Pierce County, Washington Genealogy

United States

Washington

Pierce County

Guide to Pierce 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.

Mount Rainier over Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington

County QuickStart: Census Birth Marriage Divorce Death Cemeteries

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Pierce County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington (disambiguation)
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	December 22, 1852
County Seat	Tacoma
Courthouse
Address	Pierce County Courthouse 930 Tacoma Ave South Tacoma, WA 98402 Phone: 253.798.7455 Pierce County Website

County Overview

Description

The County was named for the U.S. President Franklin Pierce. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

Parent County(s)

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

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

Boundary Changes

• Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse

Pierce County Courthouse
930 Tacoma Ave South
Tacoma, WA 98402
Phone: 253.798.7455
Pierce County Website

County Auditor has marriage and land records.
County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1890 and adoption records.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in Pierce 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	1855	1858	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 Pierce 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

 

• Professional License Records 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
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.

• Tacoma Mausoleum

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	1,115	—
1870	1,409	26.4%
1880	3,319	135.6%
1890	50,940	1434.8%
1900	55,515	9.0%
1910	120,812	117.6%
1920	144,127	19.3%
1930	163,842	13.7%
1940	182,081	11.1%
1950	275,876	51.5%
1960	321,590	16.6%
1970	411,027	27.8%
1980	485,643	18.2%
1990	586,203	20.7%
2000	700,820	19.6%
2010	795,225	13.5%
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: 1854 • 1857 • 1871 • 1879 • 1883  • 1885  • 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 Pierce County, Washington Genealogy are listed in the FamilySearch catalog. (Press space bar to select town.)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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

• Lincoln (Tacoma)
• Tacoma
• Tacoma Central

Lutheran

• Records of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Tacoma, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Correctional Institutions

• McNeil Island, Washington, U.S. Penitentiary, Photos and Records of Prisoners Received, 1875-1939 (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

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

• Power of Attorney Records 1984 - present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

• Pierce 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

 

• Tacoma, Washington Directories, 1889-91 (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

Emigration and Immigration

 

• Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, Passenger and Crew Lists of Airplane Departures, 1947-1957 (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

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

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

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

• Commemorative celebration at Sequalitchew Lake, Pierce County, Washington, July 5th, 1906 (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

• "History - Local" at Pierce County Library

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

• Three Cities Of Washington; Origin Of Their Names... by Edmond Stephen Meany [Seattle: Washington University State Historical Society, 1917?] at Washington History covers the origins of the city names Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma

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 Paula Becker. Pierce County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 8001.

• The land that would become Pierce County was home to the present day Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin, Steilacoom, and Muckleshoot tribes.
• 1833 April - Hudson's Bay Company employee Archibald McDonald established Fort Nisqually.
• 1841 May 11 - The crews of the U.S. Navy ships Vincennes and Porpoise, dropped anchor near Fort Nisqually during the first American charting of Puget Sound.
• 1849 - In response to increasing tensions between Indians and settlers, the United States Army established Fort Steilacoom.
• 1852 December 22 - Pierce County was established.
• 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
• 1854 December 26 - Leaders of major Western Washington tribes, met with Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens and signed a treaty relinquishing their land.
• 1855 April 30 - The United States Congress ratified the Treaty of Medicine Creek.
• Family farming was essential to the survival of early Pierce County pioneers.
• Commercial farming in Pierce County has over time included hops, flower bulbs, berries, dairy cattle, and Christmas trees.

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, 1883-1919 at Washington, County Land Records, 1850-1954 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Deeds, 1883-1919 (vols 107-398); Patents, 1886-1901 (vol 192)

• Land Records 1859-1935 Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • Includes Deeds 1883-1931 (vols 107-524); Direct index to mortgages 1859-1895; General index grantors 1859-1935; General index grantees 1888-1889; Patents 1886-1901; Reverse index to mortgages 1859-1895.

• Land Records 1984 - 2009 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
• Plats and Surveys Records 1980 present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
• Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1984 - present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

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 (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
• 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. at Washington, County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Included in the collection: Certificate of citizenship 1889-1906; Declaration of intention 1884-1924; Index to declarations and final decrees of citizenship 1854-1906; Index 1854-1911 vol 3; Petitions 1906-1912.

