Stevens County, Washington Genealogy

United States

Washington

Stevens County

Guide to Stevens County Washington ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records, since 1863, when the county was formed.

Long Lake Dam, Stevens County, Washington State

County QuickStart: Census Birth Marriage Divorce Death Cemeteries

Washington Online Genealogy Records

Stevens County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington (disambiguation)
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	January 20, 1863
County Seat	Colville
Courthouse
Address	Stevens County Courthouse 215 S. Oak Colville, WA 99114 Stevens County Website

County Overview

Description

The County was named for Isaac Stevens, the first governor of Washington Territory. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.

Parent County(s)

The area was original called Spokane County (listed by the Newberry Library as Spokane Original) and was formed from Walla Walla County on 29 January 1860. On 20 January 1863, Stevens County was also created from Walla Walla County but did not organize. On 19 January 1864, the original Spokane County and Stevens County were merged keeping the Original Spokane commissioners, Pinkney City courthouse, and the Stevens County name

County Seat: Colville . See also Towns and Communities in Stevens County, Washington Genealogy. For Courthouse, see Archives, libraries, etc.

Boundary Changes

• Historical County Boundaries from Newberry Library

Dates of Major County Records

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1891	1859	1891	1882	1883	1887	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

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.

 

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
WAGenWeb		FamilySearch Places
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.

• Crossroads on the Columbia List of Cemeteries

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	996	—
1870	734	−26.3%
1880	1,245	69.6%
1890	4,341	248.7%
1900	10,543	142.9%
1910	25,297	139.9%
1920	21,605	−14.6%
1930	18,550	−14.1%
1940	19,275	3.9%
1950	18,580	−3.6%
1960	17,884	−3.7%
1970	17,405	−2.7%
1980	28,979	66.5%
1990	30,948	6.8%
2000	40,066	29.5%
2010	43,531	8.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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 Records 1885-1892 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• Census indexes at Washington State Digital Archives: (Free)
  • Federal: 1860 • 1870 • 1880 • 1910
  • Territorial: 1871 • 1879 • 1881 • 1882 • 1885 • 1887 • 1889
  • State-funded: 1892 • 1894
  • 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 Stevens County, Washington Genealogy are listed in the FamilySearch catalog. (Press space bar to select town.)

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

• Colville 260 E. Juniper, Colville, WA 99114.

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

1885–1889 Stevens County Court Case Index is available at the Washington State Digital Archives

• Inventory of the county archives of Washington, no. 33. Stevens County (Colville) (If the link does not work, go to ancestry.com ($), click Search, select Card Catalog, paste Title into search box, click Search)

• Court Records1882-1983 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Appearance docket 1896-1962; District and Superior Court records 1889-1892; District Court records 1882-1889; Miscellaneous court records 1977-1983.

• Stevens 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.

Directories

 

• Pacific Coast Directory, 1867 is available at Ancestry.com ($).
• R.L. Polk's Directory of Stevens County, Washington, 1909-1910, at SCHS.
• R.L. Polk's Directory of Stevens, Pend Oreille and Ferry Counties 1911-1912 at Crossroads on the Columbia
• R.L. Polk's Directory of Stevens, Pend Oreille and Ferry Counties 1916-17, at SCHS.
• Telephone Directories for Stevens, Ferry and Pend Oreille Counties for 1929 and 1930
• Other telephone directories available at Crossroads on the Columbia

 

Ethnic, Political or Religious Groups

 

American Indian

Many Indian tribes came to the area to fish at Kettle Falls. Colville Tribes oversaw the salmon catch at Kettle Falls. The Spokane Tribe and Spokane Indian Reservation is located in southwestern Stevens County. A small group of the Kalispel Tribe of Indians lived at Indian Ridge south of Chewelah.

• 1911-1919 - Washington, Applications for Enrollment and Adoption of Washington Indians, 1911-1919 at FamilySearch — images
• Washington State University's William P. Winans collection includes an unpublished 1870 census of the Indian tribes in northeastern Washington (Territory), including the Okanagans, Calispels (or Pend’ Oreilles), San Poils and Nespelems, Senijexsees or Lakes, Wenatchees and Isle d'Pierres, Mishouies, Spokanes, and the Swielpees (or Colvilles) which includes detailed verbatim reports on speeches given by chiefs in tribal councils, descriptions of the social and economic situation of the region’s tribes, and notes on how the Indians viewed white people and white society. Guide to the William Parkhurst Winans Papers 1815-1917

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

 

• Danekas Funeral Chapel and Crematory. NeWGS and SCHS have extractions of these funeral home records.

