Clallam County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington Clallam County

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


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

County Overview

 * County Seat: Port Angeles . For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

County Formation

 * Clallam County, Washington was created 26 April 1854 from Jefferson County

Boundary Changes

 * 29 January 1868, Quillehute County was created, but it reverted back to Clallam and Jefferson counties in 1870. Records created in both counties.

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. Clallam County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7608.

Neighboring Counties
Neighboring Counties: Jefferson

Record Loss

 * Parent County: created 26 April 1854 from Jefferson County
 * Originally spelled Clalm. Named for the lands of the Klallam (Makah and Quileute tribes.)
 * Includes the Olympic Peninsula, home of the Olympic National Park, the Rain Forest of the Pacific Northwest.
 * Permament settlement by non-Indians occurred after 1850.
 * Port Angeles has been the county seat since 1890 when it was incorporated as a city.
 * Additional history of Clallam County at Washington's HistoryLink.org

Topics
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

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

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

 * The county is composed of the traditional lands of the Klallam (for whom it is named), Makah, and Quileute peoples.
 * It was one of the first parts of Washington contacted by European explorers in the late 1700s, but did not see permanent settlement until after 1850.
 * The explorers brought European diseases that devastated Klallam, Makah, and Quileute populations, as they did all Northwest peoples.
 * Beginning around 1851, the first settlers in the future Clallam County staked claims at New Dungeness.
 * U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory on March 2, 1853.
 * Washington Territorial Legislature creates Clallam County on April 26, 1854.
 * Henry R. Webster and others succeeded in establishing a trading post at Neah Bay in 1857.
 * In 1878, Luther and Esther Ford and their children settled 15 miles inland from La Push on the fertile open ground known as Indian Prairie.
 * President Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) created the Quiluete Reservation at La Push by executive order.

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.)

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

 * The Clallam County WAGenWeb Project, a member of The WAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Clallam County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Clallam County. (Mirror site)
 * Family History Library Catalog for Clallam County.
 * Clallam 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.

Courthouse
Clallam County Courthouse 223 E 4th Street PO Box 863 Port Angeles, WA 98362-3025 Phone: 360.417.2508 County Auditor has marriage and land records. County Clerk has probate records.

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Forks Washington Family History Center
 * Port Angeles Washington Family History Center

Towns and Communities
See a list of towns and communities in Clallam County per Wikipedia.