Grays Harbor County Genealogy

Grays Harbor County holds genealogy records stretching back to the mid-1800s, including birth registers, death records, marriage certificates, probate files, and an unusually rich set of court and auditor records. The county was originally formed in 1854 as Chehalis County and renamed in 1915. Its records are held at the courthouse in Montesano and at the Washington State Archives Southwest Regional Branch. If you are searching for family history in this part of western Washington, this guide covers the key sources and how to access them.

Grays Harbor County Courthouse and Records Offices

The Grays Harbor County Courthouse is located at 102 West Broadway, Montesano, WA 98563. The main phone number is (360) 249-3441. The County Clerk holds probate, divorce, and court records from 1860. The County Auditor has marriage records from 1891, along with birth records from 1864 to 1907. The County Assessor has land records from 1855, and the County Health Department holds birth and death records under its own system.

Grays Harbor County was created from Lewis and Thurston counties on April 14, 1854, under its original name of Chehalis County. The name was changed to Grays Harbor County on March 15, 1915. The county seat has always been Montesano. For genealogy research purposes, the older name matters when searching indexes and catalogs that list county records by their original designation.

The Washington State Archives Southwest Regional Branch serves Grays Harbor County researchers. The branch is at 1120 Washington Street SE, Olympia, WA 98504. You can reach them at (360) 753-1684 or email swbrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. They hold a wide range of transferred county records going back to the 1850s and can assist with on-site research visits.

Note: When searching older catalogs, look for records under both Chehalis County and Grays Harbor County to make sure you do not miss early holdings.

Grays Harbor County Birth Records

The Washington State Digital Archives holds birth records from the Grays Harbor County Auditor, 1864-1907. This collection contains 2,899 records with both index entries and scanned images. The database was transcribed by Historical Records Project volunteers Kathy Lester of Shelton and Carol Blood of Hoquiam. Searches can be done by mother's name, father's name, or the child's name. The mother's last name in these records reflects her maiden name.

The records are free to search and open for research. Soundex search is available to help catch spelling variations that were common in early vital registration. The collection is notable for including some records as early as 1864, well before the 1891 start date typical for most counties. Statewide registration did not begin until 1907, so these early county-level records are the only source for births in that period.

For birth records from 1907 onward, contact the Washington State Department of Health. Access restrictions apply to recent records to protect privacy.

Southwest Regional Archives Holdings

The Southwest Regional Archives holds one of the most detailed sets of Grays Harbor County genealogy materials in the state. The archival holdings from 1855 to 1996 span nearly every county office. Auditor records include Articles of Incorporation with Index from 1883 to 1981, Birth Records with Index from 1891 to 1931, Burial Permits from 1908 to 1979, Chattel Mortgages with Index from 1885 to 1978, Coroner Documentation from 1905 to 1925, Death Records from 1891 to 1958, Deeds from 1855 to 1967, Delayed Births from 1942 to 1953, Military Discharges from 1919 to 1976, Marriages from 1871 to 1994, Mining Claims from 1881 to 1975, Mortgages from 1861 to 1980, and Voter Registration and Poll Books from 1900 to 1994.

Clerk records at the Southwest Regional Archives include Civil Appearance Dockets and Index from 1884 to 1981, Civil Case Files from 1884 to 1891, Guardianship and Administrator Bonds from 1891 to 1956, Judgments with Indexing from 1886 to 1980, Letters of Administration from 1885 to 1971, Naturalizations from 1884 to 1980, Probate Case Files from 1872 to 1984, Probate Journals from 1855 to 1959, and Wills with Index from 1860 to 1959. The scope of these holdings makes the Southwest Branch a critical stop for anyone with deep Grays Harbor ancestry.

Human Services records at the branch include the Aberdeen Death Register from 1890 to 1912, Birth Certifications from 1882 to 1979, and Death Certifications from 1907 to 1979. The Aberdeen records are separate from the county auditor series and may cover individuals not found in other indexes.

Note: The Southwest Regional Branch Collections Abstract provides a full inventory of holdings for Grays Harbor and neighboring counties.

State Library and Genealogy Collections

The Washington State Library holds numerous Grays Harbor County genealogical materials. The collection includes the Elerding Aberdeen Death Index from 1914 to 1986, the journal of the Grays Harbor Genealogical Society called Family Tree Searcher, Forest Hill Cemetery records from Cosmopolis, and Grays Harbor Co. Marriage and Death Records from 1855 to 1892. The library also holds Grays Harbor Co. Washington Death and Birth Records from 1891 to 1908.

Funeral home records are another valuable source in this collection. Whiteside Funeral Home records from Elma cover 1914 to 2004 across 39 volumes. Whiteside Hoquiam death records cover 1914 to 1918. Whiteside Montesano death records span 1913 to 1985 in 14 volumes. These records often include information not captured in official death registers, such as cause of death, birthplace, and names of survivors.

The State Library also holds microfilm of the Register of Births (July 22, 1891 through December 31, 1906) and the Register of Deaths (May 1, 1892 through June 23, 1907), along with the Aberdeen, Grays Harbor, and Washington State History Scrapbook from 1904 to 1949 and Obituaries of Grays Harbor Pioneers published in the Aberdeen Daily World from 1895 to 1961.

Lead-in: The Washington State Library Death Vital Records Guide lists the Grays Harbor County Auditor register of deaths covering May 1, 1892 through June 23, 1907.

The State Library's genealogy guide covers death record sources for all Washington counties, including Grays Harbor.

Online Genealogy Resources for Grays Harbor County

The FamilySearch wiki for Grays Harbor County is a solid overview of available records. It lists specific online collections at the Digital Archives including the County Auditor birth records from 1864 to 1907, marriage records from 1871 to the present, and recorded land records from 1981 onward. It also references Grays Harbor Frontier Justice court records from 1853 to 1889, Grays Harbor County Clerk Declarations of Intention from 1884 to 1971, and Grays Harbor Historical School Districts Registers and Censuses from 1916 to 1932.

The Declarations of Intention are worth noting for researchers with immigrant ancestors. These "first papers" were filed by non-citizens who intended to pursue naturalization. They often include the person's birthplace, age, physical description, and date of arrival in the United States. The Grays Harbor series runs from 1884 to 1971 and represents over 80 years of immigration history in the county.

The Washington Secretary of State's genealogy page provides links to Digital Archives collections and information about accessing records at the regional branches. The Digital Archives main search portal lets you search across all available Washington county collections at once.

Lead-in: The Washington Secretary of State genealogy portal connects researchers to the Digital Archives and the regional branch archive system.

The Digital Archives portal allows free searches of Grays Harbor County and all other Washington county collections from a single interface.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Grays Harbor County. Families near the county line may have records on either side.