Maps and Gazetteers

 

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Genealogy

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

A FamilySearch Community Tree is available for this place.

Genealogy Research Aids

• Basic Guide for Genealogy Research in Stevens, Ferry and Pend Oreille Counties by Nancy Wright, Susan DeChant, and Shirley Dodson of NeWGS.

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

Land claimed by British and American governments

• "Illustrated history of the Big Bend country" by Western Historical Publishing Company [(Spokane, Wash.): Western Historical Pub. Co., 1904]

• Some Pertinent Facts and Information Concerning Stevens County, Washington: For the Homeseeker and the Investor by C. H. Pierce [S L.: s.m., 1908?]

• Illustrated History of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan Counties, State of Washington by Richard F. Steele [(Spokane, Wash.): Western Historical Pub. Co., 1904] Commonly known by title History of North Washington. Online at Washington Secretary of State site (Free).
  • This book has numerous errors and its facts should viewed with circumspection.

• History Of The City of Spokane and Spokane County, Washington, From Its Earliest Settlement To The Present Time, volume 1 by Nelson Wayne Durham [Spokane-Chicago-Philadelphia: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1912] (Online from Google Books) First 13 chapters cover Stevens County and is well researched.

• The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History (History Link)

• The Heritage Network volunteer, non-profit organization formed to assist heritage groups discover and preserve historical resources within their respective communities in Northeast Washington and British Columbia Canada

• The Westerner Spokane Corral

• [1]"Stevens County GenWeb" online

• "Stevens County Washington American History and Genealogy Project" online

• "NeWGS" online

• Numerous local history books are available through Libraries of Stevens County, for purchase from NeWGS and SCHS. Query World Cat.com for Stevens County (Wash.) History for a list of titles.

History Timeline

See also 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. Stevens County -- Thumbnail History, History Link.org Essay 7995.

• 1811 - David Thompson, Northwest Company visited the area bringing in seed to the Marcus area.
• 1814 - Ross Cox visits the area and local tribes
• 1818 - With the signing of the Treaty of 1818, British and American jointly claimed the area which includes Stevens County.
• 1825 - Hudson's Bay Company began construction of Fort Colvile.
• 1828 - Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Colville existed from 1828 to 1856. A map of the Hudson Bay Company land claims for Fort Colvile and their trappers is available at the Stevens County Historical Society.
• 1838 - Missionaries Walker and Eells established Tshimakain Mission near present day Ford.
• 1845 - Catholic missionaries established a mission near Chewelah.
• 1846 Aug 5 - Oregon Treaty ended border dispute between US and Great Britain creating a border between the two countries along the 49th parallel.
• 1848 Aug 14 - The U.S. portion was organized as the Oregon Territory
• 1853 Feb 8 - The Washington Territory was formed February 8, 1853.
• 1854 Apr 25 - Walla Walla County was created 25 April 1954 from Clark County and Skamania County. The area included current Stevens County.
• 1856 - Prior to 1856, the Hudson's Bay Company controlled most of the land in what is now Stevens County. Their records are available through The Manitoba Archives and The National Archives (UK). Map showing HBC Fort Colvile holdings at Crossroads on the Columbia.
• 1858 Jan 29 - Spokane County (including current area of Stevens County) was created from Walla Walla County.
• 1858 - A gold strike in British Columbia brought miners through the area, which triggered unrest with the local Indians and started the Indian War of 1858.
• 1859 - Harney's Depot, US Army Fort Colville established along with Pinkney City and the first post office; Fort Walla Walla Fort Colville Military (Wagon) Road built by Brevet Major Pinkney Lugenbeel and U.S. Army soldiers.
• 1859 - U. S. Northwest Boundary Commission moved to Pinkney City and the British Boundary Commission moved to Marcus for their respective portions of the boundary survey from Port Roberts to the summit of the Rocky Mountains. 
• 1860 - Spokane County seat was located near Pinkney City.
• 1863 Jan 20 - Stevens County was created. It covered current Okanogan and Ferry Counties and the portion of current Stevens County between the Kettle River and Columbia River.
• 1864 Jan 19 - Spokane County was disorganized and placed under Stevens County. County went from summit of Cascade Mountains to the Wenachee River, to the Columbia River, along the Snake River, to the Idaho Territory, then up to the 49th parallel.
• 1871 - Hudson's Bay Company Fort Colvile ended its occupation
• 1879 - Spokane County broken off from Stevens County
• 1881 - 1st Lt Thomas Symons examinated the Columbia River and reported on its navigability.
• 1882 - US Fort Colville disbanded.
• 1889 Nov 11 - Washington State was formed November 11, 1889.
• 1892-1893 - The railroad was completed in 1892-93.
• 1899 Feb 21 - Ferry County was created from Stevens County.
• 1909-1910 - Colville River dredged opening up agriculture in the area
• 1911 Mar 1 - Pend Oreille County was created bringing us to what is Stevens County today.

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.

Stevens County Auditor's Office land records start 1862. Earliest land records were recorded under the Preemption Act of 1841. All the county land records have been digitized and available upon request.

Original homestead records are available at the Bureau of Land Management Federal Land Records Website. The first general land office patent listed on this website was granted May 1884.
To view a Township, Range, Section map within Stevens County *Go to the Stevens County Assessor's website *Look for Parcel Information on Assessor's/Treasurer's Site" and click on it. Agree to the terms of use, click on "I Agree" at least twice when first using this feature. *Enter a parcel number, legal description, or address. In Mapsifter, zoom in close enough to see the blue lines indicating property lines. If not sure of the specific Township/Range, Parcel number, or legal description, click on the Mapsifter tab and it will call up a map of the county. Click on it and then either use the mouse or the control device on the bottom right to zoom and move about the map. These records are current to five years back and provide a lot of detail about the property and current owners.

Bureau of Land Managment General Land Records Office has an explanation of the township/range system, as does Wikipedia;as well as Family Search Wiki.

The BLM also has Cadastral and other survey information at Oregon and Washington Land Status and Cadastral Record, please note this is separate from the survey dropdown on the main glorecords.blm.gov page. To aid in search, the northwest corner of the county is in township 40N Range 36E; the northeast corner is township 40N range 42E; the southwest corner is township 28N range 35E; and the southeast corner is in township 27N range 42E. Per the records clerk at the BLM Spokane Office (Fancher Road) they have NARA microfilms of the railroad land transactions for their assigned area to include Stevens County. Convert latitude and longitude of the desired location to township/range using the converter at Earthpoint.

• Land and Property 1860-1984 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Chattel mortgage index 1886-1984; Inventory of separate property of women 1887-1904; Miscellaneous clerk records 1860-1976.

Maps

 

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

• Downloadable current maps in PDF are available at the Stevens County GIS Mapbook page.

• An extensive collection of Oregon Territory, Washington Territory, and Washington State maps is available Department of Geography University of Alabama Map Library
• 1883 Map of the Colville agricultural area from the Washington State Library

• Historic USGS topographical maps. The 1941 maps along the Columbia River show the river and towns prior to Lake Roosevelt forming as well as the lake after it forms.

• 1880 map of Oregon & Washington Territory, issued by the Oregon Railway and Navigation Co. is available at Ancestry.com$

• 1890 map of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company including Eastern Washington is available at Ancestry.com$

• 1910 Map of the Spokane Indian Reservation is available at Ancestry.com$

Atlases, Gazetteers, Maps held by Stevens County Historical Society

• Two early County Engineer's maps
• Undated early partly platted lower British Columbia, Columbia River
• 1810-1871 coast to coast territory covered by artist Paul Kane for Hudson Bay
• 1863 state map showing which areas have been surveyed
• 1863 county map showing place names
• 1870 Colville and north end
• 1870-1883 Colville area, shows cemeteries, etc.
• 1887 survey of military Fort Colville
• 1890 two sections of Meyers Falls
• 1903 Colville area, shows cemeteries, etc
• 1910 railroad map, Stevens and Bonner County, Idaho
• 1911 section map
• 1912 Original Triplicate Copy of the Northwesten Mutual Fire Association, Seattle Washington (Sanborn Maps) for Colville with viewable corrections.
• 1929 Original Triplicate Copy of the Northwesten Mutual Fire Association, Seattle Washington (Sanborn Maps) Northport with viewable corrections.
• 1952 county topography map
• 1963 Metsker's book of maps
• Original Stevens County plat maps (complete collection)
• Colville region topography
• Old Colville City map
• City of Colville
• Map of Kettle Falls
• Sanborn Insurnance Maps (shows buildings)
• State Highway Map

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

 

Fort Colville, located three miles northeast of the current City of Colville, was established June 20, 1859. Initial troops were from the Company A and Company E of the Ninth Infantry under command of Capt. Pinkney Lugenbeel. U.S. Fort Colville was ordered closed September 20, 1882.

More information about the U.S. troops and members of the American Border Commission is available in Colville Collection Book Two: Military Fort Colville by Patrick J. Graham A history of Military Fort Colville (1859-1882) including its officers, and historical manuscripts of events of that period in Colville and northeastern Washington. ....169 pages plus index. Book is available at NeWGS

A report to Congress regarding expenditures of the Northwest Boundary Commission details all the vendors throughout the Northwest Territory for items and services purchased and employees from 1857 to 1869. Another version is available on Google Books, search for 40th Congress 3d Session House of Representatives Ex. Doc No. 86 Northwest Boundary Commission. Colville Valley merchants and farmers provided support to the commission.

Civil War Veterans Buried in Stevens County by Roger W. May Information on almost 300 veterans who are buried in or have lived in Stevens County ….219 pages with 217 photos. Book is available at NeWGS

• 1921-1925 - Washington, World War I Veteran's Compensation Fund Application Records, 1921-1925 at FamilySearch — index
• Veterans Affairs, Department of, World War I Service Statement Cards, 1917-1919 at WA State Digital Archives -- images and index.

"World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel from Washington" at the [2]. Query for the exact title; go to the Digital Copies tab, and page through to Stevens County to view those service members who died during WWII.

Stevens County Vietnam War Casualties NeWGS

• Military Records 1892-1928 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Certificates of adjustment for veterans 1925-1928; Military register 1892-1893.

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 for Stevens County, Washington Genealogy:
  • Naturalization Records, 1906-1974 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
  • Register of Petitions for Naturalization, 1929-1951 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
  • Registers of Applications and Orders of Naturalization, 1888-1906 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)
  • Registers of Declarations of Intention, 1886-1973 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection. (Free)

• Naturalization and Citizenship 1868-1950 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Affidavits of petitioner and witnesses 1868-1906; Declarations of intention 1886-1946; Declarations of intention, petition evidence 1885-1946; Naturalization index 1882-1907; Petition evidence, special naturalizations, orders of the court 1914-1950; Petitions for naturalization 1888-1951; Petitions for naturalization and petition evidence 1890-1929.

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.

Finding More Washington Newspapers

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Stevens 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)

• Early Washington newspapers covered the Colville area, particularly the Walla Walla Statesman. Query "Colville" in the Washington State Library's online historical newspaper collection.
• Colville Examiner 1907-1922 is available online thanks to the Washington State Library, Library of Congress, and the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities.

• The WA National Digital Newspaper Program wiki part of the National Digital Newspaper Project provides the digitization status of state newspapers.

• The Loon Lake Times 1911 to 1913 editions. Query Loon Lake Historical Society Collection and keyword of newspaper.

• The Statesman-Examiner is published weekly in Colville. Precursors to this newspaper, the Colville Republican, Stevens County Standard, the Colville Index, and the Stevens County Statesman-Index for the 1892 to 1897 time frame are available in pdf format at Crossroads on the Columbia items 12945 to 13949.

• The Chewelah Independent has been published weekly since 1903. Microfilms of the newspaper up to 1960 are available at the Kettle Falls Public Library. The Chewelah Public Library has digital copies of the newpaper from 2010 to current.

• An extensive collection of local newspapers on microfilm is available at the Kettle Falls Public Library and some others at the Colville Public Library and Stevens County Historical Society. The NeWGS maintains a listing of these papers.

• The Spokane Public Library Downtown Branch has a large microfilm collection of Spokane papers, which has some coverage of Stevens County.

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

The Stevens County Historical Society and the Northeast Washington Genealogical Society maintain separate newspaper obituary lists for deaths recorded for Stevens County-connected individuals. The Loon Lake Historical Society maintains obituary listings for the Loon Lake and Deer Lake area residents.

Periodicals

 

The Northeast Washington Genealogical Society (NeWGS) publication, Pioneer Branches is available at the Colville Public Library (part of the Libraries of Stevens County), Allen County Public Library, and through the society. Indexes are available on Persi from 1986 to 2007.

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.

Stevens County Probate records are available at the courthouse. Authorized members of the NeWGS can research microfilms of these records.

• Probate Records 1915-1916 Part of: 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.

• Stevens Postmaster Index. Part of Washington, Postmaster Indexes, Prior to 1965, FamilySearch Historical Collections for Washington. (Free, browse images)
• Stevens County Board of Commissioners, Meetings, 1860-1913, 2005-2007 includes early tax assessment lists and equalization changes, jury duty lists, roads and school districts creation, contacts awarded and bills, elected and appointed officials, incorporation of towns in Stevens, Ferry, and Pend Oreille towns and other information. Images at Washington State Digitial Archives with ongoing extractions in pdf format.

Schools

 

All schools in Stevens County are under the Northeast Washington Educational Service District 101 located at Regal Center 4202 S. Regal Street, Spokane, WA 99223-7738, phone number (p.) 509-789-3800

• https://www.familysearch.org/search/image/index?owc=https://www.familysearch.org/service/cds/recapi/collections/1910364/waypoints School Records 1915-1932] Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records Washington, County Records, 1803-2010.

• ESD 101 records at the Washington State Archives at Cheney include item EA801-36-14 Pioneer Interviews (Stevens County) for 1933-47; item EA801-36-1 School Census (Stevens County) school census records for 1915-32, and other early school records. The Digital Archives also has a 1927 Spokane County School District map.

• The Last Bell by Alpha Naff (reprinted 2005 by NeWGS) A history of the rural schools in Stevens County ….152 pages, indexed. Available at at NeWGS and the Libraries of Stevens County.
• The Crossroads on the Columbia project has school records for Chewelah, Hunters, and Loon Lake.

• The Stevens County Historical Society (SCHS) has the October 1897 to June 1904 bound ledger record of teachers' contracts.

• SCHS has the August 1891 to 1901 School District No. 32, Pleasant Valley Pupil Attendence Binder.

• SCHS has the School District No. 2 Colville Schools Board of Director Minutes, May 15, 1903 – April 8, 1920

• The Internet Archives has an article about Washington State Teacher's Cottages in 1915 by Josephine Corliss Preston

Online Catalogs

• Whitworth University Catalog
  
  

Digital Collections

• Eastern Washington University Digital Collection
• Gonzaga University Digital Collection
• University of Washington Digital Collection
• Washington State University Digital Collection

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.

The SCHS has the county assessor's personal property tax ledgers for 1898 to 1906, 1912 to 1935, and 1931 to 1935. Images of the 1898 to 1906 ledgers are viewable on the Crossroads on the Columbia project.

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 Records 1891-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Birth register 1891-1907; Births 1891-1907.

• Washington, County Birth Registers, 1873-1965 — index and images

• Register of Births, 1891-1907 at Washinton State Digital Archives Collection (Free)

• 1891–1907 and 1907-1919 Washington State Births are available at Ancestry.com$

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
  

• 1859–1891 -Marriages from 3 Jun 1859 to 15 Feb 1891 are available at the Western States Marriage Index website.

• 1860–2008 - Marriages are available at Washington State Digital Archives.

• 1885-2002 - Marriage Records 1885-2002 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.
  • Includes Marriage affidavits 1886-1939; applications index 1939-2002; certificates & index 1889-1944; certificates 1912-1947; Marriage index-direct 1911-1922; Marriage licenses index-direct Marriage statistics 1911-1939; Marriage records index-direct 1885-1947; Marriage statistics 1891-1939.

• 1859-2008 - Marriage Records, 1859-2008 at Washington State Digital Archives Collection.(Free)

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

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.

• 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.

• Washington, County Death Registers, 1881-1922 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection, index
• Death Records 1891-1907 Part of: County Records, 1856-2009 FamilySearch Historical Collections (Free, browse images)
  • See what genealogical information may be in these records.

• 1891–1907 Washington State Deaths are available at Ancestry.com$
• 1940–1996 Washington State Death Index is available at Ancestry.com$

• Washington Death Certificates 1907-1960 A free internet index to the 1907-1960 death certificates can be found at Washington, Death Certificates, 1907-1960, 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.

"Stevens County is long and narrow, bisected by the Huckleberry Mountains running north and south through the middle.

In the early days, travel was difficult and there were almost no roads. During the winter it was impossible to go very far, so people often did their "marrying" and "burying" in Lincoln County if they lived along the River at the south end of the county. They also went to Spokane County for supplies or to get married.

"The railroad was completed in 1892-93. Lincoln County seat is located in Davenport, WA 99122. The address for the proper office in Rossland is: Vital Record, Court Registry, Box 639, Rossland, B.C. VOG 1YO, phone 604-362-7368."

 

Websites

Sites with online indexes or images of records
WAGenWeb for Stevens County	Free	Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
Northeast Washington Genealogical Society includes Stevens County.	Free	Data may be submitted by individuals or complete transcriptions
USGenWeb	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 Stevens County, Washington Genealogy
Websites at RootsWeb - Stevens 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 ($)
CyndisList	Free	Click links. Some sites they link to may have fees ($)
StateofUS.com	Free	"Stevens County, Washington Facts" (mis-labeled "Stevens County, Alabama Facts")

Major catalogs for hard copy collections of Stevens 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 Stevens 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 Stevens County, Washington Genealogy. When you find items you'd like to access, see Get a Copy

Colville National Forest Collection on Washington Rural Heritage has maps, photographs, and early history.

Stevens County Heritage on Washington Rural Heritage has digital copies of ledgers and photographs of the Kettle Falls area, other parts of Stevens County and neighboring counties.

Courthouse

• Stevens County Courthouse
  215 S. Oak
  Colville, WA 99114
  Phone: 509-684-7512
  Stevens County Website
  

Auditor's Office, Room 106, holds records including military discharges (restricted to family only), homesteads, land records from 1862 to now. Land deed records have been digitized, but they are NOT available online. The auditor staff does have digital images of the deeds and can provide them promptly upon request. Land Deed volume D is missing. For Volume D, the indexes may provide basic data like the surname plus initial of the grantor or grantee and an abbreviated land description, but some only direct the person to the actual record. The Auditor's Office can provide copies of marriage licenses although the actual records were transferred to the State Archives at Cheney.

Stevens County Commissioner's Office, 230 East Birch St, Colville, phone 509-684-3751, holds the County Commissioner's minutes. Stevens County Board of County Commissioners, Meetings, 1860-1913 are available online.

Check the inventory collection for the Eastern Washington Region of the State Regional Archives at Cheney for many of the older records births and deaths from 1886 on, marriage records, mining patents, mortgage recordings, as these have been moved to the archives for safekeeping.

Court Clerk Office, phone 509-684-7575 holds records for divorce, naturalization, and court cases from 1889. The NeWGS volunteers have permission to access the probate microfilms and can make copies of these records upon request.

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Libraries

• Colville Washington Family History Center

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.

• Wellpinit Library Station
  Stevens County Rural Library District
  Spokane Tribal Library
  Wellpinit, WA 99040
  Phone: 877-231-5500
• Libraries of Stevens County
  

Branch links, locations and hours

Some unique collections in specific branches:

• Chewelah Public Library - Digital copies of recent Chewelah Independent newspapers.
• Colville Public Library - Home for the Northeast Washington Genealogical Society books, many local history books, microfilms of Colville Examiner newspapers, U. S. Fort Colville military records, and Washington State Death Index.
• Kettle Falls Public Library - Microfilms of local newspapers and large collection of local history books.

Museums

 

• Stevens County Historical Society

Societies

 

• Eastern Washington Genealogical Society

• Northeast Washington Genealogical Society assists those researching in Ferry, Pend Oreille, and Stevens County. Classes and meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month. Mailing address is Northeast Washington Genealogical Society, c/o Colville Public Library, 195 S Oak, Colville, WA 99114.
  • The NeWGS publication, Pioneer Branches is available at the Colville Public Library (part of the Libraries of Stevens County), Allen County Public Library, and through the society. Indexes are available on PERSI from 1986 to 2007.

• Washington State Genealogical Society

• Clayton/Deer Park Historical Society has records for the Williams Valley area and Town of Clayton.

• Loon Lake Historical Society has an extensive collection of photographs, ledgers, loose papers, and family histories for the Loon Lake and Deer Lake areas, and a number of Clayton documents.

• Stevens County Historical Society at 700 N Wynne St. P.O. Box 25, Colville, WA 99114 maintains the Keller House and Stevens County Museum. Researchers at the museum's Jim McMillan Research and Reference Library provides detailed reports on research requests.

• Washington State Historical Society

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
Chewelah	Coleville	Kettle Falls
Towns
Marcus	Northport	Springdale
Unincorporated communities
Arden Bluecreek Cedonia Daisy Echo Evans Ford Fruitland	Gifford Grays Hunters Marble Maud Nine Mile Falls Onion Creek	Orin Rice Suncrest Tumtum Velvet Ward Wellpinit
Census-designated places
Addy Clayton	Loon Lake	Valley
Ghost towns
Bossburg Cedarville	Godfrey Pinkney City	Ryan

City of Chewelah council minutes from 1903 to 2009.

City of Colville council minutes from 1890 to 2006.

Marcus Town council minutes from 1910 to 1940, 1968 to 2010.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.