Whitman County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington Whitman County [[Image:Template:WAWhitmanPalouse]]

Guide to Whitman County, Washington Genealogy genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1871, when the county was formed.

County QuickStart: Census Birth Marriage Divorce Death Cemeteries

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Whitman County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	November 29, 1871
County Seat	Colfax
Courthouse
Address	Whitman County Courthouse N 404 Main Street Box 390; Colfax, WA 99111-2031 Phone: 509.397.6240 Whitman County Website

County Overview

Parent County(s)

Whitman County, Washington was created 29 November 1871 from Stevens County.

County Seat: Colfax . See also Towns and Communities in Whitman County, Washington Genealogy. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes

• Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Neighboring Counties

Whitman County, Washington Genealogy is surrounded by: Adams | Asotin | Columbia | Garfield | Franklin | Lincoln | Spokane | Walla Walla | Idaho counties: Benewah | Latah | Nez Perce

Template:WAWhitman County Clickable Neighbors

Courthouse

Whitman County Courthouse
N 404 Main Street Box 390
Colfax, WA 99111-2031
Phone: 509–397–6240

County Clerk has marriage records 1872-1891, probate records from 1870, divorce and court records from 1864, and naturalization records 1862-1942.
County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907 and land records.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in Whitman County, Washington Genealogy.

Dates of Major County Records

Beginning dates for major county records
Birth	Marriage	Death	Land	Probate	Court
1873*	1872*	1891*	1874	1878	1871
* For earlier dates, try... Church | Obituaries | Cemeteries

Topics for Whitman County, Washington Genealogy

The topics or headings on this page describe records that are used for genealogy and family history. They include links to web sites with indexes, images, or information about the county.

Biography

Biographical information is often found in state and local histories or genealogies. See also Washington Biography.

Business and Commerce

• 1885-1979 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Cemeteries

• "Silver Creek Cemetery (Whitman County)" online at Washington Digital Archives

Albion Cemetery
Bethel Cemetery
Coleman Cemetery
Colfax Cemetery
Colton Cemetery
Colyar Cemetery
Dusty Cemetery
Eaton Cemetery (Rock Lake Cemetery)
Eden Valley Cemetery
Elberton Cemetery
Ewartsville Cemetery (Lone Pine Cemetery)
Farr Cemetery
Garfield Cemetery
Goldenrod Cemetery, Tekoa
Greenwood Cemetery
Gresham Cemetery
Hatley Cemetery
Hay Cemetery
Holy Rosary Cemetery
Johnson Cemetery
Lone Pine Cemetery
McConnell Cemetery
Mountain View Cemetery (Endicott)
Mountain View Cemetery (Farmington)
Myers Family Cemetery
Oakesdale Cemetery
Old German Methodist Cemetery
Onecho Cemetery
Pine City Cemetery
Pullman I.O.O.F. Cemetery
Riggs Cemetery
Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery
Saint Boniface Cemetery
Saint John Cemetery
Selbu Cemetery
Sheahan Cemetery (Old Thornton)
Silver Creek Cemetery
Thornton Cemetery
Uniontown Community Cemetery
Whelan Cemetery
Winona Cemetery
Zion Lutheran Cemetery

Whitman County, Washington Genealogy cemeteries from state and national resources
Online County-wide Name Searches	Published Grave Transcripts	Lists of Cemeteries (Several will also link to names)
FindAGrave (Add a name to the search)	FamilySearch Library Click Cemeteries. Press space bar to select town	FindAGrave
WA State Archives - Digital Collections Click any cemetery for search window, select county, enter name(s).	WorldCat	Interment.net
Billion Graves Switch to "Person Lookup"	Washington Periodicals	Washington State Digital Archives Put county name in Search box
		Linkpendium
		Billion Graves
		USGenWeb Tombstone Project
		Genealogy Trails
See Washington Cemeteries for details about these and other sites.

Census

• Index to the 1880 census of Whitman County, Washington Territory Publication online.
  • (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search.
  • Ancestry.com has all federal censuses and many state censuses searchable online.)

• Census Records 1910-1912 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• School Census Records1888-1932 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free)
  • Federal: 1910
  • Territorial: 1883 • 1885 • 1887 • 1889
  • These were indexed by local societies and individuals..

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.

• Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) for Whitman County, Washington Genealogy are listed in the FamilySearch catalog. (Press space bar to select town.)

Court Records

Your ancestors may be found in court records as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors. Court records can clarify family relationships, places of residence, occupations, and family history. See Washington Court Records for courts used through the years.

For specialized court records, see Divorce · Guardianship · Land · Naturalization · Probate

• Whitman Frontier Justice. Part of "Frontier Justice’’: Guide to the Court Records of Washington Territory, 1853-1889 at Washington State Digital Archives. (Free 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.

Election Records

• 1892-1938 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Ethnic, Political or Religious Groups

Japanese

World War II Files, 1942-1946

Public Welfare/Social Security Department, (Japanese Internment) Assistance Cases, Evacuee Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946 from the Washington State Archives – Digital Archives

Genealogy

Many local libraries and societies have collections of family genealogies. County histories or biographies often include brief genealogies of the featured persons.

A FamilySearch Community Tree is available for this place.

• "Whitman County Genealogy & Family History Resources" at Kindred Trails.

Guardianship

Guardianship of orphans or adults unable to manage their own affairs were handled by the probate and the District courts. See Washington Court Records.

History

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

Washington State University is located in Pullman.

• Historic sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and Garfield Counties, Washington Territory, and Umatilla County, Oregon (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search). For free at Archive.org. 

