Washington County, Maine Genealogy
Guide to Washington County, Maine ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
Washington County was created on 25 June 1789[1] and named for George Washington, first president of the United States.[2] Its county seat is Machias. It is in the eastern area of the state.
County Courthouse
Washington County Courthouse
85 Court Street
Machias, ME 04654
Phone: 207-255-6591
Washington County Website
Town Clerks have birth, marriage, death and burial records. Clerk of the Court has divorce and court records from 1931, probate records from 1785, land records from 1783 and naturalization records from 1854. Maine State Archives, Augusta, has divorce and court records before 1931.[3]
Washington County, Maine Record Dates
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1892 | 1892 | 1892 | 1791 | 1783 | 1785 | 1790 |
Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
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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 census area:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| American Indian Communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
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| Unorganized territories | ||
Within each group townships are listed from southeast to northwest. For further details see Maine townships.
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Plantations For further details see Maine plantations.
Extinct towns and plantations [7] [8]
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Somerset, Piscataquis, Hancock, Washington, and Aroostook counties, Maine. Boston, Massachusetts : Biographical Review Publishing Company, 1898. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Occupations
- 1873-1965 Maine & Massachusetts, Case Files of Deceased and Deserted Seamen, 1873-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; image only
- 1947-1954 Maine, Crew Lists Arriving at Robbinston, 1947-1954 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Cemeteries
- 1620-2014 Maine, Tombstone Inscriptions, Surname Index, 1620-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1676-1918 Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/images
- 1718-2014 Maine, U.S., Tombstone Inscriptions, Surname Index, 1718-2014 at Ancestry - index ($)
- 1780-1990 Maine, U.S., Faylene Hutton Cemetery Collection, 1780-1990 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- ca. 1780-1999 Maine, J. Gary Nichols Cemetery Collection, ca. 1780-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1790 | 2,760 | — |
| 1800 | 4,461 | 61.6% |
| 1810 | 7,870 | 76.4% |
| 1820 | 12,744 | 61.9% |
| 1830 | 21,294 | 67.1% |
| 1840 | 28,327 | 33.0% |
| 1850 | 38,811 | 37.0% |
| 1860 | 42,534 | 9.6% |
| 1870 | 43,343 | 1.9% |
| 1880 | 44,484 | 2.6% |
| 1890 | 44,482 | −0.0% |
| 1900 | 45,232 | 1.7% |
| 1910 | 42,905 | −5.1% |
| 1920 | 41,709 | −2.8% |
| 1930 | 37,826 | −9.3% |
| 1940 | 37,767 | −0.2% |
| 1950 | 35,187 | −6.8% |
| 1960 | 32,908 | −6.5% |
| 1970 | 29,859 | −9.3% |
| 1980 | 34,963 | 17.1% |
| 1990 | 35,308 | 1.0% |
| 2000 | 33,941 | −3.9% |
| 2010 | 32,856 | −3.2% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Maine denominations, view the Maine Church Records wiki page.
- 1840-1875 Maine: Marriages Performed by Rev. Enoch M. Fowler, 1840-1875 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
- 1718-1957 Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
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Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents. See Maine Land and Property for databases, early land grants to individuals, and more information.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1718-1957 Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1785-1895 Deeds Index 1785-1895(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1785-1903 Deeds 1785-1903(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1802-1839 Washington County records of deeds, 1802-1839(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1807-1830 Records of settlers on the Bingham Purchase lands, 1807-1830(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1835-1838 Maine Revolutionary War Bounty Land Applications, 1835-1838 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/images
- 1840-1899 Mortgage foreclosures 1840-1899(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1840-1912 Mortgage foreclosures index 1840-1912(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1861 Washington County, Maine land ownership map, 1861(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1882-1902 Record of deeds, v. Y-Z, ca. 1882-1902(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Washington County. They may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information, see Maine Local Histories.
