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Guide to Douglas County, Washington ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Courthouse
 Douglas County Courthouse] 213 South Rainier Waterville, WA 98858 Phone: 509.745.8529 Douglas County Website County Website Douglas County Courthouse 213 South Rainier Waterville, WA 98858 Phone: 509.745.8529 County Auditor has marriage records from 1907 burial records to 1909, land records to 1925, marriage, death, divorce, probate and court records.

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:

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

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. Douglas County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7961.
 * The, a Salishan people, inhabited much of the area that would become Douglas County.
 * 1860s - Chinese immigrants placer-mined for gold along the banks of the Columbia River.
 * 1875 - Indians from the Methow River attacked these Chinese miners, killing an unknown number of miners and driving many others away from their mining operations.
 * 1877 - Phillip McEntee, a member of a surveying party that was determining the boundary line between the United States and British Columbia, traveled through the future Douglas County.
 * 1881 - McEntee returned to the area and settled near present-day Coulee City (now part of Grant County) and began a cattle ranching operation. He was one of the first permanent non-Indian residents of the region.
 * 1883 - November 28, Douglas County was carved out of Lincoln County.

Census Records

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free); and Ancestry ($)
 * *Federal: 1910
 * *Territorial: 1885 • 1887 •  1892
 * Washington online census links to FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest and others. Includes Federal Censuses, 1860–1940; 1890 Veterans Schedule; '''Territorial and State Censuses, 1847–1898
 * Statewide printed indexes of federal censuses
 * See Washington Census Years for online availability of Federal, Territorial, and State-funded censuses.
 * Censuses at Washington Digital Archives - Searchable

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Douglas Frontier JusticePart of "Frontier Justice": Guide to the Court Records of Washington Territory, 1853-1888 at Washington State Digital Archives. (Free Index, no 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.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
American Indian
 * 1911-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & 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.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and 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.

Local Histories

 * Douglas County, Washington Facts at StateofUS (mis-labeled as Douglas County, Alabama)
 * Illustrated history of the Big Bend country by Western Historical Publishing Company [(Spokane, Wash.) Western Historical Pub. Co., 1904] at Washington History

Maps and Gazetteers

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


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

Military Records

 * 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * World War II enlistments. Select search codes for state and county. These are partial lists. The NARA website cautions: "This series does not contain records of all World War II Army enlistees."

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Includes Citizenship petitions granted 1930-1945; Records 1891-1906; Declarations of Intention certificates 1888-1895; Declarations of intent 1891-1945; Certificate stubs A-Z 1892-1945; Correspondence 1889-1945; Proceedings memorandum 1906-1916; Notices of admission to citizenship 1907-1915; Petition and record 1906-1945.
 * Naturalization Records, 1891-1973 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Newspapers

 * Douglas County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)
 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library

Obituaries
Also check:
 * Newspapers of Douglas County, Washington Genealogy
 * Local Funeral Homes, Libraries, or family records.
 * Obituaries of neighboring counties

Public Records

 * Prior to 1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

School Records
Online School Indexes and Records


 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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

Birth

 * Birth Returns, 1891-1907, 1911 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Includes Delayed births 1941-1943
 * 1873-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1877-1900 Marriages from 10 Dec 1877 to 22 Nov 1900 are available on the Western States Marriage Index website.
 * 1884-1975 Marriage Records, 1884-1975 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * Includes Marriage certificates 1892-1975; certificates and returns 1900-1946; license applications 1939-1970; licenses 1884-1899; returns and license applications 1939-1970.

Death

 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * 1881-1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1907-1960 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * Death Returns 1891 - 1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

Divorce

 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Family History Centers

 * Brewster Washington Family History Center
 * Chelan Washington Family History Center
 * Coulee Dam Washington Family History Center
 * Davenport Washington Family History Center
 * Ephrata Washington Family History Center
 * Quincy Washington Family History Center
 * Wenatchee Washington Family History Center
 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library
 * The Seattle Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries
Resources for Douglas County are available in libraries, archives, and other repositories at all levels: the town, the county, the state (including universities), and the nation.

Libraries Online Resources: The public libraries in Douglas County are part of North Central Regional Library. Their Research and Homework Center includes Heritage Quest. Library cards and passwords may be required for access. Bridgeport Community Library 1206 Columbia Street Bridgeport, WA 98813 Phone: 509-686-7281Website East Wenatchee Community Library 271 9th St NE East Wenatchee, WA 98802 Phone: 509-886-7404Website Waterville Community Library 107 W. Locust Street Waterville, WA 98858 Phone: 509-745-8354Website

Museums

Societies

Douglas County Washington Historical Ssociety 113 East Locust Street Waterville, Washington, 98858 509-745-8800 Website

Websites
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 * Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society
 * Douglas County WAGenWeb Project
 * USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Washington State Digital Archives
 * Websites at RootsWeb - Douglas WA
 * WorldCat
 * Allen County Public Library (Indiana)
 * width="100%" colspan="2" | See also local libraries and Washington Archives and Libraries
 * – 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.