Lincoln County Genealogy Records

Lincoln County genealogy records cover births, deaths, marriages, naturalizations, probate cases, and court filings going back to the county's formation in 1883. The Washington State Digital Archives holds two major online collections for Lincoln County, and the Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch in Cheney holds the original records and microfilm for birth and death registers. This guide walks you through the key sources for family history research in Lincoln County, Washington.

Lincoln County Vital Records and County Offices

Lincoln County was created from Spokane County on November 24, 1883. It was named for Abraham Lincoln. The county seat is Davenport, located in eastern Washington. Records from the late territorial period and early statehood are held at the county courthouse, at the Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch, and online through the Digital Archives.

The County Auditor holds birth and death records from 1891 to 1907, marriage records from 1891, and land records from 1891. The County Clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records. The Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch in Cheney holds the original records transferred from county offices. Contact the Eastern Regional Branch at (509) 235-7508 or eabrancharchives@sos.wa.gov for research assistance or to request access to records not yet digitized.

For post-1907 vital records, contact the Washington State Department of Health. The FamilySearch wiki notes that statewide registration began in 1907 with general compliance by 1917, so some births and deaths in the 1907-1917 period may still be in county registers rather than state records.

Note: The Washington State Library holds microfilm of the Lincoln County Auditor register of births and the register of deaths, both covering 1891-1907, in its NW Microfilm collection. These are accessible through interlibrary loan.

Lincoln County Naturalization Records Online

One of the most valuable Lincoln County genealogy collections in the Digital Archives is the naturalization records set. The Lincoln County Clerk Naturalization Records, 1906-1970 contain 1,075 entries. This collection includes Petitions for Naturalization, Declarations of Intention, and Oaths of Allegiance filed at Lincoln County Superior Court between 1906 and 1970. Some records also include affidavits, arrival and departure slips, depositions, and photographs.

These records are open for research. When searching, note that the document year is the date of entry into the United States, not necessarily the date the petition was filed. Search by last name, first and last name, or just the first letter of the last name. The collection was filmed and indexed by Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch staff and volunteers.

Lead-in: The Lincoln County naturalization records at the Digital Archives cover 1906 to 1970 and include 1,075 indexed entries with scanned images.

Naturalization files can name birthplace, date of arrival, age, and witnesses, making them especially useful for tracing immigrant ancestors who settled in Lincoln County.

For earlier naturalization filings before 1906, the FamilySearch wiki notes that Registers of Certificates of Naturalization (1886-1906) and Registers of Declarations of Intention (1886-1906) are also available. These predate the main Digital Archives collection and cover the first two decades of the county's existence.

Lincoln County Marriage Records

The Lincoln County Auditor marriage records, 1883-2004 are available in the Digital Archives as an indexed collection with images. This collection starts in the year the county was formed and runs through 2004, covering over 120 years of marriages in Lincoln County. It is searchable by groom or person A and bride or person B name, with a year range filter and Soundex option.

Prior to December 6, 2012, records use the terms Groom and Bride. After that date, the terms Person A and Person B apply to reflect Washington's marriage equality laws. The collection was digitized and indexed by the Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch. The county courthouse is in Davenport, and the County Auditor holds the original marriage and land records from 1891 forward.

Lead-in: The Lincoln County marriage records database in the Digital Archives covers 1883 through 2004 and includes indexed entries with scanned images of the originals.

The marriage records database starts in 1883, the year Lincoln County was formed, giving researchers coverage from the county's earliest days through the early twenty-first century.

The FamilySearch wiki for Lincoln County lists the full set of available vital records links and notes the county auditor as the primary source for marriage records prior to 1968. For marriages after January 1, 1968, the Washington State Department of Health can also provide certified copies.

Lincoln County Museum and Historical Resources

The Lincoln County Museum is operated by the Lincoln County Historical Society and is located at 600 7th Street, Davenport, WA 99122, at the corner of Park and 7th Street, one block south of State Highway 2. The museum can be reached at (509) 725-6711 or by email at lincohistorical@gmail.com. Visit lincolncountymuseums.org for current hours and exhibit information.

The museum is open May 1 through September 30, Tuesday through Sunday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. It is closed on Mondays during the regular season but is open by appointment year-round. Admission is by suggested donation. The museum's collections include photographs, artifacts, and archival records covering local communities, cultural life, ethnic groups, and the agricultural and ranching history of Lincoln County.

Lead-in: The Lincoln County Museum in Davenport holds photographs, artifacts, and archival records related to the communities and families of Lincoln County, Washington.

Researchers can visit the museum in person during the summer season or contact them to arrange an appointment at other times of the year.

The Big Bend Historical Society also serves the Lincoln County area, with a focus on the communities of Almira, Creston, Harrington, Odessa, Reardan, Sprague, and Wilbur. Contact them by mail at PO Box 523, Wilbur, WA 99185, or by phone at 509-647-5863. While the society does not maintain a large digital archive, they can assist researchers with photographs, family histories, and school records from the northern portion of Lincoln County.

Genealogy Research Tools for Lincoln County

The FamilySearch wiki for Lincoln County, Washington provides a detailed guide to available record types and where to find them. The wiki covers vital records, naturalization, probate, land records, and local research organizations. It links to online databases for each record type where they exist.

The wiki lists Lincoln County in the FamilySearch collections for Washington naturalization records and notes that the county's records are largely held at the Eastern Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives. Staff at the branch in Cheney can help researchers identify what is available and how to access it. For birth and death research, the Washington State Library's death vital records guide covers Lincoln County and can be reached through the Washington State Library microfilm guide.

For land and property research, the county auditor holds records from 1891 forward. Plat maps, deeds, and related documents can help trace a family's presence in the county and show how property moved between generations. Lincoln County land records in the Digital Archives are not yet as comprehensive as some other counties, so direct contact with the county auditor or the Eastern Regional Branch is recommended for pre-1990 land research.

Nearby Counties

Lincoln County borders several eastern Washington counties. Records may cross jurisdictional lines if ancestors moved between counties or lived near a border.