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

Description
The County was named for Charles H. Mason, the first Secretary of Washington Territory. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
 Mason County Courthouse 411 N 5th PO Box 340 Shelton, WA 98584 Phone 360.472.9670 County Website 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.

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:

History Timeline

 * The Coast Salish peoples who made their homes along the watershed of upper Hood Canal called themselves Tuanook (also Twana Twanoh, and Skokomish Twana) or "Big River People."
 * 1792 George Vancouver of the British Royal Navy mapped Hood or Hood’s Canal.
 * 1853 March, Major Hugh A. Goldsborough took up a donation land claim in the Cota Valley near present-day Shelton.
 * 1853 March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * For the first settlers, the dense stands of fir, hemlock, spruce, and cedar represented a barrier to settlement.
 * These same forests later became a boom to the area.
 * 1854 April 15, Sawamish County was created.
 * 1864 The name of the county was changed to Mason County.
 * 1893 The Panic of 1893 was the most severe economic crisis in the nation’s history and many logging and milling operations shut down.
 * 1900s early, Mason County grew as immigrants flooded into the logging camps and mill towns.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Traditional dugout canoes from Squaxin Island, Mason County, Washington ]]
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only

Census Records

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives
 * The 1860 census records of Sawamish County, Washington Territory renamed Mason County in 1864.
 * Federal: 1910
 * Territorial: 1857 • 1871 • 1879 •  1880 •  1881 •  1883 •   •  1885 1887 •  1889
 * State-funded:1892


 * 1850-1914 Web: Washington, U.S., Various County Census Records, 1850-1914 at Ancestry (Free)

Church Records
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * Shelton

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
 * Power of Attorney Records 1985 - present at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Mason 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.

Directories

 * Online Historical Directories listed by Google.

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

Japanese
 * 1942-1946 World War II Files
 * 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

 * "Mason County Death and Funeral Cards 1890-1931" at Washington Digital Archives

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1854 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Includes: Deed Record indexes AND Deeds. (Mis-labeled as only deed record indexes)


 * Records at Washington State Digital Archives Collection: (Free)
 * Land Records 1985 and 2005
 * Plats and Surveys Records 1885 - present
 * Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1985 - present


 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Locations of mining claims

Local Histories

 * A brief history of Shelton, Washington
 * History of the Puget Sound country, Volume 1 ,Volume 2 by William Farrand Prosser [New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company, 1903] at Washington History.
 * "Mason County, Washington Facts" at StateofUS.com

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
World War I
 * 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Some military records for this county have been digitized at the Washington State Digital Archives.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1982 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Included in the collection: Application &amp; oaths 1937-1974; Declaration of intention 1890-1969; Final record 1890-1911 vols 1-3; Miscellaneous correspondence 1908-1938; Petition records 1880-1948.

Newspapers

 * Mason County, Washington Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)
 * 1855-2009 Washington Newspapers, 1855-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
 * 1889-1891 Allyn Times - full-text digital issues in Google News Archive
 * Washington Digital Newspaper at Washington State Library

Obituaries
Also check:
 * Local or family records
 * Obituaries

Public Records

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

Periodicals

 * Washington Periodicals

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1832-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County 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

 * 1873-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Birth Returns, 1891-1894 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Birth Records, 1891-1907 at Washinton State Digital Archives Collection (Free)
 * Includes Birth returns 1891-1894

Marriage

 * 1801-1962 Washington, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1857-2013 Marriage Records, 1857-2013 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Includes Marriage certificates 1951-2002.
 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Death

 * 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * 1881-1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1891-1907 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1803-2010 Washington, County Records, 1803-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only
 * "Mason County Death and Funeral Cards 1890-1931" at Washington Digital Archives

Divorce

 * 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1852-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Family History Centers

 * Poulsbo Washington Family History Center
 * Shelton Washington Family History Center
 * Silverdale Washington Family History Center
 * Tacoma Washington Family History Center
 * Vashon Washington Family History Center
 * Kitsap Regional Library - an affiliate library
 * Northwest African American Museum - an affiliate library
 * The Seattle Public Library - an affiliate library

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

Branches and LocationsWebsite
 * Timberland Public Libraries - Mason County - William G. Reed Public Library

Societies
Mason County Historical Society 427 W Railroad Ave Shelton, WA 98584 (360) 426-1020 Website Facebook

Websites

 * WAGenWeb for Mason County
 * Mason County Washington Genealogy Research
 * Free|Contains information for researching genealogy in Mason County WA, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records


 * USGenWeb
 * Washington State Digital Archives
 * Websites at RootsWeb - Mason WA
 * StateofUS.com
 * WorldCat
 * – 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.