline[edit | edit source]

    • The land that would become Pierce County was home to the present day Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin, Steilacoom, and Muckleshoot tribes.
    • 1833 April Hudson's Bay Company employee Archibald McDonald established Fort Nisqually.
    • 1841 May 11 The crews of the U.S. Navy ships Vincennes and Porpoise, dropped anchor near Fort Nisqually during the first American charting of Puget Sound.
    • 1849 In response to increasing tensions between Indians and settlers, the United States Army established Fort Steilacoom.
    • 1852 December 22 Pierce County was established.
    • 1853 March 2 U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
    • 1854 December 26 Leaders of major Western Washington tribes, met with Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens and signed a treaty relinquishing their land.
    • 1855 April 30 The United States Congress ratified the Treaty of Medicine Creek.
    • Family farming was essential to the survival of early Pierce County pioneers.
    • Commercial farming in Pierce County has over time included hops, flower bulbs, berries, dairy cattle, and Christmas trees.

    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 Pierce 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. %±
    1860 1,115 —
    1870 1,409 26.4%
    1880 3,319 135.6%
    1890 50,940 1434.8%
    1900 55,515 9.0%
    1910 120,812 117.6%
    1920 144,127 19.3%
    1930 163,842 13.7%
    1940 182,081 11.1%
    1950 275,876 51.5%
    1960 321,590 16.6%
    1970 411,027 27.8%
    1980 485,643 18.2%
    1990 586,203 20.7%
    2000 700,820 19.6%
    2010 795,225 13.5%
    Source: "Wikipedia.org".
    Federal: 1910
    Territorial: 1854, 1857, 1871, 1879, 1883, 1885, 1887, 1889
    State-funded: 1892

    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.

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

    • Lincoln (Tacoma)
    • Tacoma
    • Tacoma Central

    Lutheran

    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.

    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[edit | edit source]

    Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

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

    American Indians

    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.

    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

    Local Histories[edit | edit source]

    Local histories for Pierce 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[edit | edit source]

    Kitsap CountyMason CountyThurston CountyLewis CountyYakima CountyKittitas CountyKing CountyWA PIERCE.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]

    Military Bases

    Indian Wars

    World War I

    World War II

    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.

    Also check:

    • Newspapers of Pierce County, Washington Genealogy
    • Local Funeral Homes, Pierce County, Libraries, or family records.
    • Obituaries of neighboring counties

    Other Records[edit | edit source]

    Correctional Institutions

    Prisons

    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.

    Online Probate Indexes and Records

    School Records[edit | edit source]

    Online School Indexes and Records

    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

    Includes Assessment Rolls, 1881-1885; Duplicate assessment rolls, 1877, 1884-1886; Original assessment rolls, 1886; Property assessment and tax rolls, 1859-1869

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

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

    Tacoma Public Library
    1102 Tacoma Ave S
    Tacoma, WA 98402
    Phone: 253-591-5606
    Website

    Pierce County Library System
    3005 112th Street E
    Tacoma, WA 98446-2215
    Phone: 253-548-3300

    Puyallup Public Library
    324 S Meridian
    Puyallup, WA 98371
    Phone: 253- 841-5454
    Website

    Museums[edit | edit source]

    • Tacoma Art Museum: Website

    • LeMay Family Collection at Marymount Event Center: Website

    • Buffalo Soldier's Museum: Website

    • Children's Museum of Tacoma: Website

    • Museum of Glass: Website

    • Foss Waterway Seaport: Website

    • LeMay America's Car Museum: Website

    Societies[edit | edit source]

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

    Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society
    PO Box 1952
    Tacoma, WA 98401
    Website
    Facebook

    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, "Pierce County, Washington," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierce_County,_Washington. accessed 18/07/2019
    2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Skamania County, Washington page 734, 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), Pierce 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, "Pierce County, Washington," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierce_County,_Washington, accessed 20 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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