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Walla Walla County, Washington Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Walla Walla
Organized: April 25, 1854
Parent County(s): Skamania
Neighboring Counties
Benton • Columbia • Franklin •
Umatilla (OR)
See County Maps
Courthouse
Washington, Walla Walla County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Wa-wallawalla.png

Farmland and Wind Turbines in Walla Walla County, Washington

County Information

Description

The county was named for the Walla Walla people. The county is located in the southeastern area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse

Walla Walla County Courthouse
317 West Rose Street
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Phone: 509-524-2760
Walla Walla County Courthouse

County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1860.[2]

Walla Walla County, Washington Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1883 1852 1864 1860 1859 1859 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
  • Ayer
  • Burbank Heights
  • Eureka
  • Valley Grove
  • Whitman
Census-designated places


History Timeline

With the signing of the Treaty of 1818, Great Britain and the United States jointly claimed the Pacific Northwest, including current Walla Walla County. [7]

On August 14, 1848, the Oregon Territory formed, and Clackamas County included current Walla Walla County.

On March 2, 1853, the Washington Territory was formed.

Original Walla Walla County boundaries commenced at a point opposite the mouth of the Deschutes River on the north bank of the Columbia River, thence running north to the 49th parallel, thence along said parallel to the summit of the Rocky Mountains, thence south along the summit of the Rocky Mountains to the 46th degree of parallel, thence west along said 46th parallel to where it crosses the Columbia River, thence along said Columbia River to the place of beginning.

Western Montana, Northern Idaho, and all Eastern Washington counties broke off from Walla Walla County starting with Spokane County in 1860 and finishing with Asotin County in 1883.

  • Groups that lived in the Walla Walla Valley included the Nez Perce, Cayuses, Umatillas, and Walla Wallas.
  • 1805 Among the earliest records of Euro-Americans coming to the Walla Walla Valley are those from the expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.
  • 1836 Presbyterian Missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman arrived in the Walla Walla Valley and established a mission.
  • 1853 March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
  • 1846 Joint American-British occupation of the Oregon country ended and the Treaty of Oregon established the present international border between Canada and the United States.
  • 1853 Washington Territory was created out of Oregon Territory and Isaac Stevens was appointed the new territory’s first governor.
  • 1854 April 25, Walla Walla County is formed.
  • 1855 May Stevens arrived at the future site of the city of Walla Walla to negotiate treaties with the Nez Perce, Yakima, Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Cayuse tribes.
  • 1859 The land east of the Cascades was declared fully open for settlement, a small collection of cabins, shacks, and tents were situated around Steptoe’s fort and five land claims had been located in the surrounding area.
  • 1880 A gold rush in the early 1860s, followed by a growing agricultural industry, made Walla Walla the largest city in Washington Territory.

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 Walla Walla 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 1,318 —
1870 5,300 302.1%
1880 8,716 64.5%
1890 12,224 40.2%
1900 18,680 52.8%
1910 31,931 70.9%
1920 27,539 −13.8%
1930 28,441 3.3%
1940 30,547 7.4%
1950 40,135 31.4%
1960 42,195 5.1%
1970 42,176 −0.0%
1980 47,435 12.5%
1990 48,439 2.1%
2000 55,180 13.9%
2010 58,781 6.5%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".
Federal: 1910
Territorial: 1885, 1887
State-funded: 1910

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.

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

  • Walla Walla

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

1868-1889 Includes Case files
1860-1899 District Court case files
  • 1853-1889 Walla Walla Frontier Justice. Part of "Frontier Justice’’: Guide to the Court Records of Washington Territory, 1853-1889 at Washington State Archives - Index, no images
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

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.

Note: Community Tree lists Lewis County, from which Skamania (later Walla Walla) County was formed in 1854. Very early residents of the Walla Walla area would be included.

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

  • An Illustrated History of Walla Walla County, State of Washington, by William Denison Lyman. n.p. : W.H. Lever, 1901. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).
  • Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and Garfield Counties, Washington Territory, and Umatilla County, Oregon, by Frank T. Gilbert. Portland, Oregon : Printing and Lithographing House of A. G. Walling, 1882. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
  • 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

Whitman CountyColumbia CountyFranklin CountyBenton CountyUmatilla CountyWA WALLA WALLA.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

Early migration routes to and from Walla Walla County for European and African American settlers included:

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

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.[9]

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

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

Northwest Archives
Whiteman College Library
345 Boyer Ave
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Phone: 509-527-5111
Website

History of Whitman College and the Walla Walla region as well as rare books and other special collections; includes directories as early as 1881, photos of buildings, maps

Walla Walla Public Library
238 E Alder Street
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Phone: 509-527-4388
Website

Burbank Heights Library
875 Lake Road
Burbank, WA 99323
Phone: 509-545-6549
Website

Prescott Library
103 D Street
Prescott, WA 99348
Phone: 509-849-2411
Website

Touchet Community Library
161 Hanson Road
Touchet, WA 99360
Phone: 509-394-2329
Website

Walla Walla County Rural Library District
37 Jade Avenue
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Phone: 509-527-3284
Website

Weller Public Library
212 Main Street
Waitsburg, WA 99361
Phone: 509-337-8149
Website

Museums

Fort Walla Walla Museum
Website

Whitman Mission National Historic Site
Website

Societies

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

Walla Walla Valley Genealogical Society
PO Box 115
Walla Walla, WA 99362-0003

Websites

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

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Walla Walla County, Washington," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walla_Walla_County,_Washington. accessed 18/07/2019
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Walla Walla County, Washington page 734, FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Walla Walla 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). FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Walla Walla County, Washington," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walla_Walla_County,_Washington, accessed 26 March 2019.
  7. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_1818
  8. ↑ Jim Tompkins, The Oregon Trail 1841-1848 Map VI in Oregon Trail Landmarks (accessed 18 July 2011).
  9. ↑ Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, Birth Records, About this Collection & Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, Death Records About Death Records
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