Jefferson County, Washington Genealogy

United States

Washington

Jefferson County

Guide to Jefferson County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1852, when the county was formed.

Estuary of the Dosewallips River, Jefferson CO., Washington

County QuickStart: Census Birth Marriage Divorce Death Cemeteries

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Jefferson County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	December 22, 1852
County Seat	Port Townsend
Courthouse
Address	Jefferson County Courthouse 1820 Jefferson Street; PO Box 1220 Port Townsend, WA 98368-0920 Phone: 360.385.9125 Jefferson County Website

County Overview

Description

The County was named for Thomas Jefferson. The County is located in the northwest area of the state.

Parent County(s)

Jefferson County, Washington was created 22 December 1852 from Thurston.

Boundary Changes

• Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse

Jefferson County Courthouse
1820 Jefferson Street; PO Box 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368-0920
Phone: 360.385.9125

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 Jefferson County, Washington Genealogy.

Dates of Major County Records

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1891	1853	1891	1890	1855	1891	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.

Topics for Jefferson 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

Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Tombstone Transcriptions in Print	List of Cemeteries in the county
FindAGrave	Family History Library	FindAGrave
Tombstone Project	WorldCat	Interment.net
Billion Graves (name)	Washington Periodicals	WA State Digital Archives
WAGenWeb Archives		Linkpendium
Billion Graves		Genealogy Trails
		FamilySearch Places
See Washington Cemeteries for more information.

Cemetery records often reveal birth, death, relationship, military, and religious information. Tombstones, sextons (caretakers) records, and burial records each have slightly different information. See Washington Cemeteries.

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	531	—
1870	1,268	138.8%
1880	1,712	35.0%
1890	8,368	388.8%
1900	5,712	−31.7%
1910	8,337	46.0%
1920	6,557	−21.4%
1930	8,346	27.3%
1940	8,918	6.9%
1950	11,618	30.3%
1960	9,639	−17.0%
1970	10,661	10.6%
1980	15,965	49.8%
1990	20,146	26.2%
2000	25,953	28.8%
2010	29,872	15.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Federal Census Contents
Names, ages, birthplaces	1850–1940
Birthplaces of parents	1880–1940
Relationships	1880–1940
Family and Neighbors	All years
Immigration year	1900–1930
Citizenship	1910–1940

Censuses 1) Give names, ages, and more about the family; 2) Pinpoint the area to find other records; and 3) Provide clues for further research.

• Washington online census links to FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest and others.
  • Federal Censuses:
    • 1940 • 1930 • 1920 • 1910 • 1900
    • 1890 Veterans Schedule
    • 1880 • 1870 • 1860 • 1850
  • Territorial and State-funded Censuses:
    • 1847–1898

• Statewide printed indexes of federal censuses

• Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free)
  • Federal: 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1910
  • Territorial: 1871, 1875, 1877, 1878, 1879
    1881, 1883, 1885, 1887, and 1889
  • State-funded: 1891
  • These were all 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 Jefferson County, Washington Genealogy are listed in the FamilySearch catalog. (Press space bar to select town.)

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

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

• Jefferson 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.

 

 

Ethnic, Political or Religious Groups

 

American Indian

• 1911 - 1919 - Washington, Applications for Enrollment and Adoption of Washington Indians, 1911-1919 at FamilySearch — images

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

 

Maps and Gazetteers

 

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Genealogy

A FamilySearch Community Tree is available for this place.

Many local libraries and societies have collections of family genealogies. County histories or biographies often include brief genealogies of the featured persons. 

Genealogy Resources

• Genealogy and Family History Resources online at Washington Jefferson County Genealogical Society

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 Jefferson 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 of the Puget Sound Country, Volume 1, Volume 2 by William Farrand Prosser [New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company, 1903] online at Washington History

• Jefferson County, Washington Facts at StateofUS.com (mis-labeled as Jefferson County, Alabama)

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 Daryl C. McClary. Jefferson County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7472.

• For thousands of years the only occupants of the Olympic Peninsula were Coast Indians.
• 1851 - April 24,The first permanent American settlement on the peninsula was Port Townsend.
• 1852 - December 22, Jefferson County was created by the Oregon Territorial Legislature from a portion of Lewis County.
• 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
• 1800s - mid, White settlers came to the north Olympic Peninsula, but the rugged interior remained unexplored.
• 1889-1890 - The great land boom was predicated on the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad, linking Port Townsend with the rest of the nation. Due to financial difficulties, the Union Pacific Railroad abandoned the project, causing the boom to collapse in 1891.

Land and Property

Land Records reveal
Yes or Maybe ⇒	Y	M
Seller (Grantor)
Seller's Spouse
Buyer (Grantee)
Heirs
Witnesses
Land Description and Dates
Tips -or- Land Contents

Land records (especially deeds) may give the name of a spouse, heirs, and witnesses, who may be relatives or in-laws.

County deeds, mortgages, and leases show transfers from person to person. See also Court Records for actions involving real estate. See Washington Land for government-to-person records.

• Land Records 1982 to present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
• Plats and Surveys Records1961 to present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
• Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1982-2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Maps

• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

 

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 (1st deed may reveal previous residence)

• Death-related records of children may give town or county of birth

• Records of relatives and neighbors

Military

 

• 1921-1925 - Washington, World War I Veteran's Compensation Fund Application Records, 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — index
• Some military records for this county have been digitized at the Washington State Digital Archives.

Naturalization and Citizenship

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.

• Naturalization Records, 1852-1974 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
  • Includes Declarations of Intention, Petitions for Naturalization, and Final Records filed at the Jefferson County Superior Court.

