Okanogan County, Washington Genealogy

United States Genealogy

Washington

Okanogan County

Guide to Okanogan County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1888, when the county was formed.

Crawfish Lake, Okanogan National Forest, Okanogan County, Washington

County QuickStart: Census Birth Marriage Divorce Death Cemeteries

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Okanogan County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington (disambiguation)
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	February 2, 1888
County Seat	Okanogan
Courthouse
Address	Okanogan County Courthouse 149 3rd N; PO Box 72 Okanogan, WA 98840 Phone 509.422.7275 Okanogan County Website

County Overview

Description

The County was named for the Okanagan language place name ukʷnaqín. The name Okanogan (Okanagan) also refers to a part of southern British Columbia. The County is located in the north-central area of the state.

Parent County(s)

Okanogan County, Washington was created 2 February 1888 from Stevens County.

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

Boundary Changes

• Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse

Okanogan County Courthouse
149 3rd N; PO Box 72
Okanogan, WA 98840
Phone 509–422–7275

According to Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Okanogan County, Washington page 733, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002:

• County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1908, marriage and land records from 1891, and patents from 1892.
• County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1896.

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

Dates of Major County Records

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1891	1891	1891	1896	1891	1896	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 Okanogan 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.

• "Okanogan County, Washington Biographical Sketches" online at Rootsweb.

Business and Commerce

 

• Professional License Records 1998 - 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

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.	%±
1890	1,467	—
1900	4,689	219.6%
1910	12,887	174.8%
1920	17,094	32.6%
1930	18,519	8.3%
1940	24,546	32.5%
1950	29,131	18.7%
1960	25,520	−12.4%
1970	25,867	1.4%
1980	30,639	18.4%
1990	33,350	8.8%
2000	39,564	18.6%
2010	41,120	3.9%
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.
  • Includes: Federal Censuses, 1860–1940; 1890 Veterans Schedule; Territorial and State Censuses, 1847–1898

• Statewide printed indexes of federal censuses

• Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free)
  • Includes 1910 federal census (no territorial censuses listed)
  • These censuses 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 Okanogan 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

• Transcripts of judgements 1889-1903 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• Okanogan 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

The Colville Indian Reservation is located in southern Ferry and southern Okanogan Counties.

• 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

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. 

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

• Early Okanogan history by William Compton Brown [Okanogan: Press of the Okanogan Independent, (1911)] online at Washington History

• Glimpses of pioneer life… Okanogan County [Okanogan: Okanogan Independent, 1924] online at Washington History

• Illustrated History of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan Counties, State of Washington by Richard F. Steele [(Spokane, Wash.): Western Historical Pub. Co., 1904] Commonly known by title History of North Washington. Online at Washington Secretary of State site (Free).
  • This book has numerous errors and its facts should viewed with circumspection.

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. Okanogan County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7608.

• Prior to 1805 - For at least several hundred years prior to contact with Europeans, the indigenous peoples of the Okanogan consisted of three major bands of a group called the Northern Okanogans or Sinkaiek, the Tokoratums, the Kartars, and the Konkonelps.
• 1782-1783 - A smallpox epidemic may have cost the lives of a third to a half of the people in the Okanogan.
• 1805 - William Clark of the (Lewis and Clark expedition) Corps of Discovery was the first to map the Okanogan River.
• 1811 - July, David Thompson was the first European to visit the Okanogan River.
• 1811 - David Stuart and Alexander Ross built a log cabin at the mouth of the Okanogan River and called it Fort Okanogan.
• 1814 - Fort Okanogan was taken over by the North West Company.
• 1821 - Fort Okanogan was sold to the Hudson Bay Company.
• 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
• 1855 - May, Territorial Governor Issac Stevens signed the Walla Walla Treaty.
• 1858 - Gold strikes in New Caledonia in British Columbia attracted prospectors from California to the aea.
• 1859 - The Army established Fort Colville at Mill Creek in the Colville Valley.
• 1858-1861 - Surveyors from the Royal Engineers and the U.S. Army established a boundary between Canada and the U.S.A.
• 1871 - Congress authorized the president to establish reservations by executive order.
• 1872 - Pres. Ulysses Grant created the Colville Indian Reservation.
• 1886 - Colville Indian Reservation was reduced in size to its current size making possible non Indian settlement.
• 1888 - Feb 2, Okanogan County came into being.
• 1888 - Ruby was the first county seat of Okanogan County.
• 1888 - The county seat was moved to Conconully.
• 1893 - Repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act/ ended the mining boom in Okanogan County.
• 1890-1900 - The population nearly tripled
• 1900-1910 - The population nearly tripled again.
• 1906 - The first rail service came into Okanogan County.
• 1914 - Okanogan became the county seat of Okanogan County.
• 1934-1942 - A big spurt to the economy of the county and the state of Washington was the construction of Grand Coulee Dam.

