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Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Port Orchard
Organized: January 16, 1847
Parent County(s): King
Neighboring Counties
Island • Jefferson • King • Mason • Pierce • Snohomish
See County Maps
Courthouse
Washington, Kitsap County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Wa-kitsap.png

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Kitsap CO., Washington

County Information

Description

The county was named for Chief Kitsap. The county is located in the west-central area of the state.[1]

County Courthouse

Kitsap County Courthouse
614 Division Street
Port Orchard, WA 98366
Phone: 360-337-7109
Kitsap County Website

County Auditor has birth records 1891-1907, death records 1892-1907 and marriage records from 1892.
County Clerk has divorce and court records from 1888, probate and adoption records from 1861 and land records from 1857. [2]

Kitsap County, Washington Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1891 1892 1892 1888 1857 1861 1850
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1907. General compliance by 1917.

Record Loss

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

Boundary Changes

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 county:[6]

Cities
Unincorporated communities
  • Annapolis
  • Bay Vista
  • Breidablick
  • Brownsville
  • Camp Union
  • Central Valley
  • Clear Creek
  • Crosby
  • Eglon
  • Fernwood
  • Fragaria
  • Gilberton
  • Glenwood
  • Harper
  • Holly
  • Horseshoe Lake
  • Illahee
  • Island Lake
  • Kariotis
  • Lofall
  • Lone Rock
  • Long Lake
  • Nellita
  • Olalla
  • Olalla Valley
  • Scandia
  • South Colby
  • South Park Village
  • Virginia
  • Waterman
  • Wautauga Beach
  • Wildcat Lake
  • Wye Lake
American Indian Communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline

Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library[7]

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. Kitsap County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7864.

  • The first residents of the land and islands between Puget Sound and Hood Canal were called Suquamish.
  • 1792-May British Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver mapped Puget Sound .
  • 1850 The big trigger to white settlement on the Kitsap Peninsula came with the California Gold Rush.
  • 1853-March 2 U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
  • 1855 Washington Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens persuaded the tribes to sign the Point No Point and Point Elliott treaties, in which they ceded their lands to the United States.
  • 1857-July 13 Slaughter County was officially formed and Port Madison became the county seat. Voters changed the name to Kitsap County.
  • 1880s The United States government chose Port Orchard as the site of a repair facility to help support naval operations in the Pacific Ocean.

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

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

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Kitsap 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

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

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1860 544 —
1870 866 59.2%
1880 1,738 100.7%
1890 4,624 166.1%
1900 6,767 46.3%
1910 17,647 160.8%
1920 33,162 87.9%
1930 30,776 −7.2%
1940 44,387 44.2%
1950 75,724 70.6%
1960 84,176 11.2%
1970 101,732 20.9%
1980 147,152 44.6%
1990 189,731 28.9%
2000 231,969 22.3%
2010 251,133 8.3%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".
Federal: 1910
Territorial: 1857, 1871,1883,1885,1889.

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.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

  • Bremerton
  • Port Orchard

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

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

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

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

American Indian

Japanese

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

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

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

Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

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

Maps and Gazetteers

Island CountySnohomish CountyKing CountyPierce CountyMason CountyJefferson CountyWA KITSAP.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

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 Records

Indian Wars

World War I

World War II

Japanese

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.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

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.

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.

Other Records

Public Records

Voting Records

Periodicals

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.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

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

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.[8]

Birth

Marriage

Death

Divorce

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

Research Facilities

Archives

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

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

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

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

Libraries
Kitsap Regional Library
1301 Sylvan Way
Bremerton, WA 98310
Phone: 360-405-9158
Website

Branches:
Bainbridge Island Library
1270 Madison N.
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Phone: 206-842-4162
Bremerton Library
612 5th Street
Bremerton, WA 98337
Phone: 360-377-3955
Kingston Library
11212 NE State Hwy 104
Kingston, WA 98346
Phone: 360-297-3330
Little Boston Library
31980 Little Boston Rd. NE
Kingston, WA 98346
Phone: 360-297-2670
Manchester Library
8067 E. Main Street
Manchester, WA 98353
Phone: 360-871-3921
Port Orchard Library
87 Sidney Street
Port Orchard, WA 98366
Phone: 360-876-2224
Poulsbo Library
700 NE Lincoln Street
Poulsbo, WA 98370
Phone: 360-779-2915
Silverdale Library
3450 NW Carlton Street
Silverdale, WA 98383
Phone: 360-692-2997

Museums

Societies

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

Puget Sound Genealogical Society
1301 Sylvan Way
Bremerton, WA 98310
Website

Kitsap County Historical Society and Museum
280 4th Street
Bremerton, WA 98337
Website
Facebook

Websites

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

  • 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

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Kitsap County, Washington," in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsap_County,_Washington. accessed 17/07/2019
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kitsap County, Washington page 733, At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kitsap 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, "Kitsap County, Washington," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsap_County,_Washington, accessed 13 March 2019.
  7. ↑ John H. Long, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries (Chicago: Newberry Library, 2006) online.
  8. ↑ Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, Birth Records, About this Collection & Washington State Archives - Digital Archives, Death Records About Death Records
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