Graham, Washington Genealogy Records
Graham is an unincorporated community in Pierce County, and genealogy research here runs through county-level offices rather than a city government. If you need to find birth, death, marriage, land, or court records tied to Graham families, Pierce County holds the key resources. The Washington State Digital Archives also hosts a large collection of pre-1907 vital records for Pierce County that researchers can search at no cost online. This guide walks you through the main sources and what each one holds.
Graham Overview
Pierce County Records for Graham
Because Graham has no city government, all public records flow through Pierce County. The Pierce County Auditor records and preserves documents affecting real property, including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and plat maps. The Auditor also issues marriage licenses and maintains marriage records. If you need certified copies of recorded documents or marriage certificates, the Auditor's office can provide them for a fee.
The Pierce County Clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records going back to 1890. Those records are a core part of genealogy work for families in the Graham area. Researchers tracing ancestors who lived in this part of Pierce County will find that the Clerk's office is the place to look for civil case files, estate records, and dissolution documents.
The FamilySearch Wiki for Pierce County provides a solid starting point. It outlines what records survive, where they are held, and which have been digitized. Pierce County was created on December 22, 1852, from Thurston County, with Tacoma as the county seat. The wiki notes that court records date from 1890 and adoption records are also held by the Clerk.
| Office | Pierce County Auditor |
|---|---|
| Website | piercecountywa.gov/Auditor |
| Records Held | Land records, marriage licenses, recorded documents |
| County Seat | Tacoma, WA |
Pierce County Vital Records Online
The Washington State Digital Archives hosts several Pierce County collections that are free to search. These cover the period when county auditors were responsible for recording births, deaths, and marriages before the state took over in 1907. For Graham genealogy research, these online records are often the first place to look.
The Pierce County Auditor Birth Records, 1891-1907 include index and images of birth returns filed with the county auditor during that period. The records were imaged by the Genealogical Society of Utah and indexed by the Eastern Regional Branch. You can search by parent names or child name. For death records, the Pierce County Death Records, 1892-1907 follow the same format with full images available. Death certificates from 1907 onward are also accessible through the Digital Archives via the state-level Department of Health collections.
Marriage records are a strong suit for Pierce County. The Pierce County Auditor Marriage Records, 1876-1947 and 1984-2025 cover two major spans in county history. These records were digitized by the Genealogical Society of Utah and indexed by staff and volunteers at the Puget Sound Regional Branch. County courthouse records for Pierce date from 1852, giving researchers access to over 170 years of marriage documentation. Note: for marriages between 1947 and 1984, you may need to contact the Pierce County Auditor or the Washington State Archives directly.
Graham Area Research Resources
The Pierce County government website connects researchers to multiple departments that hold records relevant to Graham families. The site provides access to the Auditor, Clerk, Assessor-Treasurer, and other offices that maintain public records for the unincorporated portions of the county.
Pierce County's website is the primary gateway for Graham residents and researchers seeking public records, land use decisions, and historical documents tied to this community.
Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society
The Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society maintains special collections that directly benefit Graham researchers. The society holds an online index to Pierce County records published in "The Researcher" from 1969 to 2013. That index covers records from bibles, cemeteries, census returns, churches, courts, funeral homes, land records, military files, naturalizations, probate abstracts, schools, taxes, vital records, voter registration, Washington pioneers, and other miscellaneous documents.
Graham is specifically listed in the society's service area, along with Tacoma, Ruston, University Place, Lakewood, DuPont, Roy, Parkland, Spanaway, Elk Plain, Sumner, Prairie Ridge, Carbonado, Buckley, South Hill, Puyallup, Bonney Lake, Orting, and Fairfax. The society offers research services, copies of obituaries for a fee, and published local genealogical resources for sale. Their indexes of cemeteries, schools, and veterans' graves in Pierce County are a useful supplement to official county records.
Note: The society's publications and service offerings are a good next step after you have exhausted the online digital archives collections.
Washington State Archives: Puget Sound Branch
The Washington State Archives Puget Sound Regional Branch holds original Pierce County records that have been transferred for long-term preservation. This includes birth and death records from 1891 to 1907, marriage records, court records including naturalization files, land records, and county commissioner proceedings. The branch serves Pierce County along with King, Kitsap, Mason, and Thurston counties.
For Graham genealogy, the Puget Sound Branch is especially useful if you need records that are not available online or if you want to examine original documents rather than digital images. Contact the branch at (425) 564-3940 or email psbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. There is no charge to view public archival documents in person; fees apply for copies.
Researchers can also check the Washington State Library Death Vital Records Guide for early Pierce County death records. The State Library holds some early registers in its microfilm collection that predate the digital archives.
Land and Property Records in Graham
Land records are often the backbone of genealogy research, especially for unincorporated communities like Graham where families have farmed and owned property for generations. The Pierce County Auditor records all real property documents including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, covenants, plat maps, and surveys. Certified copies of recorded documents are available for a fee from the Auditor's office.
Online land record indexes for Pierce County at the Washington State Digital Archives include Plats and Surveys (1973; 1984-2023) and Recorded Land Records (1984-2023). For older land transactions, researchers should contact the Pierce County Auditor or the Washington State Archives Puget Sound Regional Branch. The FamilySearch Wiki for Pierce County also lists available online land record indexes.
Property tax records held by the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer can also help establish when a family owned land and what they held. These records are useful for confirming family relationships and tracing property transfers between generations.
Note: For chain-of-title research going back to the 19th century, the Puget Sound Regional Branch is your best resource for original deeds and transaction records predating online indexes.
Court and Probate Records
Court and probate records are held by the Pierce County Clerk. Probate files often contain wills, inventories of estates, guardianship records, and family correspondence that can be invaluable to genealogists. The county clerk also holds civil and criminal court records, naturalization records, and divorce case files from 1890 onward.
The FamilySearch Wiki notes that adoption records for Pierce County are also held by the Clerk. Access to sealed adoption records may require a court order, but non-identifying information is sometimes available without one.
For naturalization records in Pierce County, the Washington State Archives holds historical files. Naturalization records before 1906 often contain the nation of origin, former names, and date of arrival — details that can help link a U.S. family line back to ancestors in other countries. After 1906, naturalization became a federal process, and records shifted to federal court files.
Pierce County Genealogy Records
Graham is part of Pierce County, and all genealogy records for the area flow through county-level offices. The Pierce County page covers the full range of resources available, from vital records to land documents and court files.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Graham. Each has its own genealogy resources through Pierce County and surrounding counties.