Clark County, Washington Genealogy

United States

Washington

Clark County

United States

Oregon

Clark County

Guide to Clark County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1844, when the county was formed.

Bridge over the Washougal River Clark County, Washington State

County QuickStart: Census Birth Marriage Divorce Death Cemeteries

Clark County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	June 27, 1844
County Seat	Vancouver
Courthouse
Address	Clark County Courthouse 1200 Franklin Street Vancouver, WA 98660 Phone: 360.397.2292  Clark County Website

County Overview

Description

The County was named for William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.

Parent County(s)

• Clark County, Washington was created 27 June 1844 as an original county in the Oregon Territory and named Vancouver District. Renamed Clark County 3 September 1849

County Seat: Vancouver Parent County: Original county, formerly Vancouver District. See also Towns and Communities in Clark County, Washington Genealogy. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes

• Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

For animated maps illustrating Washington County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Washington County Boundary Maps" (1843-1915) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Neighboring Counties

Clark County, Washington Genealogy is surrounded by: Cowlitz | Skamania | Oregon counties: Columbia | Multnomah

Courthouse

Clark County Courthouse
1200 Franklin Street
Vancouver, WA 98660
Phone: 360.397.2292 

County Auditor has birth and death records 1890-1906,
marriage records from 1890 and land records from 1850.
County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1890.

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

Dates of Major County Records

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1890	1890	1890	1890	1890	1890	1850
Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1907. General compliance by 1917.

Record Loss

1890--Clark County Courthouse and Jail destroyed by fire on February 25, 1890. Many county records were destroyed, including probate records, Superior and District court records, and records of the Sheriff, Superintendent of Schools and Surveyor's office. The County Auditor's records were safe from fire.

Topics for Clark 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.

• For a good look at the pioneers of Clark County, A book "Clark County Pioneers--A Centennial Salute" is a good place to start. The book contains information on the pioneers of Clark County and their families with many photos of those pioneers. The book has 675 pages plus an index. It has a copyright date of 1989.

• Clark County Pioneers--Through the turn of the Century. Available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. All Clark County books have a catalog number of 979.786.
  • Index at RootsWeb

Business and Commerce

 

• Mining Claims, 1891-1959
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• Recorded Professional Licenses 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
		EPodunk
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.

• Evergreen Memorial Gardens Cemetery and Funeral Chapel
  Phone: 360-892-6060
  Website
• City of Vancouver: Park Hill Cemetery
  Phone: 360-696-8156
• City of Camas Cemetery. Began in 1883. Courtesy of the City of Camas: Website.
• The Old City Cemetery, located at the corner of Grand Blvd. and Mill Plain Blvd. in Vancouver.
  Website
• Fishers Cemetery. First cemetery in Vancouver, WA. Website; USGS list of burials; Images of Fishers and the beach along the Columbia River at this historic spot.
• Clark County Cemeteries (Rootsweb)
• Cemeteries and Memorial Sites of Politicians in Clark County (PoliticalGraveyard)

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: 1850 • 1860 • 1870 • 1871 • 1883 • (County) 1883 •
    1885 • 1887
  • 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 Clark County, Washington Genealogy are listed in the FamilySearch catalog. (Press space bar to select town.)

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

• 1890 - Clark County Courthouse and Jail destroyed by fire on February 25, 1890. Many county records were destroyed, including probate records, Superior and District court records, and records of the Sheriff, Superintendent of Schools and Surveyor's office. The County Auditor's records were safe from fire.

 

 

Ethnic, Political or Religious Groups

 

American Indian

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

Finns

• Death Certificates of Finns in Clark County, Washington Genealogy, 1908-1947 at Genealogia.fi

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.

Funeral Homes

 

• Vancouver Funeral Chapel Phone (360) 693-3633

 

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

• History of Clarke County, Washington Territory by B. F. Alley [Portland, Or. : Washington Pub., 1885] full text at WA Office of the Secretary of State "Washington History"

• Clark County History articles online at The Columbian [newspaper]

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 Hanable, William S. Clark County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 5644.

• For hundreds of years before Western explorers intruded on their shores, the Chinook Indians had lived along the banks of the Columbia River.
• 1792 - The Chinook's first contact with non-Indian people may have occured when the Columbia Rediviva, an American ship captained by Robert Gray (1755-1806), made its way up the river.
• 1805 - November, Lewis and Clark passed through what is now Clark County.
• 1825 - March , The British-owned Hudson's Bay Company opened Fort Vancouver on the future site of the City of Vancouver.
• 1844 - The first American of note in the Fort Vancouver area was Henry Williamson, who laid out his land claim west of the fort.
• 1845 - August 20, Clark County was the first county of Washington. It was created by the provisional government of Oregon Territory, and at that time covered the entire present-day state of Washington.
• In 1846, Amos Short measured his land claim from a "witness tree" (a tree used by surveyors to establish a corner of a section of land) by carving his initials in a cottonwood that stood near the bank of the Columbia River.
• 1853 - March 2, U.S. President Millard Fillmore establishes Washington Territory.
• 1890 - Clark County Courthouse and Jail destroyed by fire on February 25, 1890. Many county records were destroyed, including probate records, Superior and District court records, and records of the Sheriff, Superintendent of Schools and Surveyor's office. The County Auditor's records were safe from fire. [6]

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 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.