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 Pierce 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)

• The News Tribune (Tacoma)
  News Tribune archives
• Puyallup Herald (formerly Pierce County Herald)

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.

• Tacoma Obituary Index at Tacoma Public Library contains more than 350,000 entries. File is complete from 1984 to the present day.
• Web: Tacoma, Washington, Obituary Index, 1939-2010

Also check:

• Newspapers of Pierce 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.

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.

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

School Records

 

• Tacoma School Records Part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes: Tacoma District school registers 1895-1896; Tacoma school register 1888-1889.

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.

• Assessment Rolls part of Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • Includes Assessment Rolls, 1881-1885; Duplicate assessment rolls, 1877, 1884-1886; Original assessment rolls, 1886; Property assessment and tax rolls, 1859-1869

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

• Pierce County Birth Records at Archives.com ($) 127 entries.

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
  

• 1876-2013 - Marriage Records, 1876-2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

• 1885-1959 - Marriage Returns, 1885-1959. Part of: Washington, Pierce County Marriage Returns, 1891-1950 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)

• See what genealogical content may be in these records.
• Includes marriage certificate information, dates, names, and witlessness.

• 1891-1938 - Washington, Pierce County Marriage Returns, 1891-1938 at FamilySearch — index and images

• 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
• Pierce County Death Records at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

• 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 Pierce 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 Pierce County, Washington Genealogy
Pierce/ Websites at RootsWeb - Pierce 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	"Pierce County, Washington Facts" (mis-labeled "Pierce County, Alabama Facts")

Major catalogs for hard copy collections of Pierce 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 Pierce 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 Pierce County, Washington Genealogy. When you find items you'd like to access, see Get a Copy

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 Affiliate Libraries

• Auburn Washington Family History Center
• Sumner Washington Family History Center
• South Hill Washington Family History Center
• Tacoma 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.

• Tacoma Public Library
  1102 Tacoma Ave S
  Tacoma, WA 98402
  Phone: 253-591-5606
  Website
  

Branch locations and hours

• Pierce County Library System
  3005 112th Street E
  Tacoma, WA 98446-2215
  Phone: 253-548-3300
  

Branch locations and hours

• Puyallup Public Library
  324 S Meridian
  Puyallup, WA 98371
  Phone: 253- 841-5454
  Website

Museums

 

• Tacoma Art Museum
• LeMay Family Collection at Marymount Event Center
• Buffalo Soldier's Museum
• Children's Museum of Tacoma
• Museum of Glass
• Foss Waterway Seaport
• LeMay America's Car Museum

Societies

 

• Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society

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
Auburn ‡ Bonney Lake Buckley DuPont Edgewood Enumclaw ‡ Fife	Fircrest Gig Harbor Lakewood Milton ‡ Orting Pacific ‡	Puyallup Roy Ruston Sumner Tacoma University Place
Towns
Carbonado Eatonville	South Prairie Steilacoom	Wilkeson
Unincorporated communities
American Lake Bee Burnett Crescent Valley Cromwell Electron Elgin Firwood Gertrude	Glencove Lakebay Leber McNeil Island National Ohop Paradise Point Fosdick	Shore Acres Shorewood Beach Sunny Bay Sunrise Beach Sylvan Tehaleh Victor Villa Beach
Native American communities
Muckleshoot People‡	Puyallup Tribe
Census-designated places
Alder Alderton Anderson Island Artondale Ashford Browns Point Canterwood Clear Lake Clover Creek Crocker Dash Point Elbe Elk Plain Fife Heights Fort Lewis Fox Island Frederickson	Graham Greenwater Herron Island Home Kapowsin Ketron Island Key Center La Grande Lake Tapps Longbranch Maplewood McChord AFB McKenna McMillin Midland North Fort Lewis North Puyallup	Parkland Prairie Heights Prairie Ridge Purdy Raft Island Rosedale South Creek South Hill Spanaway Stansberry Lake Summit Summit View Vaughn Waller Wauna Wollochet
Ghost towns
Fairfax	Hillhurst	Melmont

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

Military Bases

• Joint Base Lewis-McChord (Fort Lewis, McChord Field)

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