- Eastport and Passamaquoddy : a Collection of Historical and Biographical Sketches. c1888. Compiled by William Henry Kilby. Eastport, Maine : Edward E. Shead & Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
- A History of Three Corners. 1971. By Roger C. Storms. Lee, Maine : Lee Academy. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
- 1676-1918 Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/images
- 1718-1957 Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Revolutionary War
- 1835-1838 Maine Revolutionary War Bounty Land Applications, 1835-1838 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/images
Civil War
- 1862-1865 Maine, Civil War Enlistment Papers, 1862-1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
World War I
- 1914-1950 Maine, State Archives, World War I (WWI) Grave Cards, 1914-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1917-1919 Maine, World War I Draft Registration Index, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1718-1957 Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1918-1991 Maine, United States Naturalization Records, 1918-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index/images
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Maine, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- from 1800 Maine, Washington County, deaths from Calais Advertiser, from 1800(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1860-1900 Vital records, Union Machias, 1860-1900(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Maine Newspaper Project at DigitalMaine Repository
- Maine, Obituaries and Death Notices at MyHeritage — index ($)
Obituaries
- Maine, Obituaries and Death Notices at MyHeritage — index ($)
Other Records
Periodicals
- The Maine Genealogist at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1584-1999 Maine, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1584-1999 at Ancestry at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1760-1979 Maine, County Probate Records, 1760-1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; image only
- 1785-1893 Probate records 1785-1893(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1791-1953 Maine, Washington County, probate records, 1791-1953(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1826-1839 Probate records of the Northern District of Washington County, 1826-1839(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1888-1906 Will abstracts, v. W-1, 1888-1906(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Maine tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the records. For databases and more information, see Maine Taxation
Vital Records
In Maine, vital records are kept by town clerks or selectmen. Although some towns have existed since the 1650s, most vital records date from about 1700. The vital statistics are often arranged by family. For more information, see the Wiki page for the town and the Wiki page, Maine Vital Records.
Birth
- 1670-1921 Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1715-1922 Maine, Birth Records, 1715-1922 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1739-1900 Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Marriage
- 1589-1966 Maine, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
- 1670-1921 Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1670-1921 Maine, Marriage Index, 1670-1921 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1713-1922 Maine, Marriage Records, 1713-1922 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1759-1777 Lincoln County, ME: Commissioners Marriage Records, 1759-1777 at American Ancestors — index ($), includes counties: Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadhoc, and Washington.
- 1771-1907 Maine Marriages, 1771-1907 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1892-1966; 1977-1996 Maine, Marriage Index, 1892-1966, 1977-1996 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1892-1996 Maine, Marriage Index, 1892-1996 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1892-1966 Maine Marriages, 1892 - 1966 at MyHeritage - index ($)
- 1977-Onward Maine, Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
Death
- 1670-1921 Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1761-1922 Maine, Death Records, 1761-1922 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1841-1910 Maine Deaths and Burials, 1841-1910 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1960-1996 Maine Death Index, 1960-1996 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1960-1997 Maine, Death Index, 1960-1997 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
Divorce
- 1892-1963 Maine Divorces at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
Research Facilities
Archives
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
Museums
Societies
Washington County Historical & Genealogical Society
Website
Facebook
Websites
- The Washington County MEGenWeb Project, an member of The MEGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Washington County
- FamilySearch.org FamilySearch Catalog for Washington County
- Maine, Washington County Courthouse Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides
References
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002). [FS Library book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "George Washington" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Washington County, Maine page 305, At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Washington County, Maine. Page 304-305 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), 275.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Massachusetts.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Washington County, Maine," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_Maine, accessed 16 March 2020.
- ↑ Before an extinct town was discontinued, it created official town records of interest to genealogists. For preservation these records were usually turned over to a nearby functioning town in the same county.
- ↑ Michael J. Leclerc, Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research, 5th ed. (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012), 117. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 974 D27g 2012.