Washington County, Utah Genealogy

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Guide to Washington County, Utah ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage and death records, cemeteries, census, church records, probate records, and obituaries—resources to find parents and family history since 1852, when the county was formed.

The Subway, Zion Ntl. Pk., WA County, UT







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Washington County, Utah
Map
Map of Utah highlighting Washington County
Location in the state of Utah, United States Genealogy
Map of the U.S. highlighting Utah
Location of Utah in the U.S.
Facts
Founded March 3, 1853
County Seat St. George
Courthouse
Utahwashingtoncourthoues.jpg
Address 197 East Tabernacle
St. George, UT 84770
Website: www.washco.utah.gov
Named for: George Washington
George Washington.JPG
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County Facts[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The County was named for the first President of the United States, George Washington. The County is located in the southeast area of the state. [1]

County Courthouse
[edit | edit source]


Washington County Courthouse
197 East Tabernacle Street
St George, Ut 84770
Phone: 435-634-5712

County Clerk has marriage records from 1887, divorce records from 1878 probate and court records from 1874.
County recorder has land records. [2]

Washington County, Utah Record Dates[edit | edit source]

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1898 1887 1898 1874 1856 1874 1851
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1905. General compliance by 1917.

Records Loss[edit | edit source]

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

Parent Counties[edit | edit source]

Washington County, Utah Genealogy was created 3 March 1852 from unorganized territory. See also Utah Territory and Green River County

Tip
 Before the county was created—and perhaps until the newly-formed county was fully operational—search records of the parent counties.


Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

For animated maps illustrating Utah County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Utah County Boundary Maps" (1849-1960) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

  • Boundary changes timeline for Washington County, Utah Genealogy from "UT: Index of Counties," Newberry Library's Utah Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]

Washington County, Utah Genealogy is surrounded by: Iron | Kane | Arizona counties: Mohave | Nevada county: Lincoln

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

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:[4]

Cities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Native American communities
Census-designated places
Ghost towns
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Resources[edit | edit source]

The types of records that follow are used for genealogy and family history. Most tell what you may learn and how to locate the records. Links to Internet sites usually go directly to Washington County, Utah Genealogy entries with names, images, or information.

Tip
 Don't overlook Washington County, Utah Genealogy items in the FamilySearch Library Catalog. For other libraries (local and national) or to gain access to items of interest, see Archives and Libraries.

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

The term "Bible records" refers to the practice of keeping family dates and events in a family Bible. This was a common practice in many European countries and carried over to America. Many of these family Bible records are still in existence and preserved by the descendants of the immigrants. In some cases these family Bibles have found their way into libraries and other repositories.

For an explanation of how to find Bible records and for helpful links see Utah Bible Records. See also United States Bible Records.

Biography[edit | edit source]

Business Records and Commerce[edit | edit source]

See United States Business Records
See also Utah Occupation and Business Records

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Tombstone Transcriptions Online Tombstone Transcriptions in Print List of Cemeteries in the county
FindAGrave Family History Library FindAGrave
UTGravestones WorldCat Tombstone Project
BillionGraves (name) Utah Periodicals Utah Cemeteries and Burials
BillionGraves Linkpendium
USGW Cemeteries Genealogy Trails
Utah Cemetetries Hometown Locator
FamilySearch Places
See Utah Cemeteries for more information.

Cemetery records often reveal birth, death, relationship, military, and religious information. The spouse and children who died young are frequently buried nearby.

More than tombstone inscriptions, cemetery records include sextons (caretakers) records and interment (burial) records, each with slightly different information. See Utah Cemeteries.

  • Published transcripts of cemetery records are listed in the FamilySearch Library Catalog at the town level (space, then select the town) or the county level (select Cemeteries).

Dr. Craig's Cemetery/Death Indexes (1852-1996): Washington County, Utah is the place to start Washington County cemetery searches.

Additional resources:

Census[edit | edit source]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1860 691 —
1870 3,064 343.4%
1880 4,235 38.2%
1890 4,009 −5.3%
1900 4,612 15.0%
1910 5,123 11.1%
1920 6,764 32.0%
1930 7,420 9.7%
1940 9,269 24.9%
1950 9,836 6.1%
1960 10,271 4.4%
1970 13,669 33.1%
1980 26,065 90.7%
1990 48,560 86.3%
2000 90,354 86.1%
2010 138,115 52.9%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Census records 1850 and later list names, ages, and places of birth (state or nation) for everyone in the household. Censuses locate the family and have other clues to find more records about them.