• Certificates of naturalization 1893-1903 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Certificates of naturalization 1903-1906; Declarations of intention 1855-1971; Memorandum of naturalization 1906-1911; Naturalization final record 1893-1906; Naturalization papers 1865-1906;Petition and record 1906-1945; Reports of naturalization petitions granted 1929-1973.

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.

• Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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)

• Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library

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.

See also: Newspapers • Libraries • Societies • Funeral Homes • Obituaries of neighboring counties or of the person's previous residence • Family records.

Also check:

• Newspapers of Jefferson County, Washington Genealogy
• Local Funeral Homes, Libraries, or family records.
• Obituaries of neighboring counties

 

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.

• Probate Case Files, 1853-1889 Part of:"County Probate Records, 1853-1929" FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these 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.

• Jefferson Postmaster Index. Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections for Washington. (Free, browse images)

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 Records reveal
Yes or Maybe ⇒	Y	M
Name of Child
Birth Date and Place
Parent's Names
Mother's Maiden Name
Parent's Ages
Parents' State or Country of Birth
Name of Doctor or Midwife

In 1891, coroners, physicians, and midwives were to "return" births and deaths to the county auditor. Many went unrecorded. In 1907, the State Center for Health Statistics assumed this responsibility.

See Washington Online Genealogy Records for indexes.
Also see Washington Birth Records.

• Birth certificates 1869-1907 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
• Washington, County Birth Registers, 1873-1965 — index and images
  • Birth registers 1891-1907

For earlier or unrecorded births, search:

• Delayed Birth Certificates often include statements of witnesses to the birth.
• Death Records to learn birth date, place, parents
• Census to learn age, family members, location, etc.
• School Censuses give date of birth and name of parent or guardian
• Cemeteries for birth date or age, maybe birth place
• Obituaries for any of the above and more
• See also Neighboring and Parent counties and How to Find Washington Birth Records.

Marriage

Marriage Records reveal
Yes or Maybe ⇒	Y	M
Date of Marriage or License
Names of Bride and Groom
Ages
Birth Places
Residences
Names of Parents
Husband's Occupation
Witnesses
Minister or Officiator

Marriage records include certificates, marriage returns, license applications or affidavits. Counties kept the records until 1968, when the state took over.

See Washington Online Genealogy Records for indexes.
Also see Washington Marriage Records.

• 1801-1962 - Washington, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
• 1855–2008 - Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — index and images
  

• 1872-2013 - Marriage Records, 1872-2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

• 1969-2014 - Washington Marriage Index, 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — index

Divorce

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.

Online Records

• 1969 - 2014 - Washington Divorce Index, 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — index

Death

Death Records reveal
Yes or Maybe ⇒	Y	M
Name of Deceased
Death Date and Place
Age or Birth Date and Place
Parent's Names
Mother's Maiden Name
Name of Spouse
Residence
Occupation

In 1891, coroners, physicians and midwives were to report (or return) all births and deaths under their supervision to County Auditors. On July 1, 1907, the State took over....

See Washington Online Genealogy Records for indexes.
Also see Washington Death Records.

• Washington, County Death Registers, 1881-1922 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
• Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• Death registers 1891-1907Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

 

Websites

Sites with online indexes or images of records
Jefferson County WAGenWeb Project	Free	Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
USGenWeb Archives	Free	Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
Washington State Digital Archives	Free	Includes indexes, some linked to images. Type county name, click Search, then select a collection. Collections were posted to the appropriate headings for this Wiki page in December, 2013.
FamilySearch Historical Collections	Free	Search indexes or browse images at FamilySearch.org. Click "Last Updated." Collections through December 2013 have been posted to the appropriate topics for this Wiki page.

Sites that search for links pertaining to Jefferson County, Washington Genealogy
Websites at RootsWeb - Jefferson WA	Free	Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
Linkpendium	Free	Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
CyndisList	Free	Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
StateofUS.com	Free	"Jefferson County, Washington Facts" (Mis-labeled "Jefferson County, Alabama facts"

Major catalogs for hard copy collections of Jefferson County, Washington Genealogy Books, microfilm, or manuscripts of genealogical records
FamilySearch catalog	Select topics. To select towns, add a comma to the search box.
WorldCat	To find nearby libraries that have specific items, see WorldCat Online Catalog.
Allen County Public Library (Indiana)
See also local libraries and Washington Archives and Libraries

Archives, Libraries, etc.

See also a List of Washington Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies  

Resources for Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Washington Genealogy. When you find items you'd like to access, see Get a Copy

Family History Centers

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• Family History 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 family history center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Port Townsend Washington Family History Center (Chimacum)

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.

• Jefferson County Library
  620 Cedar Avenue
  Port Hadlock, WA 98339
  Phone: 360-385-6544
  Website
• Port Townsend Public Library
  1220 Lawrence Street
  Port Townsend, WA 98368
  Phone: 360-385-3181
  Website

 

Societies

Jefferson County Historical Society
540 Water St
Port Townsend, WA 98368
(360) 385-1003
Website
Facebook

Jefferson County Genealogical Society
Mailing address:
PO Box 627
Port Townsend, WA 98368-0627
Research Center (not a mailing address):
13692 Airport Cutoff Road (Highway 19)
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Phone: 360-385-9495
Website
Facebook

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:

Cities
Port Townsend (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
Beckett Point Cape George Center Chimacum Clearwater	Coyle Discovery Bay Gardiner Indian Island Kalaloch	Leland Nordland Shine Woodmands
Native American communities
Hoh Indian Reservation	Quinault Indian Reservation‡
Census-designated places
Brinnon Marrowstone	Port Hadlock-Irondale Port Ludlow	Queets‡ Quilcene
Ghost towns
McGees

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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