Mason County, Washington Genealogy

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Guide to Mason County Washington genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.


 * Quick start:
 * Census
 * Birth
 * Marriage
 * Death

County Overview

 * Parent County: created 13 March 1854 from Thurston. Renamed 3 January 1864 from Sawamish County.
 * County Seat: Shelton
 * Neighboring Counties: Grays Harbor | Jefferson | Kitsap | Pierce | Thurston

Resources
The types of records that follow are used for genealogy and family history. Most tell what you may learn and how to locate the records. Links to Internet sites usually go directly to entries with names, images, or information.

Census

 * 1857
 * 1860
 * 1870
 * 1880
 * 1889
 * 1890 Veterans
 * 1900
 * 1910
 * 1920
 * 1930
 * 1940

Church Records
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Shelton

Court Records
Many of your ancestors may be found in court records as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors. Court records can establish family relationships and places of residence, occupations, and other family history information. See Washington Court Records for the various courts through the years.

For specialized court records, see Divorce · Guardianship · Land · Naturalization · Probate

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

Guardianship
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 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.

Military
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, 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.)

Newspapers

 * Allyn Times - full-text digital issues in Google News Archive; covers 1889-1891

Courthouse
Mason County Courthouse 411 N 5th PO Box 340 Shelton, WA 98584 Phone 360–472–9670 County Auditor has marriage records from 1892, death records 1891-1906 and land records from 1850’s. County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Shelton Washington Family History Center
 * Elma Washington Family History Center

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.

Death

 * Washington Death Certificates 1907-1960 A free internet index to the 1907-1960 death certificates can be found at FamilySearch Record Search, no images are available. A transcribed death certificate may contain such information as name of the deceased, date and place of death, age, gender, birth date and birth place, mother’s maiden name and name of spouse, place of residence, occupation and certificate numbers.

Websites

 * Mason County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Mason County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)

Archives, Libraries, etc.
Resources for 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 (Utah) or Allen County Public Library (Indiana) for.