Douglas County, Washington Records

Douglas County, Washington (Map It) was created on November 28, 1883 from Lincoln County. The county was named in honor of Stephen A. Douglas (1813–1861), U.S. Senator from Illinois. Groups of settlers first entered the county in 1871 and by 1883 the lure of plentiful land for cattle raising brought ranchers into the county. The late 1880s were punctuated by range wars between cattlemen and sheep raisers. The disastrous winter of 1889-90 decimated the cattle herds and brought about a shift in the economy to grain raising. Today agriculture still remains the county's main economic activity. Wheat and barley are primary crops with fruit production rapidly growing in importance. .

Douglas County is bordered by Okanogan County (north), Grant County (south), Kittitas County (southwest), Chelan County (west).

Douglas County Cities and Towns include Bridgeport, Coulee Dam (partial), East Wenatchee, Mansfield, Rock Island, Waterville.

A Map of Douglas County, Washington contains detailed information about roads and boundaries, these maps may include rural communities, churches, and cemeteries.

Douglas County, Washington Courthouse Records

The Douglas County Courthouse is located in Waterville, Washington. Learn More About State of Washington Court, Tax, Land and Probate Records.

The Clerk's Office DOES NOT DO RESEARCH. Most staff will assist people in finding the materials, but it is up to the individual to do the research. Although originally held in the county seat, many county land, probate, and court records have been transferred to the state archive's regional branches.

The Douglas County record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. They may include records of land, estates, taxes, vital records, divorces, naturalizations, voter registration, court records, and so forth.

• Douglas County Auditor has Birth and Death Records from 1891 to 1907, Marriage Records from 1887 and Land Records from 1884. The County Auditor has many responsibilities which include the recording of real property documents such as deeds and other recorded documents, issuing various licenses such as marriage liscense.
• Douglas County Clerk has Court Records from 1887 and Probate Records from 1888 . The County Clerk is the administrator of the Superior Court Clerk's Office. The Clerk's Office is responsible for keeping the permanent records of all cases filed in Superior Court. The type of cases filed are felony criminal cases, civil lawsuits, petitions for protection from domestic violence, family law matters (dissolutions 3rd Party Custody, parenting plans, modifications) probates, guardianships, Last Will & Testaments, paternities, adoptions and mental commitments. For judicial purposes, many of the Washington counties were attached to other counties.
• Douglas County Treasurer is the property tax collector for the County. Property Taxes are levied on the property by the various taxing authorities based on the valuation and current property usage as set by the Assessor's Office.
• The Douglas County Health Department can issue Birth, Marriage and Death certificates while you wait.

Douglas County, Washington Census Records

• Learn More: State of Washington Census Records
• U.S. Federal Population Schedules: 1890 (fragmented), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940
• State and Territorial Population Schedules: 1857-1892
• Union Veterans Schedules: 1890

Douglas County, Washington Vital Records

• Learn More: State of Washington Vital Records
• Birth and Death Records: from July 1, 1907 to present.
• Marriage and Divorce Records: from January 1, 1968 to present
• Locations: Washington Department of Health
• Vital Records Online: USAVital or Social Security Death Index
• Vital Records by Mail:  Birth / Death Certificate or the Marriage / Divorce Certificate Applications.
• In Person:  Center for Health Statistics, Department of Health, 101 Israel Road SE, Tumwater, WA 98501

Douglas County, Washington Resources

• Douglas County Genealogical Society, c/o Waterville Public Library, Box 580, Waterville, WA 98858-0580.
• Douglas County Historical Society, Box 63, 113 East Locust Street, Waterville, WA 98858; Phone:(509) 745-8800
• East Wenatchee Family History Center, 667 Tenth NE, East Wenatchee, WA 98001. Phone 509-884-8686.
• Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society Library, 133 S Mission St, Wenatchee, WA 98001.
• Colville Tribal Museum, PO Box 233, 512 Mead Way, Coulee Dam, WA 99116. Phone 509-633-0751.
• Douglas County Historical Museum, Box 63, 124 W Walnut, Waterville, WA 98858. Phone 509-745-8435.
• Ft. Spokane Museum, 1008 Crest Drive, Coulee Dam, WA 99116. Fax 509-633-9332.
• State Archives Central Branch
• Douglas County, Washington Message Boards
• Douglas County, Washington Genealogy Forum
• Washington State Digital Archives

Douglas County, Washington External Links

• Washington Historical Newspapers - Newspapers.com
• Historical Newspapers from Washington (1890 - 1984)
• Douglas County, Washington Books - Amazon
• Douglas Co., Washington - FindaGrave
• Douglas County, Washington Links - Cyndi's List
• Douglas Co. WAGenweb
• Douglas County, Washington Ancestry Database Collections
• Douglas County, Washington Military Records
• Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965
• Washington gazetteer and business directory : 1901-1902.