Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy

United States

Washington

Kitsap County

Guide to Kitsap County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1857, when the county was formed.

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Kitsap CO., Washington

County QuickStart: Census Birth Marriage Divorce Death Cemeteries

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Kitsap County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	January 16, 1847
County Seat	Port Orchard
Courthouse
Address	Kitsap County Courthouse 614 Division Street Port Orchard, WA 98366 Phone 360.337.7164 Kitsap County Website

County Overview

Description

The County was named for Chief Kitsap. The County is located in the west-central area of the state.

Parent County(s)

Kitsap County, Washington was created 16 January 1857 as (Slaughter County) from King and Jefferson. Renamed Kitsap 13 July 1857.

County Seat: Port Orchard . See also Towns and Communities in Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes

• Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Courthouse

Kitsap County Courthouse
614 Division Street
Port Orchard, WA 98366
Phone: 360.337.7164
Kitsap County Website

County Auditor has birth records 1891-1907, death records 1892-1907 and marriage records from 1892.
County Clerk has divorce and court records from 1888, probate and adoption records from 1861 and land records from 1857.

See also Archives, libraries, etc. in Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy.

Dates of Major County Records

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1891	1892	1892	1888	1857	1861	1850
Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1907. General compliance by 1917.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Topics for Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy

The topics or headings on this page describe records that are used for genealogy and family history. They include links to web sites with indexes, images, or information about the county.

 

Biography

Biographical information is often found in state and local histories or genealogies. See also Washington Biography.

Business and Commerce

 

• Professional License Records at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Cemeteries

Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Tombstone Transcriptions in Print	List of Cemeteries in the county
FindAGrave	Family History Library	FindAGrave
Tombstone Project	WorldCat	Interment.net
Billion Graves (name)	Washington Periodicals	WA State Digital Archives
WAGenWeb Archives		Linkpendium
Billion Graves		Genealogy Trails
See Washington Cemeteries for more information.

Cemetery records often reveal birth, death, relationship, military, and religious information. Tombstones, sextons (caretakers) records, and burial records each have slightly different information. See Washington Cemeteries.

Census

Federal Census Contents
Names, ages, birthplaces	1850–1940
Birthplaces of parents	1880–1940
Relationships	1880–1940
Family and Neighbors	All years
Immigration year	1900–1930
Citizenship	1910–1940

Censuses 1) Give names, ages, and more about the family; 2) Pinpoint the area to find other records; and 3) Provide clues for further research.

• Washington online census links to FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest and others.
  • Federal Censuses:
    • 1940 • 1930 • 1920 • 1910 • 1900
    • 1890 Veterans Schedule
    • 1880 • 1870 • 1860 • 1850
  • Territorial and State-funded Censuses:
    • 1847–1898

• Statewide printed indexes of federal censuses

• Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free)
  • Federal: 1910
  • Territorial: 1857 • 1871 • 1883 • 1885 • 1889
  • These were indexed by local societies and individuals.

Church Records

The information church records provide depends upon the church practices and the record keepers. Records may include names, ages, and dates of events such as baptism, marriage, or burial. See Washington Church Records.

• Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) for Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy are listed in the FamilySearch catalog. (Press space bar to select town.)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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

• Bremerton
• Port Orchard

Lutheran

• Records of Port Madison Lutheran Church, Winslow, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Court Records

Your ancestors may be found in court records as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors. Court records can clarify family relationships, places of residence, occupations, and family history. See Washington Court Records for courts used through the years.

For specialized court records, see Divorce  · Guardianship  · Land  · Naturalization · Probate

• Kitsap 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

 

 

Ethnic, Political or Religious Groups

 

American Indian

• 1911 - 1919 - Washington, Applications for Enrollment and Adoption of Washington Indians, 1911-1919 at FamilySearch — 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

 

Maps and Gazetteers

 

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Genealogy

A FamilySearch Community Tree is available for this place.

Many local libraries and societies have collections of family genealogies. County histories or biographies often include brief genealogies of the featured persons. 

Guardianship

Guardianship of orphans or adults unable to manage their own affairs were handled by the probate and the District courts. See Washington Court Records.

History

Local histories for Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy may include biographies, history of churches, schools, local government with names of officials, military information, and more. See Washington Local Histories.

• Kitsap County -- Thumbnail History at HistoryLink.org

• 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

• Kitsap County, Washington Facts at StateofUS.com (mis-labeled as Kitsap County, Alabama)

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. Kitsap County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7864.

• The first residents of the land and islands between Puget Sound and Hood Canal were called Suquamish.
• 1792 - May, British Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver mapped Puget Sound .
• 1850 - The big trigger to white settlement on the Kitsap Peninsula came with the California Gold Rush.
• 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
• 1855 - Washington Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens persuaded the tribes to sign the Point No Point and Point Elliott treaties, in which they ceded their lands to the United States.
• 1857 - July 13, Slaughter County was officially formed and Port Madison became the county seat. Voters changed the name to Kitsap County.
• 1880s - The United States government chose Port Orchard as the site of a repair facility to help support naval operations in the Pacific Ocean.

