Yakima County, Washington Genealogy

United States

Washington

Yakima County

Guide to Yakima County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1865, when the county was formed.

Mt. Adams bathed in afternoon light, Yakima County, Washington

County QuickStart: Census Birth Marriage Divorce Death Cemeteries

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Yakima County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington (disambiguation)
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	January 21, 1865
County Seat	Yakima
Courthouse
Address	Yakima County Courthouse 128 N 2nd Street Yakima, WA 98901 Phone: 509.574.1430 Yakima County Website

County Overview

Description

The County was named for the Yakama tribe of Native Americans. The County is located in the south-central area of the state.

Parent County

Yakima County, Washington was created 21 January 1865 from Klickitat and Walla Walla counties.

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

Boundary Changes

• Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse

Yakima County Courthouse
128 N 2nd Street
Yakima, WA 98901
Phone: 509.574.1430

County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1907,
marriage records from 1880 and land records;
County clerk has probate, divorce and court records from 1881.

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

Dates of Major County Records

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1890	1877	1896	1882	1882	1874	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 Yakima 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.

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.

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	432	—
1880	2,811	550.7%
1890	4,429	57.6%
1900	13,462	204.0%
1910	41,709	209.8%
1920	63,710	52.7%
1930	77,402	21.5%
1940	99,019	27.9%
1950	135,723	37.1%
1960	145,112	6.9%
1970	144,971	−0.1%
1980	172,508	19.0%
1990	188,823	9.5%
2000	222,581	17.9%
2010	243,231	9.3%
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.

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

• Index to the 1880 census of Yakima County, Washington Territory
  • If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search

• Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free); and Ancestry ($)
  • Federal: 1900 • 1910 • 1920
  • Territorial: 1871 • 1883 • 1885 • 1887
  • These were indexed by local societies and individuals.

• School Records 1875-1925 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes School attendance records 1875-1925; School census records 1894-1925.

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 Yakima 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

• Power of Attorney 1992 - 2008 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)
• Inventory of the county archives of Washington, no. 39 Yakima County (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

• Yakima 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 Yakima Indian Reservation is located primarily in Yakima County, with a small portion in Klickitat County.

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: Map of cities and towns in this county - 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 District courts. See Washington Court Records.

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

• 100 Years 100 Women 1889-1989: Yakima County Washington, Editor-in-Chief Theo Mays. [Yakima, Washington: Print Masters, c1898] online at Washington History.

• History of the Yakima Valley, Volume 1 ,Volume 2 by William Denison Lyman [(Chicago): S. J. Clarke 1919] online at WA History

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 Jim Kershner. Yakima County -- Thumbnail History, HistoryLink.org Essay 9187.

• The city of Yakima occupies what was once the traditional hunting and gathering grounds of the region's tribes, known collectively as the Peoples of the Plateau.
• 1800s - Trappers traversed the country.
• 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
• 1860s - The first white settlers were cattle ranchers who recognized that the lush grasslands on the stream banks were excellent places to winter their cattle.
• 1865 - January 21, Yakima County was established.
• 1870 - Settlers began referring to a small village with two stores as Yakima City.
• 1885 - By the end of the year, the population of North Yakima had swelled to 1,200 people.
• 1885 - Paul Schulze, the railroad's land manager, laid out the streets on the rough general plan of his native city, Baden-Baden, Germany. By other accounts, the city was modeled after the plan of Salt Lake City.
• 1890s - North Yakima, along with the rest of the country, hit hard times, largely because of a series of nationwide financial panics.
• 1898 - All signs of commercial stagnation and business depression had completely disappeared" in North Yakima.

Land and Property

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.

• Land Records 1993 - 2008 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)
• Plats and Survey Records 1994 - 2008 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)
• Recorded Agreements and contracts 1994 - 2008 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 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

• 1921-1925 Washington, World War I Veteran's Compensation Fund Application Records, 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — index
• 1917-1919 An Honor roll containing a pictorial record of the gallant and courageous men from Yakima County, Washington, U.S.A. : who served in the great war, 1917-1918-1919.Yakima, Washington :,1919?

• Some military records for this county have been digitized at the Washington State Digital Archives.

 

Naturalization and Citizenship

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 Records 1882-1907, 1973-1980 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

• Naturalization and Citizenship 1894-1945 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

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.

• Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library
• Yakima 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 Yakima 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.

• The Yakima Valley Genealogical Society has a massive collection of obituaries starting from 1860 on, from counties in and around Yakima. They are in the process of putting this collection online. For now, contact the Society at 509-248-1328 or yvgs1901@gmail.com. They have researchers who are willing to do lookups from this collection.

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.

• Probate Records 1874- 1977 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Probate case files 1874-1930; Probate index 1874-1977.

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.

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

School Records

 

• School Records 1875-1925 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes School attendance records 1875-1925; School census records 1894-1925.

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

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 also Washington Birth Records.

• Birth 1891-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
• Washington, County Birth Registers, 1873-1965 — index and images
• Birth Returns, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

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

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
  

• 1877-2001 Marriage1877-2001 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Marriage affidavits 1889-1939; application certificate record 1941-1948; applications 1939-1999; certificates 1877-2001; certificates index 1877-1985; licenses 1929-1979; record index 1902-1909; register 1891-1944; returns 1896-1944; returns and affidavits index 1891-1982.

• 1896-2008 Marriage Records, 1896-2008 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

• 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

• 1921-1977 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Death

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 Death Records.

• 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
• Washington, County Death Registers, 1881-1922 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
• Deaths1891-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• Death Returns, 1891-1907 Death Returns, 1891-1907

• Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

Websites

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

Sites with online indexes or images of records
WAGenWeb Yakima 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 Yakima County, Washington Genealogy
Websites at RootsWeb -Yakima 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	"Yakima County, Washington Facts" (mis-labeled "Yakima County, Alabama Facts")

Major catalogs for hard copy collections of Yakima 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.

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

• Ellensburg Washington Family History Center
• Kennewick Washington Family History Center
• Prosser Washington Family History Center
• Richland Washington Family History Center
• Selah Washington Family History Center
• Sunnyside Washington Family History Center
• Wahluke Washington Family History Center
• West Richland Washington Family History Center
• Yakima Washington Family History Center

• Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library
• Yakima Valley Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

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.

• Yakima Valley Public Libraries
  • Branches and Locations
  • Genealogy / Database Tools
  • Special or Unique Collections (help needed from each branch)

• Grandview Library Databases
  • City of Grandview

 

Societies

• Yakima Valley Genealogical Society
  1901 S 12th Avenue
  Union Gap, WA 98903-1256
  Telephone: 509-248-1328
  E-mail:yvgs1901@gmail.com
  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
Grandview Granger Mabton Moxee	Selah Sunnyside Tieton Toppenish	Union Gap Wapato Yakima Zillah
Towns
Harrah	Naches
Unincorporated communities
Artesian Ashue Belma Birchfield Blackrock Brownstown Byron Cliffdell Cougar Valley East Selah Emerald Empire Farron Flint	Fort Simcoe Fruitvale Givens Corner Goose Prairie Gromore Harwood Holtzinger Jonathan Liberty Lichty Midvale Nass Nile	Pinecliff Plainview Pomona Rimrock Sawyer Spitzenberg Venner Waneta Weikel Wenas Wiley City Willy Dick Crossing Yethonat
Native American communities
Yakama Indian Reservation‡
Census-designated places
Ahtanum Buena Cliffdell Cowiche Donald	Eschbach Gleed Nile Outlook Parker	Satus Summitview Tampico Terrace Heights White Swan

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

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.