Asotin County, Washington Genealogy

Historical populations
	Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Asotin County
	Asotin County, Washington
	Map
	; Location in the state of Washington (disambiguation)
	; Location of Washington in the U.S.
	Facts
Founded	October 27, 1883
County Seat	Asotin
	Courthouse
Address	Asotin County Courthouse; PO Box 159 ; Asotin, WA 99402-0159; Phone: (509) 243–4181; Asotin County Website

United States

Washington

Asotin County

Guide to Asotin County, Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1883, when the county was formed.

View of Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Asotin County, Washington

County QuickStart:

Washington Online Genealogy Records

County Overview[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The County was named from a Nez Perce word meaning "Eel Creek". The County is located in the southeast area of the state.^[1]

Parent County(s)[edit | edit source]

Asotin County, Washington was created 27 October 1883 from Garfield County^[2]

County Seat: Asotin ^[3]. See also Towns and Communities in Asotin County, Washington Genealogy. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library^[4]

For animated maps illustrating Washington County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Washington County Boundary Maps" (1843-1915) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]

Asotin County, Washington Genealogy is surrounded by:Garfield | Whitman | Nez Perce County, Idaho | Wallowa County, Oregon

Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Asotin County Courthouse
PO Box 159
Asotin, WA 99402-0159
Phone: (509) 243–4181

County Auditor has birth and marriage records
from 1891 and death records 1891-1907.
County Clerk has divorce and probate records.
County Assessor has land records from 1891. ^[5]

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

Dates of Major County Records[edit | edit source]

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records^[6]
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1891	1891	1891	1886	1891	1885	1850
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1907. General compliance by 1917.

The name "Asotin" is from the Nez Perce language and means "place of eel" from the abundance of eels caught there.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Topics for Asotin County, Washington Genealogy[edit | edit source]

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.

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biography[edit | edit source]

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

Business and Commerce[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

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	Washington Periodicals	WA State Digital Archives
WAGenWeb Archives		Linkpendium
		Billion Graves
		Genealogy Trails
		FamilySearch Places

See Washington Cemeteries for more information.

Census[edit | edit source]

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.

See Washington Census Years for online availability of Federal, Territorial, and State-funded censuses.

Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free); and Ancestry ($)
- Federal 1910
- Territorial 1885 • 1887 • 1889
- These were indexed by local societies and individuals.

Church Records[edit | edit source]

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 Asotin 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[edit | edit source]

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

Asotin Frontier Justice at Washington State Digital Archives. (Free, index and images
- The court procedures of Frontier Justice touch nearly all pioneers of the 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
- Asotin County Frontier Justice Records Now Online blog post

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Ethnic, Political or Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

American Indian[edit | edit source]

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

Japanese[edit | edit source]

World War II Files, 1942-1946. Public Welfare/Social Security Department, (Japanese Internment) Assistance Cases, Evacuee Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946 from the Washington State Archives – Digital Archives.

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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

"Asotin County -- Thumbnail History" at HistoryLink.org, essay 7643

Lyman's history of old Walla Walla County, embracing Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin counties, by W.D. Lyman online at Hathi Trust Digital Library.

History Resources

"Asotin County (Wash.) -- History" by University of Pennsylvania, a list of full-text Online Books

History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library^[7]

Emphasis for this timeline is on events that affected migration, records, or record-keeping. Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Phil Dougherty. Asotin County -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org, Essay 7643.

1805 - Before this time,the Nez Perce Indians lived in Asotin County for many years before Lewis and Clark arrived.
1805 - Lewis and Clark passed through the county on their expedition, both outbound to the Pacific Ocean.
1834 - February, Captain Benjamin Bonneville led the next major expedition through Asotin County.
1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
1854 - April 25, Washington Territorial Legislature creates Walla Walla County.
1850s - Part of what would later become Asotin County (as well as part of adjoining Idaho) became an Indian reservation, resulting in the relocation of a fairly significant number of Native Americans to the future Asotin County.
1861 - June 10, Whites made a few tentative settlements in Asotin County during the 1860s. The first settler, Sam Smith, arrived near the confluence of Alpowa Creek and the Snake River.
1861-1862, Severe winter devastates Eastern Washington settlers.
1863 - March 4, President Abraham Lincoln signs law separating new Idaho Territory from Washington.
1875 - November 11, Washington Territorial Legislature creates Columbia County (out of Walla Walla).
1881 - November 29, Washington Territorial Legislature creates Garfield County (out of Columbia County).
1883 - October 27, Washington Territorial Legislature creates Asotin County (out of Garfield).

Land and Property[edit | edit source]

Land records (especially deeds) may give the name of a spouse, heirs, and witnesses, who are sometimes 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 Recorder's Office: check deeds, file mining claims, get assistance in finding ownership of a particular property, and obtain copies of county plat maps. This office has county plat records dating back to 1878, prior records having been destroyed in a fire.

Maps[edit | edit source]

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Family Maps of Asotin County, Washington Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration[edit | edit source]

Most residents came to Washington from other states or crossed the border from Canada. (See Seattle Passenger Lists for those who came from other countries.) Although few other migration records exist, try:
• Censuses: (use birthdates and places of children as clues)
• Land Records: (1st deed may reveal previous residence)
• Death-related records of children may give town or county of birth
• Records of relatives and neighbors

Military[edit | edit source]

Military 1888-1897 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
- See what genealogical information may be in these records.
Washington, World War I Veteran's Compensation Fund Application Records, 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — index
World War II enlistments of Asotin County, Washington residents.

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Declarations of Intent before 1906 often include the nation of origin, foreign and "Americanized" names, residence, and date of arrival. See Washington Naturalization and Citizenship for more information. Note: Until 1922 in the United States, women's citizenship was based on that of their husbands.

Naturalization and Citizenship 1885-1945 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
- See what genealogical information may be in these records.
- Includes Naturalization card index 1909-1921; petitions 1906-1945; Naturalization records 1885-1906; petitions granted 1930-1976.

Naturalization Records, 1906-1974 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Petitions for Naturalization, 1924-1936 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Petitions Granted, 1930-1974 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Register of Applications and Orders of Naturalization, 1885-1906 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

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.

Asotin County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)
1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)

Finding More Washington Newspapers

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Asotin 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[edit | edit source]

Obituaries may mention birth, marriage, spouse, parents, living family members, education, occupation, and more. See Washington Obituaries for state level collections and United States Obituaries for tips and insights.

Also check: • Local Funeral Homes • family records.

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

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 Records 1885-1972 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
- See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Public Records[edit | edit source]

Public records are documents created by civil authorities that either don't fit comfortably in another topic, or that could fit in several topics.

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

Taxation[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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.^[8] See also Washington Birth Records.

Washington, County Birth Registers, 1873-1965 — index and images
Washington State Digital Archives has a database of free Asotin County Birth Records. This database contains the names of people who were born in Asotin County from June 1891 – August 1913. The names were taken from the Asotin County Register of Births.

For earlier or unrecorded births, search:

Washington Delayed Birth Certificates often include statements of witnesses to the birth.
Death Records often give birth date, place, parents
Censuses to learn age, family members, location, etc.
School Censuses in Washington give date of birth and name of parent or guardian
Cemeteries usually give birth date or age, and sometimes birth place
Obituaries often include birth info, living and deceased family members, and more

Marriage[edit | edit source]

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

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

1884-1907 - Marriages from 3 Feb 1884 to 6 Jun 1907 are available on the Western States Marriage index website.

1899-2003 Marriage Records, 1899-2003 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

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

Divorce[edit | edit source]

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.

Divorce records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) are listed in the Family History LibraryCatalog for Asotin County, Washington Genealogy. For other libraries (local and national) or to gain access to items of interest, see Archives, Libraries, etc.

Online Records

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

Death[edit | edit source]

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.^[9] See Washington Death Records.

1881-1979 Washington, County Death Registers, 1881-1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
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.
- Includes: name of the deceased, date and place of death, age, gender, birth date and place, mother’s maiden name, name of spouse, place of residence, occupation, and certificate number.

Voting Registers[edit | edit source]

1876-1940 Washington Voting Records, 1876-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Websites[edit | edit source]

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

Sites with online indexes or images of records
Asotin County Washington Genealogy Research	Free	Contains information for researching genealogy in Asotin County WA, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records
Asotin County WAGenWeb Project	Free	Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
USGenWeb Archives Project	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 Asotin County, Washington Genealogy
Websites at RootsWeb - Asotin WA	Free	Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
Linkpendium	Free	Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
CyndisList	Free	Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
Genealogyinc.com	Free	"Asotin County, Washington Facts"
Facebook.com	Free	"Washington Genealogy Network Group on Facebook"

*Major catalogs for hard copy* collections of Asotin 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.[edit | edit source]

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

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

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

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

Libraries[edit | edit source]

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.

Asotin County Library, 417 Sycamore, Clarkston 99403 Phone: (509) 758-5454

Online Resources: (None seen Oct., 2013)

Unique Collections:

Heights Branch Library, 2036 4th Ave., Clarkston 99403 Phone: (509) 758-4601

Online Resources: Genealogy Bank

Unique Collections: Historical Newspaper Collections

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

Asotin County Genealogy
135 2nd St
Asotin, WA 99402
Website

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