Land and Property

Land Records reveal
Yes or Maybe ⇒	Y	M
Seller (Grantor)
Seller's Spouse
Buyer (Grantee)
Heirs
Witnesses
Land Description and Dates
Tips -or- Land Contents

Land records (especially deeds) may give the name of a spouse, heirs, and witnesses, who may be relatives or in-laws.

County deeds, mortgages, and leases show transfers from person to person. See also Court Records for actions involving real estate. See Washington Land for government-to-person records.

• County Land Records, 1850-1954 at Washington, County Land Records, 1850-1954 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• Land Records 1986 to 2006 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
• Recorded Agreements and Contracts 1987-2006 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Maps

 

This map highlights the county within the state of Washington. The map soon will have inter-active links.

Migration

Most residents came to Washington from other states or crossed the border from Canada. (See Seattle Passenger Lists for those who came from other countries.) Although few other migration records exist, try:

• Censuses (use birthdates and places of children as clues)

• Land (1st deed may reveal previous residence)

• Death-related records of children may give town or county of birth

• Records of relatives and neighbors

Military

 

• 1921-1925 - Washington, World War I Veteran's Compensation Fund Application Records, 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — index

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.

• County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982. at Washington, County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes two collections: Declaration of intention 1929-1936 vol 7; Naturalization petitions 1910-1911 vol 6.

• Naturalization Records, 1906-1910, 1929-1955 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
  • Includes index to Petitions for Naturalization and Citizenship Petitions Granted and Denied

Newspapers

Small town newspapers provide historical content and contain obituaries, birth or death notices, legal notices, and community news, such as visits to or from out-of-town relatives. See Washington Newspapers for tips, resources, and details.

• Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy Newspapers (Sortable by towns, years, and titles)

Finding More Washington Newspapers

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• Do a search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog. To select a county in Washington, add a comma, slide way down to the county list, then click Search. (Almost every state seems to have a Washington County)

• Port Orchard Independent

• The Kitsap Sun

• The Bainbridge Review

Obituaries

Obituaries may mention birth, marriage, spouse, parents, living family members, education, occupation, and more. See Washington Obituaries for state level collections and United States Obituaries for tips and insights.

See also: Newspapers • Libraries • Societies • Funeral Homes • Obituaries of neighboring counties or of the person's previous residence • Family records.

Also check:

• Newspapers of Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy
• Local Funeral Homes, Libraries, or family records.
• Obituaries of neighboring counties

 

Probate Records

Probate records identify heirs of the decedents, give the (approximate) death dates, and provide specifics about property holdings. The records were kept by the county judge.

These include wills, inheritance records, dockets, and other documents regarding property and estates of individuals who have died. See also Court Records for civil actions involving estates. Also see Washington Probate Records.

Public Records

Public records are documents created by civil authorities that either don't fit comfortably in another topic, or that could fit in several topics.

• Kitsap Postmaster Index A-C.• Postmaster Index C-Z Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections for Washington. (Free, browse images)

• Power of Attorney Records 1987 and 2006 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Taxation

Washington tax records complement land records and can supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page Washington Taxation.

Vital Records

The county auditors in Washington kept records of birth, marriage, and death. The county clerk has the divorce records - the earliest dates to the present.

Visit the Washington State Department of Health website to order a Washington Birth, Death, Marriage or Divorce Certificate. See Washington Vital Records for details and history of the records. .

Birth

Birth Records reveal
Yes or Maybe ⇒	Y	M
Name of Child
Birth Date and Place
Parent's Names
Mother's Maiden Name
Parent's Ages
Parents' State or Country of Birth
Name of Doctor or Midwife

In 1891, coroners, physicians, and midwives were to "return" births and deaths to the county auditor. Many went unrecorded. In 1907, the State Center for Health Statistics assumed this responsibility.

See Washington Online Genealogy Records for indexes.
Also see Washington Birth Records.

• Kitsap County Birth Records "coming soon" at Washington State Digital Archives (Free)
  • As of February, 2014

For earlier or unrecorded births, search:

• Delayed Birth Certificates often include statements of witnesses to the birth.
• Death Records to learn birth date, place, parents
• Census to learn age, family members, location, etc.
• School Censuses give date of birth and name of parent or guardian
• Cemeteries for birth date or age, maybe birth place
• Obituaries for any of the above and more
• See also Neighboring and Parent counties and How to Find Washington Birth Records.

Marriage

Marriage Records reveal
Yes or Maybe ⇒	Y	M
Date of Marriage or License
Names of Bride and Groom
Ages
Birth Places
Residences
Names of Parents
Husband's Occupation
Witnesses
Minister or Officiator

Marriage records include certificates, marriage returns, license applications or affidavits. Counties kept the records until 1968, when the state took over.

