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Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy

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United States Gotoarrow.png Washington Gotoarrow.png Kitsap County [[Image:Template:WAKitsapShipyard]]

Guide to Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1857, when the county was formed.

County QuickStart:



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Kitsap County, Washington
Map
Map of Washington highlighting Kitsap County
Location in the state of Washington
Map of the U.S. highlighting Washington
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded January 16, 1847
County Seat Port Orchard
Courthouse
Address Kitsap County Courthouse
614 Division Street
Port Orchard, WA 98366
Phone 360.337.7164
Kitsap County Website


County Overview

Tip
 Before 1857—and perhaps until the newly-formed county was fully operational—search records of the parent county(s).

Parent County(s)

Kitsap County, Washington was created 16 January 1857 as (Slaughter County) from King and Jefferson. Renamed Kitsap 13 July 1857.[1]

County Seat: Port Orchard [2]. See also Towns and Communities in Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes

Neighboring Counties

Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy is surrounded by: Island | Jefferson | King | Mason | Pierce | Snohomish

Kitsap CountyIsland CountySan Juan CountyClallam CountyJefferson CountyMason CountyGrays Harbor CountyLewis CountyThurston CountyPierce CountyYakima CountyKittitas CountySnohomish CountySkagit CountyKitsap County.JPG

Courthouse

Kitsap County Courthouse
614 Division Street
Port Orchard, WA 98366
Phone 360.337.7164

County Auditor has birth records 1891-1907, death record
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. [4]

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

Dates of Major County Records

Beginning dates for major county records[5]
Birth
Marriage
Death
Land
Probate
Court
1891*
1860*
1891*
1857
1861
1888
* For earlier dates, try... Church | Obituaries | Cemeteries
Record Loss

Topics for Kitsap 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.


Tip
 Don't overlook Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy items in the FamilySearch Library Catalog. For other libraries (local and national) or to gain access to items of interest, see Archives and Libraries.

Bible Records

Biography

Biographical information is often found in state and local histories or genealogies. See also Washington Biography.

Business and Commerce

Cemeteries

Kitsap 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

Template:WA Census

FYI
 Censuses indexed by societies or groups in the area may be more accurate, due to familiarity with local surnames.

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 Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy are listed in the FamilySearch catalog. (Press space bar to select town.)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

LDS Ward and Branch Records

  • Bremerton
  • Port Orchard
Lutheran
  • Records of Port Madison Lutheran Church, Winslow, 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.

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

  • Kitsap 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)
    • 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 or Religious Groups

American Indian
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

Funeral Homes

Gazetteers

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.

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


History Timeline

Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library[6]

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.

Land and Property

Maps

Wakitsap.jpg
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

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.

  • County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982. at Washington, County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
    • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
    • Includes two collections: Declaration of intention 1929-1936 vol 7; Naturalization petitions 1910-1911 vol 6.

Included in above collection: Petition records & index, Naturalization certificate receipts, Journal of Citizenship index, Delectation of Intention, and Application of oaths.

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.

Finding More Washington Newspapers

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Kitsap 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)
  • Port Orchard Independent
  • The Kitsap Sun
  • The Bainbridge Review

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:

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.

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.

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

Template:WA Birth Tips

Marriage
  • [1] Web: Kitsap County, Washington, Marriage Index, 1986-2010 (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)
FYI
 Witnesses or affiants may be relatives or close family friends. The affidavits also include physician's certificates.
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

Voting Registers

Websites

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

Tip
 Check back often with these websites. Internet offerings are growing at record rates.

Sites with online indexes or images of records:

  • WAGenWeb
  • 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.

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

Major catalogs to offline genealogical records:
Catalogs refer to books, microfilm, manuscripts, and/or Internet images and indexes for various topics.

Archives, Libraries, etc.

Listed below are archives in {{{1}}} County. For state-wide facilities, see Washington Archives and Libraries.

Resources for Kitsap 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.

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

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.

FYI
 A library's Unique Collections may include card indexes of local records, newspapers, scrapbooks, genealogy papers, files of a genealogical or historical society, and other unpublished manuscripts.


Bainbridge Island Library, 1270 Madison N., Bainbridge Island 98110 Phone: (206) 842-4162
Online Resources:
Unique Collections:
Kitsap Regional Library, 1301 Sylvan Way, Bremerton 98310 Phone: (360) 405-9158
Online Resources:
Unique Collections:
Bremerton Library, 612 5th St., Bremerton 98337 Phone: (360) 377-3955
Online Resources:
Unique Collections:
Kingston Library, 11212 Ne State Hwy 104, Kingston 98346 Phone: (360) 297-3330
Online Resources:
Unique Collections:
Little Boston Library, 31980 Little Boston Rd. Ne, Kingston 98346 Phone: (360) 297-2670
Online Resources:
Unique Collections:
Manchester Library, 8067 E. Main St., Manchester 98353 Phone: (360) 871-3921
Online Resources:
Unique Collections:
Port Orchard Library, 87 Sidney St., Port Orchard 98366 Phone: (360) 876-2224
Online Resources:
Unique Collections:
Poulsbo Library, 700 Ne Lincoln St., Poulsbo 98370 Phone: (360) 779-2915
Online Resources:
Unique Collections:
Silverdale Library, 3450 Nw Carlton St., Silverdale 98383 Phone: (360) 692-2997
Online Resources:
Unique Collections:
Museums
Societies

Listed below are societies in {{{1}}} County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Washington Societies.

Puget Sound Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 1931
Port Orchard, WA 98366-0805
(360)874-8813
www.pusogensoc.org

Towns and Communities

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

References

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
  3. ↑ John H. Long, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries (Chicago: Newberry Library, 2006) online.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kitsap County, Washington page 733, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Alice Eichholz, Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Pub., 2004), 733-734. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27rb 2004.
  6. ↑ John H. Long, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries (Chicago: Newberry Library, 2006) online.
v • d• e
Links to Washington-related articles
Topics
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Extinct Co.
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 Repositories
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