Yakima Genealogy Records
Yakima is the county seat of Yakima County and the central point for genealogy records in the Yakima Valley. Records for Yakima families are held by the Yakima County Auditor and Clerk, the Washington State Digital Archives, and the Washington State Archives Central Regional Branch. Many county clerk records were lost in the 1908 courthouse fire, so researchers often need to use multiple sources to fill gaps. This page covers what survived and where to find it.
Yakima Overview
Yakima County Auditor Records
The Yakima County Auditor holds birth records from 1891 to 1907, marriage records from 1880 to the present, death records from 1896 to 1907, and land records from 1882. The auditor's office is also the custodian for military discharge records from 1882 to the present. The county website at yakimawa.gov has contact details for city services, while county offices are accessed through the Yakima County government website.
Marriage records beginning in 1877 are among the oldest records in the county. Known beginning dates for county records are: birth 1890, marriage 1877, death 1896, court 1882, land 1882, probate 1874, and census 1850. Yakima County was created from Klickitat and Walla Walla counties on January 21, 1865. There was no courthouse disaster affecting the auditor's records, though many clerk records were lost in the 1908 fire.
| County | Yakima County |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Yakima, WA |
| Marriage Records | 1877 to present |
| Birth Records | 1891 to 1907 |
| Death Records | 1896 to 1907 |
| Land Records | From 1882 |
| Military Discharge | 1882 to present |
The image below is from the City of Yakima's official website, where the City Clerk handles public records requests for municipal records including city council minutes, ordinances, and resolutions going back to 1886.
The city clerk's office processes requests under the Washington Public Records Act and holds historical municipal records from incorporation onward.
The 1908 Courthouse Fire
In 1908, a fire at the Yakima County Courthouse destroyed many County Clerk records. The RootsWeb Washington State Genealogical Society source notes that older records were partially destroyed, with many docket books lost. Some records were salvaged. If you are looking for court or probate records from before 1908, expect gaps.
The Central Branch Archives in Ellensburg holds some Yakima County records that survived the fire. For court records, the branch holds Civil, Criminal, and Probate case files from Superior Courts from approximately 1889 to 1980. That means some early Yakima records may have been transferred to the archives before the fire, or were reconstructed afterward. Contacting the Central Branch at (509) 963-2136 before searching is a good way to find out what they actually have for your time period.
The auditor's records were not affected by the 1908 fire. So birth returns, marriage records, death records, and land records held by the auditor came through intact. The main gaps are in court-generated records such as divorce decrees, probate filings, and civil case files from before the fire.
Note: Researchers searching for pre-1908 Yakima court records should also check the Washington State Archives Central Branch, which may hold transferred copies of some records that no longer exist at the county level.
Yakima Records at the Digital Archives
The Washington State Digital Archives has indexed and imaged several Yakima County record collections. Birth returns from 1891 to 1907 are available online. Marriage records from 1896 to 2008 are fully searchable by name. Death records from 1896 to 1907 are also online. For land records, plats and surveys from 1979 and 1993 to 2008 are available, along with recorded land records from 1993 to 2008.
The FamilySearch wiki for Yakima County, Washington Genealogy is a thorough guide to all available collections. It lists naturalization records from 1882 to 1907 and 1973 to 1980, school records from 1894 to 1925, and a Militia List from 1889 to 1898 as additional sources beyond the basic vital records.
The Washington Genealogy website at washingtongenealogy.com/vital provides a good overview of which county office holds each record type based on date. It confirms that many Yakima County Clerk records were lost in the 1908 courthouse fire and notes that researchers should contact the county auditor for birth records from 1891 to 1907 and death records from 1896 to 1907.
The image below is from a Washington State Digital Archives collection that covers Yakima County genealogy records including marriage records from the late 1800s forward.
These digitized records let researchers access original document images from home without a fee or an in-person visit to the county or state archives.
Yakima Valley Genealogical Society
The Yakima Valley Genealogical Society is a major local resource for Yakima genealogy research. The society has a large collection of obituaries starting from 1860 covering counties in and around Yakima. The collection is being put online in stages; for now you can contact the society directly at 509-248-1328 or yvgs1901@gmail.com. Staff and volunteers are willing to do record lookups for researchers who cannot visit in person.
The society is located at 1901 S 12th Avenue, Union Gap, WA 98903-1256. Union Gap is just south of Yakima city. The society library holds births at Memorial Hospital from February through May 1994, cemetery records of Yakima County from 1968 to 1973, Holland Cemetery records, Cowiche Natchez Cemetery records, school annuals from local high schools, and the O.L. Janeck Ledger with drugstore charge accounts from 12 volumes. Those local collections are not available anywhere else.
The Central Branch Archives holds an extensive set of Yakima marriage records beyond what the county auditor holds. These include marriage affidavit records in 42 volumes, marriage application certificate records from 1941 to 1947, marriage certificates from 1891 to 1992, marriage license applications from 1939 to 1993, marriage registers from 1904 to 1944, marriage returns records from 1897 to 1940, and Native American marriage certificates from 1956 to 1962. That is a much deeper set of marriage materials than most counties in Washington offer.
Land, Probate, and Naturalization Records
Land records in Yakima County go back to 1882. The Central Branch Archives holds an extensive collection of older land and property records including a book of patents from 1887 to 1915, deeds from 1882 to 1968, index to plats from 1878 to 1938, and general index records from 1880 to 1976. That general index covers real estate, power of attorney, mortgages, judgments, mining claims, miscellaneous records, lien records, official records, original plats, state road file, water rights applications, and water rights records.
Water rights records from 1897 to 1968 are particularly interesting for Yakima Valley genealogy research. The valley's agricultural development depended on irrigation, and water rights filings often name landowners, their neighbors, and the extent of their farming operations. For families who were orchard growers or farmers in the Yakima area, water rights records can add substantial detail to a family history.
Naturalization records from 1882 to 1907 and 1973 to 1980 are at the Washington State Archives. The Central Regional Branch at 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926-7547 is the repository for these and many other Yakima County collections. Researchers can contact the branch at (509) 963-2136 or CEBranchArchives@sos.wa.gov to plan a visit or request information by mail or email.
Yakima County Genealogy Records
Yakima city is the county seat of Yakima County. Most vital records, land records, and court records for the city are held at the county level. The county page covers all available record types, office contacts, the impact of the 1908 fire, and links to all online collections.
Nearby Cities
These Washington cities are near Yakima. Each files genealogy records through its own county system.