Columbia County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington Columbia County [[Image:Template:WAColumbiarailway]]

Guide to Columbia County, Washington Genealogy genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1875, when the county was formed.

County QuickStart: Census Birth Marriage Divorce Death Cemeteries

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Columbia County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	11 November, 1875
County Seat	Dayton
Courthouse
Address	Columbia County Courthouse 341 E Main Street Dayton, WA 99328-1361 Phone: 509.382.4321 Columbia County Website

County Overview

Parent County(s)

Columbia County, Washington was created 11 November 1875 from Walla Walla County.

County seat: Dayton See also Towns and Communities in Columbia County, Washington Genealogy. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes

• Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Neighboring Counties

Columbia County, Washington Genealogy is surrounded by: Franklin | Garfield | Walla Walla | Whitman | Oregon counties: Umatilla | Wallowa

Courthouse

Columbia County Courthouse
341 E Main Street
Dayton, WA 99328-1361
Phone: 509.382.4321

County Clerk has divorce records from 1886,
probate records from 1891 and court records from 1890.
County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907
and marriage records from 1853.

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

Dates of Major County Records

Beginning dates for major county records
Birth	Marriage	Death	Land	Probate	Court
1891*	1876*	1891*	1864	1878	1874
* For earlier dates, try... Church | Obituaries | Cemeteries

Topics for Columbia 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

Columbia 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: 1883{{•}1885 • 1887 • 1889 • 1892
  • 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 Columbia 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

• [http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/Collections/TitleInfo/225 Columbia 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)
  • Includes court actions arising from criminal accusations, estate (probate) and property disputes, debt collections, and other matters brought to the court.

Ethnic, Political and 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.

• "Japanese Internment Collection Summaries" online
• "Family History & Genealogy" online
• "Genealogy Research in Columbia County, Washington Genealogy" 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.

History

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

• 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)

• "Columbia County, Alabama (Washington) Facts" 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. Columbia County -- Thumbnail History, [1] Essay 7801.

• The lower Snake River was home to bands of Palouse and other Sahaptin-speaking people, including Nez Perce, Yakama, Walla Walla, Umatilla, and Wanapum.
• 1805 - October 12-13, Lewis and Clark canoed on the Snake River along the boundary separating Columbia and Whitman counties.
• 1834 - Captain B. L. E. Bonneville crossed Columbia County on the Nez Perce Trail, surveying the Northwest on behalf of the United States government.
• 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
• 1855 - One of the first white settlers in Columbia County was Henry M. Chase. Chase and another man, P. M. Lafontain, built cabins and possibly a small fort early in 1855 at the site of present day Dayton.
• 1859 - Permanent settlement reached Columbia County with claims taken up along the Touchet and Tucannon rivers and along Patit Creek.
• 1859 - Frederick Schnebley homesteaded at the Dayton site of the former Chase homestead, which had been destroyed in the 1855 Indian attack.
• 1860s - Settlers slowly drifted into the county, but in the early 1870s settlement rapidly increased.
• 1875 - November 29, Columbia County officially came into existence.
• 1881 - July, The railroad arrived in Dayton.
• 1934 - The Blue Mountain Cannery was built in Dayton.
• 1935 - As part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, two Civilian Conservation Camps were established in Columbia County.

Land and Property

• 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.

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

• World War II (1941–1945) army enlistments at the county GenWeb site has about 400 entries, mostly from Okanogan 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, 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.

• 1890-1955 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
• Journals of Naturalization Orders, 1890-1906 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
• Naturalization Records, 1908-1953 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
• Registers of Declarations of Intent, 1890-1941 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

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.

• Columbia 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 Columbia 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.

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.

• 1878-1942 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 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.

• Columbia Postmaster Index A-M • Postmaster Index M-Z. Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections for Washington. (Free, browse images)

School Records

• 1912-1932 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

• Washington State Digital Archives has a free database of Columbia County Birth Records. This database contains the names of people who were born in Columbia County from June 1891 – August 1913. The names were taken from the Columbia County Register of Births.

Marriage

• Marriages from 4 Jan 1876 to 2 Nov 1912 are available from the Western States Marriage Index website.

• 1885-1961 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

• Marriage Affidavits, 1904-1939 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)
• Marriage Certificate Volumes, 1888-1914 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

• Marriage Records, 1876-2003 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

• Probate Marriage Records, 1878-1890 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Divorce

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

Death

• 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.

Websites

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

• WAGenWeb for Columbia County (Free)
• USGenWeb Project
• 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 Columbia County, Washington Genealogy records online:

• Web Sites at RootsWeb - Columbia 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 Columbia 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 Columbia 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 Columbia County, Washington Genealogy.

• When you find items you'd like to access, see Get a Copy

See also Courthouse · FamilySearch Centers · Libraries · Museums · Other Repositories · Societies

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

• Dayton Washington Family History Center 1114 S 3rd St., Dayton, Wa 99328 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.

Columbia County Rural Library District, 111 S 3rd St., Dayton 99328 Phone: (509) 382-4131

Online Resources: Heritage Quest and other genealogical links

Unique Collections: Revolutionary War records and Bounty-Land Warrant Application files

Dayton Memorial Library, 111 S 3rd St, Dayton 99328 Phone: (509) 382-4131

Online Resources: Headstone Images, Whitman County Heritage documents and others.

Unique Collections:

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 Columbia 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.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.