Moses Lake Genealogy Records
Moses Lake genealogy research draws on Grant County records, Washington State Archives collections, and the City of Moses Lake's own municipal documents. The city was incorporated in 1938 and sits in the heart of Grant County in central Washington. If you are tracing family history connected to Moses Lake, you will find vital records, land documents, marriage certificates, and court filings spread across several offices and digital databases. This guide points you to the right resources for each record type and explains how to access them in person or online.
Moses Lake Overview
Moses Lake Genealogy in Grant County
Moses Lake lies in Grant County, which was created from Douglas County on February 24, 1909, and named for President Ulysses S. Grant. The county seat is Ephrata. All vital records and court filings for the Moses Lake area run through Grant County offices. The County Auditor holds marriage records and land documents, while the County Clerk maintains divorce, probate, and court case files. Both are located at the Grant County Courthouse in Ephrata.
The Grant County Auditor holds marriage records starting in 1909. A large collection of these records, covering 1909 to 2003, is searchable at no cost through the Washington State Digital Archives. The database includes 23,854 records and lets you search by groom or bride name, marriage year range, and Soundex. For marriage records after 2003, contact the Auditor's Recording Division directly. The Grant County Recorder Office is at PO Box 37, Ephrata, WA 98823, phone 509-754-2011 x336.
Divorce records for the Moses Lake area are held by the Grant County Clerk and are also available from the state Center for Health Statistics. The Grant County District Court serving Moses Lake is at 1525 East Wheeler Road, Moses Lake, WA 98837, phone (509) 765-9209. If you need court case files or certified copies of divorce decrees, that office is your primary contact.
Moses Lake Birth and Death Records
For genealogy purposes, vital records in the Moses Lake area fall into two main time periods. Records from before July 1907 were kept by the county auditor. After that date, the state took over registration. This matters when you decide where to search.
For birth records, the FamilySearch Wiki for Grant County points to Washington County Birth Registers at FamilySearch, which include birth register indexes from 1891 to 1907 and birth returns from the same period. The county Health District in Ephrata provides copies of birth and death records for events since 1921. For records from 1907 to 1921, contact the Washington State Center for Health Statistics in Olympia.
Death records follow a similar split. Pre-1907 death records were filed with the county auditor. The Washington State Department of Health Death Certificates (1907-1997) and Death Index covering 1907-1960 and 1965-2020 are available through the Digital Archives. These are searchable online and free to use as an index, though certified copies require a formal request.
Note: The county Health District in Ephrata handles birth and death records for events in Grant County since 1921; for older records, use the Washington State Archives Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg.
Digital Archives for Moses Lake Genealogy
The Washington State Digital Archives is the best starting point for Moses Lake genealogy research online. It hosts free, searchable collections for Grant County and many surrounding areas. You can access marriage records, birth and death registers, land indexes, and other historical documents from your home computer.
For Grant County marriage records from 1909 to 2003, the Digital Archives database is the primary online source. The search interface lets you look by last name, first name, and year range. Soundex matching helps when spelling of a name varied over generations. This is particularly useful for Moses Lake families, since the city grew quickly after World War II when the Columbia Basin Project brought irrigation water to the region, drawing settlers from across the country.
The Washington State Archives Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg serves Grant County and holds genealogical records including birth and death registers from the turn of the nineteenth century, marriage records from about 1867 to 1997, naturalization records, and probate records. The branch is at 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926. The phone number is (509) 963-2136. Researchers making the trip from Moses Lake are encouraged to call ahead and confirm access to the specific records they need.
The Washington State Digital Archives hosts searchable collections for Grant County vital records going back to the early twentieth century, including the Moses Lake area.
Moses Lake City Records
The City of Moses Lake maintains its own records through the City Clerk's office. These municipal records include city council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and public records from the city's incorporation in 1938 onward. If you are researching a family member who was involved in city government, owned property within city limits, or had dealings with city departments, the City Clerk is your contact.
City records serve a different purpose than county genealogy records. They document local governance and municipal decisions, not vital events like births and marriages. That said, city annexation records, zoning files, and building permits can help genealogists place an ancestor in a specific neighborhood or time period. The Moses Lake City Clerk processes public records requests under Washington State's Public Records Act.
State Genealogy Resources for Moses Lake
Several statewide resources help fill gaps in local Grant County research. The Washington State Library genealogy guide lists resources available on site in Olympia, including the Ancestry Library Edition with U.S. census indexes and immigration records, the Washington Pioneers multi-volume set, and early vital records on microfilm. These resources are free to use in person at the library.
The Washington Secretary of State's genealogy page connects researchers to the Digital Archives and the State Archives branches. The Digital Archives site at digitalarchives.wa.gov is the best free online portal for Washington family history. The FamilySearch Washington State Genealogy Wiki provides a thorough county-by-county research guide with links to digitized collections.
For naturalization records related to Moses Lake area families, the Central Regional Branch holds such records for Grant County and neighboring counties. Naturalization records can reveal a great deal about immigrant ancestors, including country of origin, arrival date, and prior names. The branch staff can help you determine whether specific naturalization records exist for the time and place you are researching.
The Washington Rural Heritage digital collection includes photographs, newspapers, and historical materials from rural communities across the state. This is useful for Moses Lake because the community's rapid growth in the mid-twentieth century generated a lot of photographic and newspaper documentation. Rural Heritage items can help you identify family members in community photographs or confirm residence dates.
Grant County Genealogy Records
Moses Lake is in Grant County, and all major genealogy record collections for this area are held at the county level. The Grant County Courthouse in Ephrata is where the Auditor and Clerk maintain their records. For digitized collections, the Washington State Digital Archives and the Central Regional Branch in Ellensburg are the key sources. Visit the Grant County genealogy records page for a full breakdown of available collections, digital access points, and contact details.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Moses Lake and file genealogy records through their respective county court systems.