Columbia County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Columbia County

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


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

County Overview

 * County seat: Dayton For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.


 * Parent County: created 11 November 1875 from Walla Walla County

County Formation
Columbia County, Washington was created 11 November 1875.

Boundary Changes

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

Neighboring Counties

 * Neighboring Counties: Franklin | Garfield | Walla Walla | Whitman | Oregon counties: Umatilla | Wallowa

Dates of Major County Records
Note: The dates you see below have not yet been adapted to.

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

 * 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
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. Columbia County -- Thumbnail History, Essay 7801.


 * The lower Snake River was home to bands of Palouse and other Sahaptin-speaking people, including Nez Perce, Yakama, Walla Walla, Umatilla, and Wanapum.
 * On October 12 and 13, 1805, Lewis and Clark canoed on the Snake River along the boundary separating Columbia and Whitman counties.
 * In the late winter of 1834, Captain B. L. E. Bonneville crossed Columbia County on the Nez Perce Trail, surveying the Northwest on behalf of the United States government.
 * One of the first white settlers in Columbia County was Henry M. Chase. Chase and another man, P. M. Lafontain, built cabins and possibly a small fort early in 1855 at the site of present day Dayton.
 * Permanent settlement reached Columbia County in 1859, with claims taken up along the Touchet and Tucannon rivers and along Patit Creek.
 * In the fall of 1859, Frederick Schnebley homesteaded at the Dayton site of the former Chase homestead, which had been destroyed in the 1855 Indian attack.
 * Settlers slowly drifted into the county in the 1860s, but in the early 1870s settlement rapidly increased.
 * Columbia County officially came into existence on November 29, 1875.
 * The railroad arrived in Dayton in July 1881.
 * The Blue Mountain Cannery was built in Dayton in 1934.
 * As part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, two Civilian Conservation Camps were established in Columbia County in 1935.

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.)

Washington State Digital Archives has digitized various types of naturalization-related records, including declarations of intentions, delayed birth files, naturalization affidavits, notifications of application for admission to US citizenship, orders fixing naturalization terms, petitions and records, petitions, receipts for certificates of citizenship, record of final decrees of citizenship and record of petitions dockets. Depending on the county, records range from 1854-1988.

Marriage

 * Marriages from 4 Jan 1876 to 2 Nov 1912 are available from the Western States Marriage Index website.

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.

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
Columbia County Courthouse 341 E Main Street Dayton, WA 99328-1361 Phone: 509.382.4321 County Clerk has probate, divorce and court records from 1891. County Auditor has birth and death records 1891-1906, marriage records from 1876, land records from 1864 and military discharge records.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Dayton Washington Family History Center

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