• An Illustrated history of Whitman County, state of Washington (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

• Pullman Primer : Pullman Washington : Home of the State college of Washington planned and executed by Sunset Magazine Homeseekers' Bureau [Pullman, Wash.: Pullman Chamber of Commerce, 1911?]

History Timeline

Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Wilma, David. Whitman County -- Thumbnail History,History Link.org Essay 7327.

• Whitman County, was home to bands of Palouse and other Sahaptin-speaking people, including the Nez Perce tribe.
• 1805 - October 11-13, Lewis and Clark canoed on the Snake River along the southern boundary of Whitman County.
• 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
• 1859 - June, The first recorded Euro-American exploration along Union Flat Creek, the birthplace of settlement for Whitman County, by Lieutenant John Mullan of the United States Army.
• 1871 - November 29, The county was formed from Stevens County.
• 2002 - The county has a primarily agricultural history, with an emphasis on wheat (today it ranks first in wheat production among Washington counties and second among counties in the nation).

Land and Property

• Patents 1885-1979 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Maps

This map highlights the county within the state of Washington. The map soon will have inter-active links.

• Family Maps of Whitman County, Washington (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

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

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.

• Naturalization and Citizenship 1868-1945 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Declarations of intention 1868-1907; Petitions for naturalization 1894-1945.

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.

• Whitman County, Washington Genealogy Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)

Finding More Washington Newspapers

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Whitman County, Washington Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• Do a search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog. To select a county in Washington, add a comma, slide way down to the county list, then click Search. (Almost every state seems to have a Washington County)

Walla Walla Statesman newspaper, online at the Washington State Library, may have articles covering early Whitman County.

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.

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.

• Probate Records 1876-1967 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Probate bonds 1877-1951; journal 1897-1967; minute book 1885-1954; Real estate index 1877-1882; Wills 1892-1937; Wills and bonds 1876-1878.

Public Records

Public records are documents created by civil authorities that either don't fit comfortably in another topic, or that could fit in several topics.

• Whitman Postmaster Index. Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections for Washington. (Free, browse images)

• Public Records 1876-1938 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Certificates of election and oath of office 1876-1930; Record of general elections 1892-1938; Record of primary elections 1892-1924.

School Records

• School Records1881-1932 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes School census records 1894-1932; School vouchers and orders paid 1881-1889

Taxation

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

The county auditors in Washington kept records of birth, marriage, and death. The county clerk has the divorce records - the earliest dates to the present.

Visit the Washington State Department of Health website to order a Washington Birth, Death, Marriage or Divorce Certificate. See Washington Vital Records for details and history of the records. .

Birth

• 1891-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
• Birth Records, 1873-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

• Washington State Digital Archives has a database of Whitman County Birth Records. This database contains the names and birth records of people who were born in Whitman County from 1890 to 1907.
• Births from Whitman County Jan. 1875 to Aug 1907.

• Birth 1891-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Marriage

• Marriage Records 1872-1947 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Marriage affidavits 1917-1939;; certificates 1872-1925; record index 1873-1947 register 1891-1943.

• Marriage Records, 1872-2002 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

• 102 marriage entries from 23 Oct 1872 to 13 Dec 1909 are available at the Western States Marriage Index website.

Divorce

The county clerk has the divorce records. To order certificates, see Washington State Department of Health.

• Divorce Records 1921-1977 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Death

• Death Records 1891-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• Death Returns 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

• Washington State Digital Archives has a database of Whitman County Death Returns containing names of people who died in Whitman County from 1891-1907. For FHL entries, click here

• Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Voting Registers

• Voter Registers1898-1925 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Poll books 1898-1904; Register of voters 1916-1925.

Websites

Check back often with websites. Local societies and libraries may know of other websites. Sites with online indexes or images of records:

• WAGenWeb Whitman County
• USGenWeb
• Current Collections at Washington State Digital Archives (Free) Type county name, click Search, then select a collection. Collections were posted to the appropriate headings for this Wiki page in November, 2013.
• Historical Collections at FamilySearch.org. (Free) Click "Last Updated." Collections through October 2013 have been posted to the appropriate headings for this Wiki page.
• Web Sites at RootsWeb -Whitman WA (Free)

Sites that search the Internet for Whitman County, Washington Genealogy records online:

• Linkpendium (free)
• CyndisList (free)

Major catalogs to offline genealogical records:
Catalogs refer to books, microfilm, manuscripts, and/or Internet images and indexes for various topics.

• FamilySearch catalog for Whitman County, Washington Genealogy (Select topics. Add comma to select towns.)
• WorldCat To find libraries near you that have items of interest, see WorldCat Online Catalog.
• Allen County Public Library (Indiana)
• See also local libraries and Washington Archives and Libraries

Archives, Libraries, etc.

Listed below are archives in {{{1}}} County. For state-wide facilities, see Washington Archives and Libraries.

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

• Check websites and catalogs, such as items in FamilySearch Library (Utah) or Allen County Public Library (Indiana) for Whitman County, Washington Genealogy. When you find items you'd like to access, see Get a Copy

Family History 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

• Colfax Washington Family History Center Almota Rd, Colfax, WA 99111 United States Location Map

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.

• Whitman County Rural Library District
  • Branches and Locations
  • Genealogy / Data Base Tools
  • Special or Unique Collections (help needed from each branch)

• Pullman (Niell Public Library)
  • Online Resources
  • Special or Unique Collections (help needed from each branch)

Societies

Listed below are societies in {{{1}}} County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Washington Societies.

• Whitman County Genealogical Society PO Box 393, Pullman, Washington 99163-0393

Towns and Communities

See a list of towns and communities in Whitman County per Wikipedia.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.