Washington County, Wisconsin Genealogy
Guide to Washington County, Wisconsin ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for President George Washington. The County is located in the southeast area of the state. [2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Washington County Courthouse
432 E Washington Street
West Bend, WI 53095
Phone: 262-335-4301
Washington County Website
County Clerk has birth, marriage, and death records from 1850, divorce and court records from 1849.
Register in Probate has probate records from 1851. [3]
Washington County, Wisconsin Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1850 | 1850 | 1850 | 1849 | 1835 | 1851 | 1820 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Wisconsin County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Wisconsin County Boundary Maps" (1790-1961) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website. |
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 343 | — |
| 1850 | 19,485 | 5580.8% |
| 1860 | 23,622 | 21.2% |
| 1870 | 23,919 | 1.3% |
| 1880 | 23,442 | −2.0% |
| 1890 | 22,751 | −2.9% |
| 1900 | 23,589 | 3.7% |
| 1910 | 23,784 | 0.8% |
| 1920 | 25,713 | 8.1% |
| 1930 | 26,551 | 3.3% |
| 1940 | 28,430 | 7.1% |
| 1950 | 33,902 | 19.2% |
| 1960 | 46,119 | 36.0% |
| 1970 | 63,839 | 38.4% |
| 1980 | 84,848 | 32.9% |
| 1990 | 95,328 | 12.4% |
| 2000 | 117,493 | 23.3% |
| 2010 | 131,887 | 12.3% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Washington census records online, see: Wisconsin Census.
- 1855 - Wisconsin State Census, 1855 This census includes name of head of family; other individuals in the household are identified by sex and race, number of deaf and dumb, blind, insane and foreign born. - How to Use this Collection
- 1865 - Wisconsin State Census, 1865 Name index and images of the 1865 State Census which names the head of household. Most records have been destroyed but schedules exist for the following counties: Dunn, Green, Jackson, Kewaunee, Ozaukee, and Sheboygan. - How to Use this Collection
- 1875 - Wisconsin State Census, 1875 Identifies head of household by name. - How to Use this Collection
- 1885 - Wisconsin State Census, 1885 at FamilySearch — index and images. Search indexed census.Identifies by name of head of household. Other information is statistical and identifies the rest of the household by race, gender and country of birth. - How to Use this Collection
- 1895 - Wisconsin State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — index and images. Identifies head of household by name. Other information is statistical. - How to Use this Collection
- 1905 - Wisconsin State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — Name index and images of population. Enumerates by name all inhabitants. - How to Use this Collection
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Wisconsin denominations, view the Wisconsin Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Germans
Archives, Libraries, and Museums; Biographies; Church Records; Cemetery Records; Court Records; Histories; Immigration/emigration/migration; Maps; Newspapers; Societies
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Wisconsin Land and Property for additional information about early Wisconsin land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Wisconsin
- Family Maps of Washington County, Wisconsin (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Service men in Washington served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Washington:
- - 8th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company I
- - 10th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company D (These men were from the town of Menasha. There is a town of Menasha in both Dodge and Washington Counties.)
- - 12th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company D
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Wisconsin Digital Newspaper at Wisconsin State Historical Society
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate records are held by the Washington Clerk of Circuit Court and are housed at the Washington Courthouse. See the wiki page Wisconsin Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Content: Probate records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, and adoptions.
Online Records
- 1800–1987 Wisconsin Wills and Probate Records 1800-1987 at Ancestry — images and index $
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Wisconsin tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned property or other items that could be taxed were listed, some residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records. For more information see the Wiki page, Wisconsin Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Most counties started keeping records in the 1870s. In 1907, the counties began sending copies to the state.
For pre-1907 births, deaths, and marriages, search the Wisconsin Genealogy Index.
For additional information, see Wisconsin Vital Records.
- Washington County Family Section WIGenWeb project
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1820-1907 Wisconsin, Birth Index, 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1820-1920: Wisconsin, Birth Index, 1808-1920 at MyHeritage - index ($)
- 1826-1908 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings Index, 1826-1908 at Ancestry — index $
- 1826-1926 Wisconsin, Births and Christenings, 1826-1926 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1836-1911 Wisconsin, County Marriages, 1836-1911 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1836-1930 Wisconsin, Marriages, 1836-1930 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
- 1973-1997 Wisconsin, Marriage Index, 1973-1997 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1973-1997 Wisconsin Marriages, 1973-1997 at Ancestry — index/images $
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1820-1907 Wisconsin, Death Index, 1820-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1835-1968 Wisconsin, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1968 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- 1867-1907 Wisconsin, Death Records, 1867-1907 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
- Pre-1907 Pre-1907 Wisconsin Vital Records Index at Wisconsin Historical Society - free index, images ($)
- 1959-1997 Wisconsin, Death Index, 1959-1997 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1965-1984 Wisconsin, Divorce Index, 1965-1984 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Washington County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Wisconsin Archives and Libraries.
- Area Research Center - University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Division of Archives and Special Collections
Golda Meir Library, Room W250
2311 East Hartford Avenue
PO Box 604
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0604
Phone: 414-229-5402
Email: askarch@uwm.edu
Website
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]
Listed below are libraries in Washington County. For state-wide library facilities, see Wisconsin Archives and Libraries.
- Golda Meir Library - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Area Research Center, Milwaukee, Division of Archives and Special Collections
Golda Meir Library, Room W250
2311 East Hartford Avenue
PO Box 604
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0604
Phone: 414-229-5402
Email: askarch@uwm.edu
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Washington County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Wisconsin Societies.
- The Tower Heritage Center
(formerly Washington County Hist. Soc.)
320 S 5th Ave
West Bend, WI 53095
Phone: 262-335-4678
Website - Farmington Historical Society
PO Box 20
Kewaskum, WI 53040
Email:farmingtonhistory017@gmail.com
Facebook
Website - Germantown Historical Society
PO Box 31
N128 W18780 Holy Hill Rd.
Germantown, WI 53022
Phone 262-628-3170
Email:GermantownHistoricalSociety@gmail.com
Facebook
Website - Hartford Genealogical Society
PO Box 270091
109 N Main St
Hartford, WI 53027
Phone 262-457-2300
Email:hartfordhistoricalsociety@gmail.com
Facebook - Jackson Historical Society
1860 W Mill Road
Jackson, WI 53037
Phone 262-677-3888
Email:jhsheritage@sbcglobal.net
Facebook
Website - Kewaskum Historical Society
1202 Parkview Dr
Kewaskum, WI 53040
Phone: 262-626-4656
Email:kewaskumhistoricalsociety@gmail.com
Facebook - Richfield Historical Society
PO Box 268
Richfield, WI 53076
Phone: 262-628-2841
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Washington County, WI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Wisconsin Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Washington County WIGenWeb project
- Washington County Archives USGenWeb Archives
- FamilySearch Catalog - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Washington County, Wisconsin " in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_Wisconsin."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Washington County, Wisconsin. Page 755-760, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 757-759.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wisconsin.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Washington County, Wisconsin," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_Wisconsin#Communities, accessed 12 Dec 2018.
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