  • See Utah Census for online indexes and images of US federal censuses. of: 1852, 1856, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940.
  • See statewide printed indexes, including 1856.

Churches and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

  • Church records (microfilmed originals or published transcripts) are listed for Washington County, Utah Genealogy at the town level (space, then select a town) or county level (select Church topics) in the FamilySearch Library Catalog.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons)[edit | edit source]
Green check.png
The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.


Historically, most people in Utah were Latter-day Saints. Their records are, therefore, very important for early Utah research. For additional information, see Tracing Latter-day Saint Ancestors and Utah Church Records.

Click a church unit name in the chart below for its history, boundaries, and availability of records, which are often in microfilm format

Guide to history and records of wards and branches of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Stake(s): Parowan Stake, Utah  · St. George Stake, Utah  · Zion Park Stake, Utah

Central  · Enterprise  · Grafton · Gunlock · Hamblin · Harrisburg · Hebron · Hurricane · Ivins · La Verkin · Leeds · Little Pinto or Pinto · Pine Valley · Rockville · Santa Clara · Springdale · St. George · Toquerville · Veyo · Virgin · Washington

Presbyterian Church[edit | edit source]
Roman Catholic Church[edit | edit source]

History timeline:[5]

  • 1878 - Built a chapel in Silver Reef.
  • [year?] - Chapel abandoned when Silver Reef became a ghost town.


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

Many of your ancestors may be found in court records as defendants, plaintiffs, witnesses, or jurors. Court records can establish family relationships and places of residence, occupations, and other family history information. See Utah Court Records for the various courts through the years.

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

Directories[edit | edit source]

See Utah Directories

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Ethnic and Other Groups[edit | edit source]

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Hurricane Valley Mortuary[6]
140 North Main Street
Hurricane, UT
Phone:(435) 635-9922
Fax: 435-635-3200

Metcalf Mortuary[7]
288 West St George Blvd
St George, UT 84770
Phone: 435-673-4221
Toll Free Phone: 888-673-4221
Fax: 435-674-0209

Pine VIew Mortuary[8]
566 North Mall Dr
St. George , UT 84790
Phone: 435-986-4222
Fax: 435-986-4223

Spilsbury Mortuary[9]
110 South Bluff St
St George, UT 84770
Phone:435-673-2454
Toll Free Phone: 888-673-2454
Fax: 435-673-0911

Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

See Utah Gazetteers

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

A FamilySearch Community Tree is available for this place.


Guardianship[edit | edit source]

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

History[edit | edit source]

Named for George Washington, the first President of the United States.

History Timeline[edit | edit source]
  • Boundary changes timeline for Washington County, Utah Genealogy from "UT: Index of Counties," Newberry Library's Utah Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

Unless otherwise mentioned, the events below were gleaned from Wikipedia for Washington County. 

  • 1852. 3 March. Washington County founded.  Named after George Washington, first President of the United States.
  • 1854. City of Santa Clara settled by Jacob Hamlin.  Location of Jacob Hamblin home.
  • 1861. St. George founded as a cotton mission under direction of Brigham Young.  Named after apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints George A. Smith. County seat.
  • 1862. Springdale settled as Latter-day Saint farming community. Now thriving tourist industry. Located just outside Zion National Park.
  • 1891. City of Enterprise founded by Orson Welcome Huntsman. Early residents were Latter-day Saint settlers.
  • 1896. City of Hurricane settled.  Received its name after a whirlwind blew top off buggy that Erastus Snow, early apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was riding in.
  • 1963. City of Hildale founded.  Headquarters of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
  • Stout, Wayne. A History of Rockville, Utah 1862-1972. Salt Lake City, Utah, 1972. Digital version at Internet Archive.

Land and Property[edit | edit source]

Land records (especially deeds) often give the name of a spouse, heir, other relatives, or other clues for further research. They often have other clues for further research, such as witnesses or the other parties who may be relatives or in-laws. See Utah Land and Property for more.

