Whatcom County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington Whatcom County [[Image:Template:WAWhatcomUpper]]

Guide to Whatcom County, Washington Genealogy genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1861, when the county was formed.

County QuickStart: Census Birth Marriage Divorce Death Cemeteries

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Whatcom County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	March 9, 1854
County Seat	Bellingham
Courthouse
Address	Whatcom County Courthouse 311 Grand Avenue; PO Box 1144;  Bellingham, WA 98227 Phone: 360.676.6777  Whatcom County Website

County Overview

Parent County(s)

Whatcom County, Washington was created 9 March 1854 from Island County.

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

Boundary Changes

• Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Neighboring Counties

Whatcom County, Washington Genealogy is surrounded by: Okanogan | San Juan | Skagit

Template:WAWhatcom County Clickable Neighbors

Courthouse

Whatcom County Courthouse
311 Grand Avenue; PO Box 1144;
 Bellingham, WA 98227
Phone: 360.676.6777 

County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907,
marriage records from 1869 and land records;
County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records.

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

Dates of Major County Records

Beginning dates for major county records
Birth	Marriage	Death	Land	Probate	Court
1891*	1854*	1891*	1854	1872	1883
* For earlier dates, try... Church | Obituaries | Cemeteries

Topics for Whatcom 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.

Cemeteries

• Woodlawn Cemetery burial list 1886-2007 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Map of Whatcom County cemeteries (PDF)

• Bayview Cemetery
• Bethany Lutheran Cemetery (Bethania/Bethel)
• Blaine Cemetery
• Blaine Masonic Cemetery
• Buchanan Cemetery
• Case Cemetery
• Congregation Beth Israel Cemetery
• Enterprise Cemetery
• Glacier Cemetery
• Goshen Cemetery
• Greenacres Cemetery
• Greenwood Cemetery
• Haynie Cemetery
• Hillsdale Cemetery
• Hopewell Cemetery
• Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery
• Jobe Cemetery
• Kendall Cemetery
• King Mountain Cemetery (Terrace Land Memorial Garden of Psalms)
• Lakeside Cemetery
• Lummi Tribal Cemetery
• Lummi Island Cemetery
• Lynden Cemetery
• Lynden Jim Cemetery
• Maple Falls Cemetery
• Monumenta Cemetery
• Mount Calvary Cemetery
• Mount Hope Cemetery
• Mountain View Cemetery
• Nooksack Indian Cemetery
• Old Maple Falls (Cannon) Cemetery
• Perry Cemetery
• Point Roberts Cemetery
• Saint Anne's Cemeter
• Saint Joseph (Clipper) Cemetery
• Saint Peter's Catholic Cemetery
• Saxon Cemetery
• Semiahmoo Cemetery
• Sumas Cemetery
• Ten Mile Cemetery
• Van Zandt Cemetery
• Welcome (Kulshan) Cemetery
• Wickershame Cemetery
• Woodlawn Cemetery
• Zion Lutheran Cemetery

Whatcom 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: 1871 • 1885 • 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 Whatcom County, Washington Genealogy are listed in the FamilySearch catalog. (Press space bar to select town.)

• Records From Some Early Bellingham Churches

Lutheran

• Records of Central Lutheran Church, Bellingham, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

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

Directories

• Earliest Directories for Fairhaven, Bellingham, Whatcom and New Whatcom/Sehome
• 1905-1906 Bellingham / Whatcom Directory (28,300K PDF)
• 1915 Bellingham / Whatcom Directory (44,200K PDF)

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.

• "Whatcom County Genealogy & Family History" online
• "Family History & Genealogy" online
• "Genealogy and Local History" online

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.

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

• "Whatcom County, Alabama (Washington) Facts" online
• "Digital Collections" 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. Whatcom County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7327.

• In historic times there were three tribal groups in the county: the Lummi, Nooksack, and Semiahmoo.
• 1791 - Spanish explorer Manuel Quimper sent a sloop into the Strait of San Juan de Fuca and "discovered" Mount Baker.
• 1827 - The Hudson’s Bay Company established Fort Langley north of modern day Lynden.
• 1853 - Edward Eldridge arrived in Whatcom from California to work at the mill, bringing sawmill machinery.
• 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
• 1854 - Settlers filed claims on the south end of the bay, setting the future site of Fairhaven, one of four towns that would develop on the shoreline.
• 1854 - March 9, Whatcom County was established by the Washington territorial government from a portion of Island County.
• 1857-1858 - Survey work began on the international boundary at the 49th parallel.
• 1859 - John Tennant and his Lummi wife Clara filed the first official claim on the Nooksack River.
• 1881 - The "Washington Colony," a group of utopian Kansans, re-established the mill at Whatcom Creek.
• 1899 - Whatcom County boomed when the Pacific American Fisheries (PAC) organized in Fairhaven.

Maps

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

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

Military

• Some Whatcom County Military Records Mostly Civil War related

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.

• Petitions, Declarations, Indexes 1872-1947 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
• Applications to take oath of allegiance 1921-1945 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
• Naturalization Records, 1872-1988 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

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.)

Washington State Digital Archives has digitized various types of naturalization-related records, including declarations of intentions, delayed birth files, naturalization affidavits, notifications of application for admission to US citizenship, orders fixing naturalization terms, petitions and records, petitions, receipts for certificates of citizenship, record of final decrees of citizenship and record of petitions dockets. Depending on the county, records range from 1854-1988.

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.

• Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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)

• Extractions From Old Whatcom County Newspapers

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.

• 1889-1995 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

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.

• County Probate Records, 1853-1929 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

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.

• Whatcom County recorded documents online
• Whatcom Postmaster Index. Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections for Washington. (Free, browse images)

Repositories

• Whatcom Genealogical Society

School Records

School Censuses provide name of parent or guardian, name and age of child, and residence.

• School Census Records 1885-1933 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

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

• Birth returns 1891-1907, delayed births 1871-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free)
• Birth Returns, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Marriage

• County Marriages,1855-2008 at Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes name of Testator or deceased, friends names, residence of testator, recording dates, etc.

• Marriage returns (1891-1947) and marriage certificates (1899-1995 with images, at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

Divorce

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

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

• 1890-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
• Death Returns, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

• Washington State Digital Archives also has a database of Whatcom County Death Records containing the names and death records of people who died or whose deaths were recorded in Whatcom County from 1891 to 1907.

• 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.
  • Includes: 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.

Websites

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

Sites with online indexes or images of records:

• WAGenWeb Whatcom 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 -Whatcom WA (Free)

Sites that search the Internet for Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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

• Bellingham Washington Family History Center 2925 James St, Bellingham, WA 98225

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.

• Bellingham Public Library
  • Branches and Locations
  • Bellingham Public Library Genealogy / Database Tools
  • Special or Unique Collections (help needed from each branch)

• Whatcom County Library System
  • Branches and Locations
  • Genealogy / Database Tools
  • Special or Unique Collections (help needed from each branch)

• Maple Falls Library
  • Branches and Locations
  • Genealogy / Database Tools
  • 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.

Towns and Communities

See a list of towns and communities in Whatcom 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.

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