Lewis County, Washington Genealogy

United States

Washington

Lewis County

United States

Oregon

Lewis County

Guide to Lewis County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1845, when the county was formed.

Lower Falls Lewis River, Lewis County, Washington

County QuickStart: Census Birth Marriage Divorce Death Cemeteries

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Lewis County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	December 21, 1845
County Seat	Chehalis
Courthouse
Address	Lewis County Courthouse 351 NW North Street Chehalis, WA 98532 Phone 360.740.2704 Lewis County Website

County Overview

Description

The County was named for Meriwether Lewis. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

Parent County(s)

Lewis County, Washington was created 21 December 1845 from Vancouver District, (later Clark County). Lewis was an original county in the Oregon Territory.

County Seat: Chehalis . See also Towns and Communities in Lewis County, Washington Genealogy. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes

• Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse

Small town newspapers provide historical content and contain obituaries, birth or death notices, legal notices, and community news, such as visits to or from out-of-town relatives.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.

• Inventory of the county archives of Washington, no. 21. Lewis County (Chehalis) (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

Lewis County Courthouse
351 NW North Street
Chehalis, WA 98532
Phone 360.740.2704

County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907
and marriage records from 1850.
County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1870’s.

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

Dates of Major County Records

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1891	1847	1891	1847	1855	1855	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 Lewis 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.

Business and Commerce

• Recorded Professional Licenses at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

• Mining Claims, 1882-1920, index 1880-1920 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)

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
WAGenWeb		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.	%±
1850	558	—
1860	384	−31.2%
1870	888	131.3%
1880	2,600	192.8%
1890	11,499	342.3%
1900	15,157	31.8%
1910	32,127	112.0%
1920	36,840	14.7%
1930	40,034	8.7%
1940	41,393	3.4%
1950	43,755	5.7%
1960	41,858	−4.3%
1970	45,467	8.6%
1980	56,025	23.2%
1990	59,358	5.9%
2000	68,600	15.6%
2010	75,455	10.0%
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: 1910
  • Territorial: 1847 • 1850  • 1851 • 1857 • 1871  • 1883 • 1887  • 1889
  • State-funded: 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 Lewis County, Washington Genealogy are listed in the FamilySearch catalog. (Press space bar to select town.)

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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

Lutheran

• Records of the America Lutheran Church, Alpha, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

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

• Inventory of the county archives of Washington, no. 21. Lewis County (Chehalis) (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)
• Power of Attorney Records 1968 - present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

• Lewis 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

• "Lewis County, Washington Online Historical Directories" online

 

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

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

 

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

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 Federal District courts. See Washington Court Records.

History

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

• "Lewis County, Washington Facts" online
• "Lewis County Resources and Links " online

Online County Histories

• A history of Winlock, Washington (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

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. Lewis County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7449.

• Native Americans calling themselves Chehalis and Meshall lived along the banks of the Chehalis River.
• 1818-1846 - The United States and Great Britain jointly occupied Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.
• 1838 - The Hudson's Bay Company established the Puget Sound Agricultural Company.
• 1838 - Late, Cowlitz Farms, a part of the Puget Sound Agricultural Company, represented the first white settlement in the future Lewis County.
• 1845 - December 21, The Oregon Territorial Legislature delineated Lewis County.
• 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
• 1855 - February, Washington Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens convinced coastal tribes to sign the Quinault Treaty with the U.S. government.

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.

• County Land records, 1850-1954 Part of:"Washington County Land Records, 1850-1954" FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • NOTE: These are labeled as direct (grantor/seller) and indirect (grantee/buyer) indexes, yet several include copies of the deed books. After selecting the years you need, explore various images to determine if the deeds are included.

• Mining Claims, 1880-1920 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Mining claims index 1880-1920.

• Items at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)
  • Recorded Land Records 1974 to the present
  • Recorded Plats 1974 - present
  • Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1968-2012

 

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
• Recorded Military Records at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

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.

• County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982, part of Washington, County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • Included in this collection: Application & oaths (Repatriation) 1937-1965 no 1-26; Certificate of citizenship 1903-1906; Citizenship papers 1874-1896; Declaration of intention (Invalid) Depositions 1884-1921; Declaration of intention 1887-1972; Depositions 1907-1963; Card index 1930-1979; Certificate receipts 1907-1927; Index 1888-1962; Notices of application for citizenship 1909-1924; Petition records 1886-1947.

• Naturalization Records, 1853-1971 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.

• Daily Chronicle (Centralia, Washington) (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

• Chehalis Bee-Nugget (Chehalis, Washington) (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

• Centralia Chronicle Advertiser (Centralia, Washington) ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

• Centralia Chronicle (Centralia, Washington) ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)
• Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library

Finding More Washington Newspapers

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Lewis 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.

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

Also check:

• Newspapers of Lewis 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.

• Washington, County Probate Case Files, 1832-1950 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free indexes and images)
  • 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.

• Lewis 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.

• Washington, County Birth Registers, 1873-1965 — index and images

• Birth Returns, 1891-1894 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

• Birth Register, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

• Birth Register, 1891-1907 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)

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 $
• 1847-2012 - Marriage Records, 1847-2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

• 1855–2008 - Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — index and images
  

• 1914-1950 - Marriage Returns,1914-1950, part of Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)

• 1847-1900 - Marriage Returns, 1847-1991 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • Includes:Marriage applications 1939-1991; Marriage certificates 1847-1900; Marriage register 1891-1938; Marriage returns 1914-1968.

• 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
• County Divorce Records, 1852-1950 Part of "County Divorce Records, 1880-1924" FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

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
• Corner's record, 1913-1944 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • Includes Death records (transcription) 1891-1906; Death register 1891-1906.

 

Websites

Sites with online indexes or images of records
WAGenWeb for Lewis County	Free	Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
USGenWeb	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 Lewis County, Washington Genealogy
RootsWeb - Lewis 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	"Lewis County, Washington Facts"

Major catalogs for hard copy collections of Lewis 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.

Resources for Lewis 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 Lewis 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

• Centralia Washington Family History Center (Chehalis)
• Morton Washington Family History Center

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.

• Timberland Libraries - Lewis County
  • Branches and Locations
  • Genealogy / Data Base Tools
  • Special or Unique Collections (help needed from each branch)

Museums

LEWIS COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
599 NW Front Way
Chehalis, WA 98532
(360) 748-0831
Website

Societies

Lewis County Genealogical Society
PO Box 782
Chehalis, WA 98532
E-mail: wa.lcgs@hotmail.com
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
Centralia Chehalis (county seat) Napavine	Winlock Morton Mossyrock	Toledo Vader
Towns
Pe Ell
Unincorporated communities
Adna Alpha Boistfort Bunker Ceres Cinebar Cora Curtis Doty Dryad Ethel	Evaline Forest Galvin Glenoma Harmony Klaber Kosmos Lacamas Littell Marys Corner Mayfield	McCormick Meskill Nesika Newaukum Randle Riffe Saint Urban Salkum Silver Creek Swofford Wildwood
Native American communities
Yakama Indian Reservation‡
Census-designated places
Fords Prairie Mineral	Onalaska	Packwood
Ghost towns
Lindberg	Mendota	Walville

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

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