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.

• The County Recorder's Office has deeds, mining claims, copies of county plat maps and records dating back to 1878, prior records having been destroyed in a fire.

• Land Records 1993-present at Washington State Digital Archives, indexes and images (free)
• Plats and Survey Records1993 - 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

Maps

 

• Map from HomeTownLocator

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
• World War II enlistments. Select search codes for state and county. These are partial lists. The NARA website cautions: "This series does not contain records of all World War II Army enlistees."
• Military Separation and discharge records (no dates mentioned) 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.

• Naturalization Records 1890 - 1968 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

• Declarations of intention 1890-1945 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Declarations of intention, petition evidence 1899-1916; Depositions 1915-1922; Petition evidence 1902-1947; Petitions for naturalization 1900-1945.

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.

• Okanogan 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 Okanogan 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 Okanogan 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.

• 1888-1903 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

• Probate case files 1888-1953 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Probate petitions 1888-1894; Special Naturalization 1944-1953.

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.

• Okanogan County Auditor, Miscellaneous Recordings 1998-2012 (Free index, with images of non-sensitive items) Includes a variety of records, such as child support liens, community property agreements, and an occasional will.

• Power of Attorney 1998 - 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

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

• Miscellaneous public records 1888-1985 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Schools

 

School records vary from yearbooks, class photos, and more. School censuses were taken to plan and fill educational needs, and include names and birth dates of the children, residences, and the names of the parents or guardians.

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.

• 1884-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse)

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

• Okanogan County Auditor, Birth Returns, 1891-1913 ("O" surnames only) at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

• Delayed birth registrations 1884-1907 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

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
  

• 1888-1985 - Marriage affidavits 1888-1985 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free to browse images)
  • The affidavits start on image 31. Images 10-30 are an index to the groom.

• 1998-2013 - Marriage Records, 1998-2013 Okanogan County Auditor, at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free, index only)

• 1888-1985 - Marriage affidavits 1888-1985 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• 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
• Death Index,1907 -1960 (statewide, can select the county) at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free, no images)

• Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 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
WAGenWeb for Okanogan 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 Okanogan County, Washington Genealogy
Websites at RootsWeb - Okanogan WA (Free)	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	"Okanogan County, Washington Facts" (mis-labeled "Okanogan County, Alabama Facts")

Major catalogs for hard copy collections of Okanogan 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 Okanogan 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 Okanogan 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

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.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Libraries

• Brewster Washington Family History Center
• Coulee Dam Washington Family History Center
• Omak Washington Family History Center
• Oroville 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.

The public libraries in Okanogan County are part of North Central Regional Library. Their Research and Homework Center includes Heritage Quest. Library cards and passwords may be required for access.

• Brewster Community Library
  108 S Third Brewster
  Brewster, WA 98812
  Phone: 509-689-4046
  Website
• Okanogan Library
  228 Pine
  Okanogan, WA 98840
  Phone: 509-422-2609
  Website
• Omak Community Library
  30 S Ash
  Omak, WA 98841
  Phone: 509-826-1820
  Website
• Oroville Community Library
  1276 Main Street
  Oroville, WA 98844
  Phone: 509-476-2662
  Website
• Pateros Community Library
  174 Pateros Mall
  Pateros, WA 98846
  Phone: 509-923-2298
  Website
• Tonasket Community Library
  209 S Whitcomb
  Tonasket, WA 98855
  Phone: 509-486-2366
  Website
• Twisp Community Library
  201 N Methow Valley Hwy
  Twisp, WA 98856
  Phone: 509-997-4681
  Website
• Winthrop Community Library
  509 State, Rt 20
  Winthrop, WA 98862
  Phone: 509-996-2685
  Website

 

 

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
Brewster Okanogan (county seat)	Omak Oroville	Pateros Tonasket
Towns
Conconully Coulee Dam‡ Elmer City	Nespelem Riverside	Twisp Winthrop
Unincorporated communities
Aeneas Anglin Azwell Brown Lake Carlton	Ellisford (aka Ellisforde) Havillah Mazama Monse Nighthawk	Olema Rocky Butte Synarep Wauconda
Native American communities
Colville Indian Reservation‡
Census-designated places
Disautel Loomis	Malott Methow	Nespelem Community North Omak
Ghost towns
Bodie Chesaw	Golden Molson	Loop Loop Robinson

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

• Boom Town Tales at GhostTownsUSA.com

Indian Reservation

The Colville Indian Reservation is located in southern Ferry and southern Okanogan Counties

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.