Clallam County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington Clallam County [[Image:Template:WAClallamOlympic]]

Guide to Clallam County, Washington Genealogy genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1854, when the county was formed.

County QuickStart: Census Birth Marriage Divorce Death Cemeteries

Template:DCWAmapbuttonR

Clallam County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	April 26, 1854
County Seat	Port Angeles
Courthouse
Address	Clallam County Courthouse;223 E 4th Street PO Box 863; Port Angeles, WA 98362-3025;Phone: 360.417.2508<br>Clallam County Website

County Overview

Parent County(s)

Clallam County, Washington was created 26 April 1854 from Jefferson County

Boundary Changes

29 January 1868, Quillehute County was created, but it reverted back to Clallam and Jefferson counties in 1870. Records created in both counties.

• Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse

Clallam County Courthouse
223 E 4th Street PO Box 863
Port Angeles, WA 98362-3025
Phone: 360.417.2508

County Auditor has marriage and land records.
County Clerk has probate records.

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

Dates of Major County Records

Beginning dates for major county records
Birth	Marriage	Death	Land	Probate	Court
1895*	1878*	1891*	1859	1862	1889
* For earlier dates, try... Church | Obituaries | Cemeteries

Neighboring Counties

Clallam County, Washington Genealogy is surrounded by: Jefferson

County Seat: Port Angeles . For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Topics for Clallam 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

[[Image:Template:WAClallamLighthouse]]

Business and Commerce

• Professional License Records at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Cemeteries

• 1904-1930 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

• Alpha list of cemeteries in the county with links to online transcripts.

Clallam 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

• Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free)
  • Federal: 1910
  • Territorial: 1857 • 1870 • 1871 • 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 Clallam County, Washington are listed in the FamilySearch catalog. (Press space bar to select town.)

Court Records

Many of your ancestors may be found in court records as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors. Court records can establish family relationships and places of residence, occupations, and other family history information. See Washington Court Records for the various courts through the years.

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

• Power of Attorney Records 1987 - present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (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

A FamilySearch Community Tree is available for this place.

• "Genealogy Research in Clallam County, Washington" by MyGenealogist.com

Guardianship

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

History

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

• "Clallam County -- Thumbnail History" online
• "Clallam County Profile" online

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. Clallam County -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org,  Essay 7576.

• 1803 - Before this time, the county was composed of the traditional lands of the Klallam (for whom it is named), Makah, and Quileute people.
• 1700s - It was one of the first parts of Washington contacted by European explorers.
• 1850 - The first permanent settlers came to the county.
• 1850s - The explorers brought European diseases that devastated Klallam, Makah, and Quileute populations, as they did all Northwest peoples.
• 1851 - The first settlers in the future Clallam County staked claims at New Dungeness.
• 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
• 1854 - April 26, Washington Territorial Legislature creates Clallam County.
• 1857 - Henry R. Webster and others succeeded in establishing a trading post at Neah Bay.
• 1878, Luther and Esther Ford and their children settled 15 miles inland from La Push on the fertile open ground known as Indian Prairie.
• 1889 - November 11, President Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) created the Quiluete Reservation at La Push by executive order.

Land and Property

[[Image:Template:WAClallamCape]]

• County Recorder's Office: check deeds, file mining claims, get assistance in finding ownership of a particular property, and obtain copies of county plat maps. This office has county plat records dating back to 1878, prior records having been destroyed in a fire.
• Land Records 1987 - 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
• Plats and Surveys 1987 - 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
• Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1987-present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Maps

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

Military

• World War II (1941–1945) army enlistments at the county GenWeb site has about 400 entries, mostly from Clallam and other counties. Key (at end of the list) explains codes and columns. Gives year and state of birth. Free.

Naturalization and Citizenship

Declarations of Intent before 1906 often include the nation of origin, his* foreign and "Americanized" names, residence, and date of arrival. See Washington Naturalization and Citizenship for more information.    (*Women were not naturalized until 1922 in the United States.)

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.

• Clallam 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 Clallam 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)

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.

Also check:

• Newspapers of Clallam County, Washington Genealogy
• Local Funeral Homes, Libraries, or family records.
• Obituaries of neighboring counties
• North Olympic Library System online Newspaper Obituary Index

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

• Prior to 1965 Part of: County Records, Prior to 1965 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Probate Records

• 1890-1914 Part of:"County Probate Records, 1853-1929" FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

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.

Public Records

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

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

The names were taken from the Clallam County Register of Births.

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

Marriage

• Marriage certificates, 1963-2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
• Marriage Indexes, Affidavits, Applications, Certificates, Licenses, 1865-2008 Part of Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free)

Divorce

Divorce records give the names of the parties and may give the date and place of their marriage. See Washington Vital Records for excellent information.

Death

• Washington Death Certificates 1907-1960 A free internet index to the 1907-1960 death certificates can be found at FamilySearch Record Search, no images are available. A transcribed death certificate may contain such information as name of the deceased, date and place of death, age, gender, birth date and birth place, mother’s maiden name and name of spouse, place of residence, occupation and certificate numbers.
• Death Returns, 1891-1906 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
• 1891-1906 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Websites

Sites with online indexes or images of records:

• The Clallam County WAGenWeb Project (Free), a member of The WAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project (Free) for Clallam County. (Mirror site)
• 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.

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

• Web Sites at RootsWeb - Clallam WA (Free)
• 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 Clallam 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.

Resources for Clallam 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 Clallam 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

• Forks Washington Family History Center 1390 Calawah Way, Forks, WA 98331 United States
• Port Angeles Washington Family History Center 591 Monroe Rd

Port Angeles, WA 98362

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.

Clallam Bay Public Library, 16990 Hwy 112, Clallam Bay 98326 Phone: (360) 963-2414

Online Resources: Heritage Quest

Unique Collections:

Forks Public Library, 171 Forks Avenue, Forks 98331 Phone: (360) 374-6424

Online Resources: Heritage Quest

Unique Collections:

North Olympic Library System, 2210 South Peabody Street, Port Angeles 98362 Phone: (360) 417-8500

Online Resources: Public Records

Unique Collections:

Port Angeles Public Library, 2210 S. Peabody Street, Port Angeles 98362 Phone: (360) 417-8500

Online Resources: Heritage Quest

Unique Collections:

Sequim Public Library, 630 N. Sequim Avenue, Sequim 98382 Phone: (360) 683-1161

Online Resources: Heritage Quest

Unique Collections:

Towns and Communities

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

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.