Find Genealogy Records in Tumwater
Tumwater genealogy records are maintained through Thurston County and the Washington State Archives Southwest Regional Branch in Olympia. Tumwater is one of the oldest American settlements in Washington, founded in 1845 as New Market and incorporated in 1869. That age means records here can go back further than most Washington cities. Birth and death records before July 1907 are at the county level, marriage records run from 1877 forward, and court records including probate and divorce cases begin in 1852. Researchers can search many of these collections online through the Washington State Digital Archives or visit the Southwest Regional Branch in person.
Tumwater Overview
Tumwater Vital Records Search
Vital records for Tumwater residents fall under Thurston County's jurisdiction. The county auditor holds birth and death records from 1891-1907 and marriage records from 1877. On July 1, 1907, the state assumed responsibility for vital records registration. The Washington State Department of Health now maintains birth and death certificates from 1907 to the present.
Thurston County has a strong set of online vital record collections through the Washington State Digital Archives. Birth records available include the 1891-1907 Thurston County Auditor Birth Register and Birth Returns, both with index and images. Marriage records cover several date ranges: the 1852-1857 Thurston County First Record Book; 1891-1898 and 1970-2022 Thurston County Auditor Marriage Records; and 1927-1950 Thurston County Auditor Marriage Certificates. Death records include the 1891-1907 Thurston County Auditor Death Records collection. All of these are searchable through digitalarchives.wa.gov.
For marriage records, the county auditor has records from 1844 to the present. The 1844 date reflects territorial-era marriages before the county formally organized. Most researchers find the auditor's office at 3000 Pacific Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501, phone (360) 786-5224. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, with a later opening at 9:00 am on the first Wednesday of each month.
Divorce records are held by the Thurston County Clerk. For historical cases, FamilySearch holds an index and images of 1889-1952 Divorce Case Files.
Tumwater City Clerk Records
The City of Tumwater maintains city council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and public records through the City Clerk. The city's website at ci.tumwater.wa.us connects researchers to the clerk's office for public records requests. Because Tumwater was incorporated in 1869, it has a deep collection of municipal records for a Washington city.
City-level records are most useful when you need to trace property ownership, building permits, business licenses, or local election involvement for a family member who lived in Tumwater. These records sit alongside county records and can help verify addresses, dates, and occupations that appear in vital records or census materials.
The screenshot below was taken from the Washington State Digital Archives Tumwater collection page.
The Digital Archives holds Tumwater and Thurston County collections covering vital records, land documents, and other genealogical materials dating to the territorial period.
A second screenshot below, from the City of Tumwater's official website, shows the city's public-facing records portal.
Researchers can submit public records requests through the city for any municipal documents not already available online.
Washington State Archives: Southwest Branch
The Washington State Archives Southwest Regional Branch is located at 1129 Washington Street SE in Olympia, just a short distance from Tumwater. This branch serves Thurston County along with Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Skamania, and Wahkiakum counties. Local government records here include those from county auditors, clerks, treasurers, boards of commissioners, municipalities, school districts, and service districts.
The branch is open for in-person research by appointment, Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, excluding state holidays. There is no charge to view public archival documents; fees apply for copies and special research services. Contact the branch at (360) 753-1684 or swbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov to schedule a visit or ask about available records.
Records at this branch that are useful for Tumwater genealogy include naturalization records (1849-1974), Thurston County probate records (1853-1970), school district records, and 1901-1912 Olympia Funeral Records. The RootsWeb Thurston County page at rootsweb.com/~wasgs/thurston.htm lists a full inventory of what the Southwest Branch holds.
Note: Parking at the Archives building is limited to three free spaces in front of the building, with additional paid parking at the nearby Department of Natural Resources lot.
Land and Court Records for Tumwater
Land records for Thurston County are some of the oldest in Washington. Real property records run from 1852 to the present at the Thurston County Auditor's office. Online indexes through the Digital Archives include the 1852-1857 Thurston County First Record Book, 1855-2022 Thurston County Auditor Plats and Surveys, 1900-2022 Thurston County Auditor Recorded Land Records, and 1979-2022 Thurston County Auditor Recorded Agreements and Contracts.
Court records begin in 1852 at Thurston County. Probate records from 1853-1970 and their indexes from 1887-1949 were filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah. For researchers looking at naturalization records, Thurston County has an unusually complete set: declarations of intention run from 1849-1974; the county also holds depositions, naturalization case files, naturalization correspondence, petitions, and repatriation oaths. These are at the Southwest Branch Archives and partially on FamilySearch as 1834-1974 Thurston County Naturalization Records.
Military discharge records are at the Thurston County Auditor's office. School records from 1899-1932 (Thurston County Historical School Districts, Registers and Censuses) are available through the Digital Archives. Researchers looking at the late 19th and early 20th centuries can also consult R.L. Polk and Co. Olympia and Thurston County Directories from 1902-1903, 1906, and 1909, also available through the Digital Archives.
Washington State Resources for Tumwater Research
The Washington State Department of Health at doh.wa.gov holds birth and death certificates from July 1, 1907 to the present and marriage and divorce records from January 1968 forward. Certified copies cost $25 per certificate. The FamilySearch Wiki page for Thurston County, Washington Genealogy provides a thorough overview of all available collections and their date ranges.
The Washington State Library's genealogy guide at washstatelib.libguides.com/genealogy points to statewide newspaper archives, city directories, and research guides. The Library of Congress Washington State guide at guides.loc.gov/washington-state-guides covers the full scope of federal and state resources for Washington research. The Washington State Genealogical Society at wasgs.org also provides county-level resource listings.
Thurston County Genealogy Records
Tumwater is in Thurston County, and most genealogical records for city residents are held at the county level. The Thurston County page covers vital records, land records, court records, and local resource details in full.
Nearby Cities
These cities are close to Tumwater. Each has its own records page with local genealogy resources.