Ferry County Genealogy and Ancestry Records

Ferry County genealogy records go back to 1899 when the county was created from Stevens County, and researchers can access birth, death, marriage, land, probate, and court records through the County Auditor and Superior Court Clerk in Republic. The Washington State Eastern Regional Archives and the Northeast Washington Genealogical Society are the main off-site resources for Ferry County family history. This guide covers where records are held, what is available online through the Digital Archives, and how to reach the local offices and genealogical organizations that serve this rural northeastern Washington county.

Ferry County Auditor Records

The Ferry County Auditor's office maintains recorded documents, land records, and vital records for the county. Birth and death records from 1898 to 1911 and marriage records from 1898 are part of the auditor's holdings. The Recording Department handles all recorded documents including deeds, mortgages, liens, and other land-related filings that are useful for tracking family property over time.

The Ferry County Auditor's office is located at 350 E Delaware Avenue, Republic, WA 99166. You can reach them at (509) 775-5225 extension 1400. To request a copy of a document, you can email the office at records@co.ferry.wa.us or use the request form at the Ferry County Auditor's Recording Department website. Birth and death certificates for events in unincorporated Ferry County are also available through the Northeast Tri-County Health District.

The Ferry County government website provides contact information and access to county department resources useful for genealogy research.

The county auditor's office in Republic is a key stop for any researcher working on Ferry County family history, especially for early land and vital records.

Ferry County Genealogy at the Digital Archives

The Washington State Digital Archives holds Ferry County records that you can search for free online. The most notable collection is the Ferry County Auditor Death Register 1899-1902. This index of the death register filed with the county auditor covers the earliest years of the county's existence and contains 124 records, some running past 1902. The records were sourced from the Eastern Regional Archives Historic Records Project.

Ferry County was created in 1899 from Stevens County and is named after Washington State's first governor, Elisha P. Ferry. For birth records, the Digital Archives holds the Ferry County Auditor Birth Records from 1891 to 1907. Marriage records from 1900 to 1999 are also available through the Digital Archives. These cover nearly a century of marriages filed in the county and are searchable by name and year.

The Ferry County Auditor's Recording Department provides additional guidance on accessing land and recorded documents.

The Digital Archives is the most efficient way to begin Ferry County genealogy research before planning a trip to Republic or contacting the county offices directly.

For more information about Digital Archives Ferry County collections, contact the Washington State Archives Eastern Region Branch at (509) 235-7508 or eabrancharchives@sos.wa.gov.

Eastern Regional Archives and Ferry County

The Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch in Cheney serves Ferry County and holds records transferred from county offices over time. This is the go-to physical repository for historical Ferry County records including birth and death registers, marriage documents, naturalization files, probate records, and land records that have been moved out of the courthouse in Republic. Staff can help researchers identify what Ferry County holdings are available and whether specific records have been transferred.

You can reach the Eastern Regional Branch at (509) 235-7508 or by email at eabrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. In-person visits should be arranged in advance. The branch handles records for Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Lincoln, Whitman, Adams, and Garfield counties, so staff are experienced with northeastern Washington genealogy research.

The Ferry County death register at the Digital Archives was sourced from the Eastern Regional Archives Historic Records Project, which digitized early death records across multiple northeastern Washington counties.

For researchers who cannot visit Cheney in person, the Eastern Branch welcomes remote research requests by phone and email.

Ferry County Clerk and Court Records

The Ferry County Superior Court Clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records from 1899. Divorce decrees are maintained by the clerk's office and must be requested through the Clerk of Court. You can reach that office at (509) 775-5225 extension 1402. Probate records from the county clerk are especially useful for genealogy because they often list heirs, identify family relationships, and include inventories of property that give you a snapshot of a family's circumstances at the time of death.

Known record start dates for Ferry County are: births from 1899, marriages from 1900, deaths from 1891, court records from 1899, land from 1898, and probate from 1899. The death records beginning in 1891 predate the county's formation in 1899, which reflects that some early events in what became Ferry County were recorded under Stevens County before the split. Researchers should check Stevens County records for deaths before 1899.

Note: The Ferry County Superior Court Clerk office is at 350 E Delaware Avenue, Republic, WA 99166. Confirm current hours before visiting.

Ferry County Cemetery and Local Genealogy Resources

Ferry County has several cemetery transcription records available online through the Digital Archives and the FamilySearch Wiki. Garden Valley Cemetery records from 1890 to 1950, Kewa Cemetery from 1938 to 2001, and Covington Cemetery records predating 1940 are listed in the FamilySearch Wiki for Ferry County, Washington. Cemetery records are important because they often record people not found in vital records, particularly in rural counties like Ferry where early deaths went unregistered.

The Republic Community Library at 794 S. Clark Avenue, Republic, WA 99166 (phone 509-775-3328) serves as a local resource for Ferry County history and genealogy. Local libraries often hold unique collections including local histories, newspapers, and family files not available anywhere else. The Kettle River East Library at 5th And C Street, Orient, WA 99160 (phone 509-738-3033) is a branch serving the eastern part of the county. Both are worth contacting before assuming a record doesn't exist.

The Colville Indian Reservation spans parts of southern Ferry County and southern Okanogan County. For researchers with Native ancestry or ancestors who interacted with reservation communities, records may exist through tribal offices, Bureau of Indian Affairs files, or federal repositories in addition to the standard county-level sources.

Northeast Washington Genealogical Society

The Northeast Washington Genealogical Society (NeWGS) includes Ferry County in its research area along with Stevens and Pend Oreille counties. The society has published a Basic Guide for Genealogy Research in Stevens, Ferry and Pend Oreille Counties, which is a practical tool for researchers new to the region. NeWGS holds cemetery records, local histories, census transcriptions, and other genealogical materials for northeastern Washington.

The society may also have information on obtaining records from the Colville Indian Reservation, which covers parts of Ferry and Okanogan counties. If you are researching families with ties to that area, NeWGS is a good starting point before reaching out to tribal or federal repositories. The illustrated History of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan Counties, published in 1904, is another resource listed in the FamilySearch Wiki and may be held by NeWGS or local libraries.

Communities in Ferry County

Ferry County is a rural county in northeastern Washington. Republic is the county seat and largest community. Other towns include Curlew, Danville, Malo, Orient, and Inchelium.

No cities in Ferry County currently meet the population threshold for dedicated city pages on this site. All genealogy records for events in the county are held at the county offices in Republic or through the Eastern Regional Archives in Cheney.

Nearby Counties

Ferry County borders Okanogan and Stevens counties. For ancestors who lived near those lines, check records in both counties.