Adams County, Washington Genealogy

United States Washington  Adams County   Guide to  genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1883, when the county was formed.

Parent County(s)
Adams County was created 28 November 1883 from Whitman County

County Seat: Ritzville. See also Towns and Communities in.

Boundary Changes

 * Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Neighboring Counties
is surrounded by:Franklin | Grant | Lincoln | Whitman

Named for John Adams, 2nd President of the United States. Originally mostly cattle ranching, the big wheat crop shifted the agriculture from cattle to wheat farming in 1897.

Courthouse
Adams County Courthouse 210 W Broadway Avenue Ritzville, WA 99169-1860 Phone: (509) 659–3257 County Auditor has birth and death records to 1907 and marriage records. County Clerk has divorce and probate records. County assessor has land records


 * Inventory of the county archives of Washington, no. 1. Adams County (Ritzville)  (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com  ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in.

Cemeteries

 * Tombstone inscriptions of Adams County, Washington (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

Listings for Adams County Cemeteries can be found at the following websites:
 * Bess Hampton Memorial Gardens, Othello
 * Adams Cemetery, Othello
 * Lind Cemetery, Lind

Census

 * Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free - type in county)
 * Territorial: 1885,1887, and 1889


 * School Censuses and Registers 1909-1926 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * School Censuses include names, birth dates, parents or guardians. School Registers are arranged by grade and gives names, ages, attendance.

Church Records

 * Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) for are listed in the . (Press space bar to select town.)
 * Pioneer History to about 1900... Adams County, Washington Churches of Christ and Christian Churches, at NCBible.org.

Lutheran

 * Records of Emanuel Lutheran Church, Adams County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Court Records

 * Adams Frontier Justice at Washington State Digital Archives. (Free, index and images)
 * Database includes court actions arising from innumerable causes and tried as civil, criminal, probate, admiralty, and equity cases.
 * Power of Attorney Records 1988 - 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Japanese

 * Japanese Internment World War II Files, 1942-1946. Public Welfare/Social Security Department at Washington State Digital Archives.
 * Assistance Cases, Evacuee Referrals for Resettlement and Assistance, 1945-1946

Genealogy

 * Adams County History Book, 2 v. by Adams County Historical Society, online index to vol 1. "The book contains over 300 family histories"

History

 * Adams County -- Thumbnail History at Historylink.org


 * Adams County History Book 2 v. Adams County Historical Society, online index to vol 1


 * Illustrated history of the Big Bend country at Washington Secretary of State site.

See photo gallery at Adams County Historical Society

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. Adams County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7835.
 * 1803 - Before this time, the land that would later make up Adams County was part of the territory of the Palouse tribe.
 * 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes.
 * 1863 - January 20, Washington Territorial Legislature creates Stevens County.
 * 1869 - George Lucas, an Irish emigrant, was Adams County's first permanent white settler. He established a way-station at Cow Creek along the road to
 * 1871 - November 29, Washington Territorial Legislature creates Whitman County (out of Stevens).
 * 1880 - James G. Bennett harvested a small wheat crop near Ritzville.
 * 1881 - May, The began laying track through Adams County.
 * 1883 - November 28, Washington Territorial Legislature creates Adams and Franklin counties (out of Whitman).
 * 1884 - Brothers Ben and Sam Hutchinson built a cabin on lower Crab Creek.
 * 1889 - November 11, Washington becomes a state.
 * 1897 - Adams County bumper wheat crop spurs shift from cattle ranching.
 * 1901 - The first homesteaders arrived.
 * 1928-1931, During a severe drought that resulted in dustbowl conditions, many people left the area.
 * 1942 - was completed in 1942.
 * 1950 - Construction on the  reached the Othello area, bringing the water of the Columbia River to irrigate Adams County's dry land.

Land and Property

 * 1895-1920 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)


 * 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.


 * Land Records 1988 - 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free: Index - some images)
 * Plats and Surveys 1988-2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collections. (Free: Index - some images)
 * Adams Contracts, 1988 - 2012. Part of Recorded Agreements and Contracts at Washington State Digital Archives. (Free: Index - some images)
 * Typically agreements and contracts recorded in the auditor’s office deal with real property.

Maps

 * 1909 Map at Adams County Historical Society site.

See Neighboring Counties

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Washington State Digital Archives (Free) has digitized various types of naturalization-related records. For the collection includes:
 * Certificates of Naturalization 1906 - 1945
 * Naturalization Records, 1903-1956
 * Declarations of Intent, 1890-1907
 * Orders of Naturalization, 1890-1906


 * 1890-1945 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Newspapers

 * Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)


 * | Adams County news
 * Washington State journal and Adams County news

Probate Records

 * 1885-1959 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Public Records

 * Adams County Auditor, Miscellaneous Recordings at Washington State Digital Archives Collections. (Free: Index + Images)
 * Includes a variety of documents, such as affidavits for wills or property, judgements, even occasional death records.
 * Adams Postmaster Index. Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * Adams Ordinances passed. (Free: Index - some images)
 * Passed by various governing bodies in Adams County and recorded by the Adams County Auditor
 * Adams Powers of Attorney, 1988-2012 (Free,  Indexes and some images)
 * One person (grantor) appoints another person (grantee) to act on his or her behalf in health, financial, and property issues.
 * Election Records, 1880-1940 Part of: Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)

School Records

 * School Censuses and Registers 1909-1926 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
 * School Censuses include names, birth dates, parents or guardians. School Registers are arranged by grade and gives names, ages, attendance.

Vital Records

 * County Records, 1856-2009 Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes collections of various records: vital, probate, school, tax, naturalization and other records.

Birth

 * Adams County Births 1894 - 1907, 1910 - 1915 Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
 * Database includes several delayed birth returns recorded in 1942.
 * For FamilySearch Catalog, click


 * 1894-1942 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)

Marriage

 * Marriages from 12 Jun 1884 to 12 May 1892 are available on the Western States Marriage Index website.


 * 1915-1995 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (free)


 * Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004(If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click '''Sea


 * Marriage Certificates, 1947-1948 Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)


 * Marriage Records, 1884-2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Divorce

 * Archives, Libraries, etc.

Death

 * Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
 * See what genealogical information may be in these records.
 * Includes: 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.
 * Adams County Death Returns 1893-1907; 1907; 1910, 1913 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free, index and images)


 * FamilySearch Catalog for microfilm.

Websites

 * County WAGenWeb Project (free), a member of WAGenWeb Project.
 * USGenWeb Archives Project (free) for Adams County. (Mirror site)
 * Current Collections at Washington State Digital Archives (Free) Type county name, click Search, then select a collection. Collections were posted to the appropriate headings for this Wiki page in November, 2013.
 * Historical Collections at FamilySearch.org. (Free) Click "Last Updated." Collections through October 2013 have been posted to the appropriate headings for this Wiki page.

Sites that search for records online:
 * Web Sites at RootsWeb - Adams WA (free)
 * Linkpendium (free)
 * CyndisList (free)
 * "Adams County, Washington Facts" (mis-labeled Adams County, Alabama) from StateofUS.com

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.


 * Inventory of the county archives of Washington, no. 1. Adams County (Ritzville)  (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com  ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

See these headings for details: Courthouse·FamilySearch Centers·Libraries·Museums·Other Repositories·Societies

Family History Centers

 * Othello Washington Family History Center 1200 Rainier St., Othello, WA 99344-1130 Location Map

Libraries

 * Othello Library, 101 E. Main Street, Othello 99344 Phone: (509) 488-9683
 * Online Resources: Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest, and others.
 * Unique Collections:
 * Ritzville Public Library, 302 W Main, Ritzville 99169 Phone: (509) 659-1222
 * Online Resources: (None seen Oct, 2013)
 * Unique Collections:

Societies

 * Adams County Historical Society Box 526, Lind, WA 99341-0526


 * Big Bend Chapter American Historical Society of Germans from Russia

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