See Washington Online Genealogy Records for indexes.
Also see Washington Marriage Records.

• 1801-1962 - Washington, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
• 1855–2008 - Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — index and images
  

• 1969-2014 - Washington Marriage Index, 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — index

• Marriage record for Kitsap County at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free):
  • Marriage License Application Affidavits, 1905-2005 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
  • Kitsap County Auditor, Marriage License Register, 1868-1890
  • Marriage Records, 1860-2006

• Kitsap County, Washington, Marriage Index, 1986-2010
  • If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search

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.

Online Records

• 1969 - 2014 - Washington Divorce Index, 1969-2014 at FamilySearch — index

Death

Death Records reveal
Yes or Maybe ⇒	Y	M
Name of Deceased
Death Date and Place
Age or Birth Date and Place
Parent's Names
Mother's Maiden Name
Name of Spouse
Residence
Occupation

In 1891, coroners, physicians and midwives were to report (or return) all births and deaths under their supervision to County Auditors. On July 1, 1907, the State took over....

See Washington Online Genealogy Records for indexes.
Also see Washington Death Records.

 

Websites

Sites with online indexes or images of records
Kitsap County WAGenWeb Project	Free	Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
USGenWeb Archives Project	Free	Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
Washington State Digital Archives	Free	Includes indexes, some linked to images. Type county name, click Search, then select a collection. Collections were posted to the appropriate headings for this Wiki page in December, 2013.
FamilySearch Historical Collections	Free	Search indexes or browse images at FamilySearch.org. Click "Last Updated." Collections through December 2013 have been posted to the appropriate topics for this Wiki page.

FamilySearch catalog	Select topics. To select towns, add a comma to the search box.
WorldCat	To find nearby libraries that have specific items, see WorldCat Online Catalog.
Allen County Public Library (Indiana)
See also local libraries and Washington Archives and Libraries

Archives, Libraries, etc.

See also a List of Washington Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies  

Resources for Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy 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 FamilySearch Library (Utah) or Allen County Public Library (Indiana) for Kitsap County, Washington Genealogy. When you find items you'd like to access, see Get a Copy

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

• For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map

• Bremerton Washington Family History Center 2225 Perry Avenue, Bremerton, Washington 98310 United States Location Map

• Poulsbo Washington Family History Center 2138 Northeast Mesford Road, Poulsbo, WA United States Location Map

Libraries

Local public libraries—even smaller ones—often have Unique Genealogical Collections that are not online for the area they serve. Many libraries in Washington have an area dedicated to local history and genealogy.

• Kitsap Regional Library
  1301 Sylvan Way
  Bremerton, WA 98310
  Phone: 360-405-9158
  Website
  

Branches:

• Bainbridge Island Library
  1270 Madison N.
  Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
  Phone: 206-842-4162
• Bremerton Library
  612 5th Street
  Bremerton, WA 98337
  Phone: 360-377-3955
• Kingston Library
  11212 NE State Hwy 104
  Kingston, WA 98346
  Phone: 360-297-3330
• Little Boston Library
  31980 Little Boston Rd. NE
  Kingston, WA 98346
  Phone: 360-297-2670
• Manchester Library
  8067 E. Main Street
  Manchester, WA 98353
  Phone: 360-871-3921
• Port Orchard Library
  87 Sidney Street
  Port Orchard, WA 98366
  Phone: 360-876-2224
• Poulsbo Library
  700 NE Lincoln Street
  Poulsbo, WA 98370
  Phone: 360-779-2915
• Silverdale Library
  3450 NW Carlton Street
  Silverdale, WA 98383
  Phone: 360-692-2997

 

Societies

 

• Puget Sound Genealogical Society
  1301 Sylvan Way
  Bremerton, WA 98310
  Website
• Kitsap County Historical Society and Museum
  280 4th Street
  Bremerton, WA 98337
  Website

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:

Cities
Bainbridge Island Bremerton	Port Orchard	Poulsbo
Unincorporated communities
Annapolis Bay Vista Breidablick Brownsville Camp Union Central Valley Clear Creek Crosby Eglon Fernwood Fragaria	Gilberton Glenwood Harper Holly Horseshoe Lake Illahee Island Lake Kariotis Lofall Lone Rock Long Lake	Nellita Olalla Olalla Valley Scandia South Colby South Park Village Virginia Waterman Wautauga Beach Wildcat Lake Wye Lake
Native American communities
Port Madison Indian Reservation
Census-designated places
Bangor Base Bethel Burley Chico East Port Orchard Enetai Erlands Point-Kitsap Lake Gorst	Hansville Indianola Keyport Kingston Lofall Manchester Navy Yard City Parkwood	Port Gamble Rocky Point Seabeck Silverdale Southworth Suquamish Waterman