  • 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.
  • Maps listing the names of landholders locate where an ancestor lived. The Family History Library has a plat map for St. George:
  • Pioneer Map: City of St. George, Washington County, Utah. N.p.: 1982?. (Family History Library FHL map 979.248/S1 E7p.) This map lists the names of land owners on the map and the designation of the ward where they lived. The index to this map has St. George wards listed in: Hardesty, Patricia N. Pioneer Map, City of St. George, Washington County, Utah Index with LDS Wards. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1982. (Family History Library FHL fiche 6031575; book 979.248/S1 E7p index.)
  • Washington County Document Search at Washington County Recorders office, Deed from 1983, Maps and Surveys earlier. Older documents require visit to Recorders Office, 87 North 200 East STE 101, St. George, UT 84770. Phone: (435)634-5709

Maps[edit | edit source]

Lincoln CountyMohave CountyKane CountyIron CountyUT WASHINGTON.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources


Google highway map of Washington County 2012

Migration[edit | edit source]

Early migration routes to and from Washington County, Utah Genealogy for emigrant settlers included:

Military[edit | edit source]

Civil War[edit | edit source]
World War I[edit | edit source]
World War II[edit | edit source]

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Declarations of Intent before 1906 often include the nation of origin, his* foreign and "Americanized" names, residence, and date of arrival. See Utah Naturalization and Citizenship for more information.    (*Women were not naturalized until 1922 in the United States.)

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Small town newspapers contain obituaries, birth or death notices, community news (such as the visit of someone's relatives), legal notices and provide historical content. See Utah newspapers for tips, resources, and details.

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Obituaries may mention birth, marriage, spouse, parents, and living family members. See Utah Obituaries for state level compendiums and United States Obituaries for tips and insights regarding this record type.

Obituaries for residents may be found in:

USGenWeb Archives of Washington County, Utah contains the obituaries of 2004 - 2005

Other[edit | edit source]

Prison[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.[edit | edit source]

In Utah, such records may be difficult to find. Try records of the church they may have attended. Realize, however, that such records may have not been preserved, and would not be in the typical records of membership.

It is possible there were records kept by civilian authorities. Ask town or county officials and local librarians and the State Archives. Also try National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (online).


Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Probate cases include court actions regarding property and estates of individuals who have died. Records may locate relatives, provide death dates, and identify property. See Utah Probate Records for more information.

Online Probate Records

Schools[edit | edit source]

Taxation[edit | edit source]

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

See also How to order Utah Vital Records or download an application for Utah Birth Certificate, Marriage or Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Applications to mail.

Birth[edit | edit source]
Below are the best sources to find birth information (dates and places of birth and names of parents) for Washington County, Utah Genealogy. Also available: How to Find Birth Information in Utah.
Follow the suggestions under the year span that matches when your ancestor was born:
Birth before 1852[edit | edit source]
Washington County, Utah Genealogy was formed on 3 March 1852.

      If your records show the person was born here before the county was formed,
      search parent counties

Tip
 Before county formation, go to Utah Censuses to locate the family around the time of birth.


Birth 1852 - 1897[edit | edit source]
No birth records were created for Washington County, Utah Genealogy by either by county or state civil authorities in this time period.
Follow these suggestions to find birth information for this time period:
Birth 1898 - present[edit | edit source]
County clerks became responsible for recording births beginning in 1898. In 1905, the State Department of Health assumed responsibility and required the counties to forward copies of the records to them.
Tip
 It took a few years after the requirements for people, doctors, midwives, and officials to comply, so some early birth registrations were missed.


Records open to the public
Birth records created more than 100 years ago State Department of Health Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates page. are open to the public.
  • 1898 - 1905 - Inventory of originals, Series #3166 at Utah State Archives. Not online, no online index. There are no names of children in the records.
    • FamilySearch Library copy: FSL film 1730426 .
    • Idea: use censuses and church records to learn those missing children's names.
Restricted records
Access to official birth records within 100 years is restricted to those who meet certain requirements. Order copies:
  • Office of Vital Records and Statistics, 288 North 1460 West, Salt Lake City, Utah, Phone: (801) 538-6105. How to order online, by mail, or in person.
____________________
Marriage[edit | edit source]


Divorce[edit | edit source]

Divorce records give the names of the parties and may give the date and place of their marriage. See Utah Vital Records for excellent information.