• 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.

• Business and Commerce 1891-1920. Part of: Washington County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• Recorded Land Records 1984 - 2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

• Recorded Agreements and Contracts at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

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

Early migration routes to and from Clark County, Washington Genealogy for European and African American settlers included:

• Columbia River
• York Factory Express 1824 from Fort Vancouver to York Factory, Manitoba, Canada
• Oregon Trail 1830s to 1890s from western Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon
• Applegate Trail 1846 from Winnemucca, Nevada to Oregon City, Oregon
• Barlow Road 1846 from The Dalles to Oregon City

Military

 

• Washington, World War I Veteran's Compensation Fund Application Records, 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — index
• National Archives. Select search codes for state and county. These are partial lists. The NARA website cautions: "This series does not contain records of all World War II Army enlistees."

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.

• Declarations of Intention, 1890-1982 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

• Naturalization Records, 1909-1954 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free).

• County Naturalization Records, 1850-1982. at Washington, County Naturalization Records, 1890-1982] at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes name, age, gender, birth place, arrival at port, etc.
  • Included in this collection: Application & oaths 1939-1965; Declaration on intention 1906-1982; Declaration of intention index 1890-1937; Depositions 1933-1953; Final record 1880-1906; Military petitions 1919; Naturalization certificate receipts 1907-1926; Petition records 1906-1940; Petition records index Miscellaneous naturalization records 1924-1929 vol 5.

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.

• Clark 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 Clark 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)

Newspapers for Vancouver, Washington can be seen at the e-mail address for "The Columbian", columbian@newsbank.com for the years after 1994. For years prior to 1994, go to the Ft. Vancouver Library.

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.

 

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.

• 1890 - Clark County Courthouse and Jail destroyed by fire on February 25, 1890. Many county records were destroyed, including probate records, Superior and District court records, and records of the Sheriff, Superintendent of Schools and Surveyor's office. The County Auditor's records were safe from fire. [6]

• County Probate Case Files, 1832-1950 Part of: Washington, County Probate Records, 1832-1950 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • (A search of this collection did not bring up any Clark County records, Feb, 2014)

• Wills 1890-1929. Part of: Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these 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.

• Clark Postmaster Index. Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections for Washington. (Free, browse images)

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.

• Birth Register, 1884, 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

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 $
• 1840-1903 - Marriages from 11 Jun 1840-1 Aug 1903 are available at the Western States Marriage Index website.

• 1843-2012 - Marriage Records, 1843-2012 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

• 1855–2008 - Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008 at FamilySearch — index and images
  

• 1889-2000 - Marriage 1889-2000 Part of: Washington, County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)

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

• • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Marriage affidavits index 1900-1913; Marriage applications 1939-1979; certificates 1889-2000; Marriage register 1891-1914.

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

• County Divorce Records, 1852-1950. Washington, County Divorce Records, 1852-1950 at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

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.

• County Deaths, 1891-1907. Part of: Washington, County Deaths, 1891-1907 statewide search at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, index plus images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960 statewide search at FamilySearch Historical Collections. (Free, index plus images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• Death Register 1891-1907 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

• Death Certificates of Finns in Clark County, Washington Genealogy, 1908-1947 edited by Merle A. Reinikka, online at Genealogia.fi

 

Websites

Sites with online indexes or images of records
Clark County, Washington Genealogy--USGenWeb 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.

Sites that search for links pertaining to Clark County, Washington Genealogy
Websites at RootsWeb - Clark WA	Free	Data may be submitted by individuals or may be complete transcriptions
Linkpendium	Free	Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
CyndisList	Free	Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
Genealogyinc.com	Free	Clark County, Washington Facts
google.com	Free	Washington Genealogy Network Community on Google+
Facebook.com	Free	Washington Genealogy Network Group on Facebook

Major catalogs for hard copy collections of Clark County, Washington Genealogy Books, microfilm, or manuscripts of genealogical records
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 Clark 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 Clark 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

• Vancouver Washington West Family History Center 14400 NW 26 Ave. at NW Bliss Road, Vancouver, WA 98685 Location Map
• Vancouver Washington North Family History Center11101 NE 119th St., Vancouver, WA 98682 Location Map
• Vancouver Washington Family History Center 11101 NE 119th St., Vancouver, WA 98684 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.

• Fort Vancouver Regional Library District -
  • Branches and Locations
  • Genealogy / Database Tools
  • Special or Unique Collections (help needed from each branch)

 

Societies

 

• Clark County Genealogical Society
  717 Grand Blvd.
  Vancouver, WA
  Phone: 360-750-5668
  Email: gensoc@ccgs-wa.org
  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
Battle Ground Camas La Center	Ridgefield Vancouver	Washougal Woodland‡
Towns
Yacolt
Unincorporated communities
Fargher Lake Hall	Mill Plain	Proebstel
Census-designated places
Amboy Barberton Brush Prairie Cherry Grove Dollars Corner Duluth Felida	Fern Prairie Five Corners Hazel Dell Hockinson Lake Shore Lewisville Meadow Glade	Minnehaha Mount Vista Orchards Salmon Creek Venersborg Walnut Grove

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties