Whitman County, Washington Genealogy: Difference between revisions

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*[https://locations.familysearch.org/en/us/wa/mesa/160-bailie-boulevard  Basin City Washington FamilySearch Center]
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*[https://locations.familysearch.org/en/us/wa/othello/1200-east-rainier-street Othello Washington FamilySearch Center]
*[https://locations.familysearch.org/en/us/wa/othello/1200-east-rainier-street Othello Washington FamilySearch Center]
*[https://locations.familysearch.org/en/us/wa/ritzville/606-south-weber-avenue Ritzville Washington FamilySearch Center]
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Revision as of 19:56, 10 January 2024

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

County Facts
County seat: Colfax
Organized: November 29, 1871
Parent County(s): Stevens
Neighboring Counties
Adams • Asotin • Benewah (ID) • Columbia • Franklin • Garfield • Latah (ID) • Lincoln • Nez Perce (ID) • Spokane
See County Maps
Courthouse
Washington, Whitman County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Wa-whitman.png

Palouse Hills seen from Steptoe Butte, Whitman County, Washington

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The county was named for Marcus Whitman, a Presbyterian missionary who, with his wife Narcissa, was killed in 1847 by members of the Cayuse tribe. The county is located in the southeast area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Whitman County Courthouse
400 North Main Street
Colfax, WA 99111-2031
Phone: 509-397-6244
Whitman County Website

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.[2]

Whitman County, Washington Record Dates[edit | edit source]

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1875 1872 1891 1861 1874 1878 1850
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1907. General compliance by 1917.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

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
Towns
Unincorporated communities
  • Belmont
  • Diamond
  • Dusty
  • Ewan
  • Fletcher
  • Glenwood
  • Hay
  • Hooper
  • Johnson
  • Juno
  • Kitzmiller
  • Pandora
  • Revere
  • Sunshine
  • Thornton
  • Whelan
  • Whitlow
  • Winona
Census-designated places
Ghost towns
  • Almota
  • Bishop
  • Canyon
  • Riparia
  • Wilcox


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

  • 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).
  • Whitman County, was home to bands of Palouse and other Sahaptin-speaking people, including the Nez Perce tribe.

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Biographical information is often found in Local Histories and in Genealogies (please see those headings). See also Washington Biography.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Whitman 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[edit | edit source]

See Washington Census for online censuses, including territorial. For more information, see United States Census.

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1880 7,014 —
1890 19,109 172.4%
1900 25,360 32.7%
1910 33,280 31.2%
1920 31,323 −5.9%
1930 28,014 −10.6%
1940 27,221 −2.8%
1950 32,469 19.3%
1960 31,263 −3.7%
1970 37,900 21.2%
1980 40,103 5.8%
1990 38,775 −3.3%
2000 40,740 5.1%
2010 44,776 9.9%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".
Federal: 1910
Territorial: 1883, 1885, 1887, 1889

Church Records[edit | edit source]

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.

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

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

  • Whitman 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[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

Japanese

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

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.

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

Online Land and Property Records


Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Local histories for Whitman County 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.

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Garfield CountyAsotin CountyColumbia CountyWalla Walla CountyFranklin CountyAdams CountyLincoln CountySpokane CountyBenewah CountyLatah CountyNez Perce CountyWA WHITMAN.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration[edit | edit source]

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 Records[edit | edit source]

Indian Wars

World War I

World War II

Japanese

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

Election Records

Public Records

Voting Records

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

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

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.


School Records[edit | edit source]

Online School Indexes and Records

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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.[7]

Birth[edit | edit source]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Death[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

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

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

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

FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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

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

Libraries

Whitman County Rural Library District
Website

Pullman (Niell Public Library)
Website

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

Listed below are societies in Whitman County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Washington Societies. Whitman County Genealogical Society
115 NW State Street, Room 103A
PO Box 393
Pullman, Washington 99163-0393
Website
Facebook

Websites[edit | edit source]

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

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Whitman County, Washington," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitman_County,_Washington. accessed 18/07/2019
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Whitman 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), Whitman 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).At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Whitman County, Washington," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitman_County,_Washington, accessed 26 March 2019.
  7. ↑ Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, Birth Records, About this Collection & Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, Death Records About Death Records
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This table contains the dates the local or state government began recording in the county or county equivalent. Use substitute records for earlier dates. If you believe there is an error, email us at wikisupport@familysearch.org.

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