Death[edit | edit source]
  • 1904-1964 - Utah Death Certificates, 1904-1964 at FamilySearch — index and images . Utah requires a death certificate before a burial is completed. A death certificate may contain information as to the name of the deceased, date of death, and place of death, as well as the age, birth date, parents, gender, marital status, spouse and place of residence.
  • Pre-1904 - Utah State Burial Data Base This site includes information on many Utah residents, who died before 1904.

Voting Registers[edit | edit source]

Websites[edit | edit source]

Links to indexes or images of records:

Links to Washington County, Utah Genealogy collections:

Sites that gather links to the Internet

  • Linkpendium
  • CyndisList

Archives, Libraries, etc.[edit | edit source]

Resources for Washington County, Utah Genealogy are available in repositories (such as libraries and archives) at all levels: the town, the county, the state (including universities), and the nation.


See these headings for Washington County, Utah Genealogy details: Courthouse · FamilySearch Centers · Libraries · Societies

Courthouse[edit | edit source]

87 North 200 East, 3rd Floor
St. George, Utah 84770
p: (435) 634-5728
f: (435) 656-3003


County Clerk/Auditor

Washington County Utah
197 East Tabernacle
St. George, UT 84770
Clerk/Auditor's phone (435) 634-5712

County Seat: St. George

FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]

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.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Local public libraries usually have histories, genealogies, indexes of cemeteries, copies of local newspapers, or other records for the area they serve. Many libraries in Utah have an area dedicated to local collections and manuscripts.

  • Washington County Library (Administration / St. George / 8 branches); 88 W 100 S, Saint George, Utah 84770. Phone: 435-634-5737. Fax: 435-634-5741.
    • Collections:

See also Utah Public Library Directory, which provides links to library web pages, addresses, phone numbers, hours, and maps. Does not mention holdings.

Societies[edit | edit source]

Utah Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies

Washington County Historical Society
Website

Towns and Communities[edit | edit source]

Cities[edit | edit source]

Enterprise | Hildale | Hurricane | Ivins | La Verkin | Santa Clara | St. George | Washington

Towns[edit | edit source]

Apple Valley | Leeds | New Harmony | Pintura | Rockville | Springdale | Toquerville | Virgin

Unincorporated Communities[edit | edit source]

Central | Dammeron Valley | Gunlock | Pine Valley | Veyo

Ghost Towns[edit | edit source]

Duncan's Retreat | Grafton | Hamblin | Harrisburg | Hebron | Little Pinto | Silver Reef

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Washington, Utah" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_Utah accessed 5 Dec 2018
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Washington County, Utah Page 688 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Washington County, Utah . Page 686-688 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 676-677.
  4. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Washington County, Utah," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_Utah, accessed 17 February 2019.
  5. ↑ Alder, Douglas D. and Karl R. Brooks. A History of Washington County from Isolation to Destination. (Washington County, Utah: Utah State Historical Society, Washington County Commission, 1996), 299.
  6. ↑ Funeral Home and Cemetery Directory.(Youngstown, OH: Nomis Publications, Inc., c2009,937.
  7. ↑ Funeral Home and Cemetery Directory.(Youngstown, OH: Nomis Publications, Inc., c2009,939.
  8. ↑ Funeral Home and Cemetery Directory.(Youngstown, OH: Nomis Publications, Inc., c2009,939.
  9. ↑ Funeral Home and Cemetery Directory.(Youngstown, OH: Nomis Publications, Inc., c2009,939.
  10. ↑ "The Pioneer Story: The Mormon Pioneer Trail" in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/pioneer-trek (accessed 18 July 2011).
  11. ↑ "Jefferson Hunt" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Hunt (accessed 6 September 2011).
  12. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Union Pacific Railroad" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_Railroad (accessed 14 September 2011).
  13. ↑ "Washington County, Utah: Family History and Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records and More," Linkpendium, http://www.linkpendium.com/genealogy/USA/UT/Washington/, accessed 1 February 2012.
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