Search Walla Walla County Genealogy Records

Walla Walla County is one of Washington's founding counties, created in 1854, and its genealogy records reach back to the earliest years of territorial settlement. Marriage records begin in 1852, land records in 1859, and court records in 1860. Much of eastern Washington was carved out of Walla Walla County over the following decades, making county-level genealogy here especially important for researchers with roots across the broader region. This guide covers the key sources for Walla Walla County family history research.

Walla Walla County Vital Records and County Offices

Walla Walla County was created from Skamania County on April 25, 1854. It was named for the Walla Walla people and is located in the southeastern area of the state. The county seat is Walla Walla. Known beginning dates for government records are: Birth 1883, Marriage 1852, Death 1864, Court 1860, Land 1859, Probate 1859, and Census 1850. There is no known history of courthouse disasters. Western Montana, northern Idaho, and all eastern Washington counties broke off from Walla Walla County starting with Spokane County in 1860 and finishing with Asotin County in 1883, so researchers with roots across the region may find early records here.

The County Auditor is at the Walla Walla County Court House, 315 W. Main Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362, phone 509-527-3221. The auditor holds: Birth records from 1883, Courts from 1860, Deaths from 1884, Land from 1859, Marriages from 1862, Probates from 1859. The county clerk holds divorce, probate, and court records from 1860. Per WAGenWeb Walla Walla vital records, the Walla Walla County Health Department at 310 W. Poplar, Walla Walla, WA 99362, phone 509-527-3290, also holds pre-1907 birth and death records.

Note: There are no records for the 1860s and about ten records for the 1870s in the health department series; coverage increases as you move forward in time toward the 1907 statewide registration deadline.

Walla Walla County Records in the Digital Archives

The Washington State Digital Archives holds multiple series of Walla Walla County genealogy records online at no cost. The marriage records are particularly deep for this county. Online series include: 1865 to 2022 Walla Walla County Auditor Marriage Records; 1891 to 1899 and 1917 to 1939 Marriage Affidavits; 1891 to 1913 Register of Marriage Statistics; and 1922 to 1926 Marriage Certificates. These four series together cover over 150 years of marriage documentation in the county.

Birth records in the Digital Archives come from the Walla Walla County Health District series, 1889 to 1907, with index and images. Death records include the 1888 to 1907 Walla Walla County Auditor Death Records and the 1907 Walla Walla City Clerk Register of Deaths, both with index and images. If you are searching for a death in the city of Walla Walla specifically around 1907, check both the county auditor series and the city clerk register.

The Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch holds the physical collections that back up the Digital Archives records. It is located on the campus of Eastern Washington University in Cheney, at 960 Washington Street, Cheney, WA 99004. Phone: (509) 235-7500. Email: eabrancharchives@sos.wa.gov. The branch is open Wednesdays through Fridays by appointment only, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Land Records and Naturalization

Land records for Walla Walla County are available in the Digital Archives across multiple series. Online indexes include: 1986 to 2023 Recorded Land Records; 1994 to 2023 Plats and Surveys; and 1994 to present Recorded Agreements and Contracts. For earlier land records going back to 1859, you would need to contact the county auditor or the Eastern Regional Branch directly, as pre-1986 records are not yet fully online.

Naturalization records for Walla Walla County span from the territorial period through the mid-twentieth century. The Digital Archives holds: 1886 to 1906 Register of Declarations of Intention; 1890 to 1904 Register of Minor Applications and Orders of Naturalization; 1898 to 1906 Register of Adult Applications and Orders of Naturalization; and 1906 to 1974 Naturalization Records. All are listed with index and images. These records can show birthplace, date of arrival, age, and names of witnesses, which makes them highly useful for immigrants who settled in this part of eastern Washington.

Note: Marriage records before January 1968 are at the county auditor; after that date, contact the Washington State Department of Health. Divorce records before 1968 are at the county clerk; after 1968, contact the state DOH.

Local Libraries and Genealogical Society

The FamilySearch wiki for Walla Walla County lists several local research facilities. Northwest Archives at Whitman College Library is at 345 Boyer Ave, Walla Walla, WA 99362, phone 509-527-5111. It holds the history of Whitman College and the Walla Walla region, rare books, directories as early as 1881, photos, and maps. This is a strong resource for early settler families who appear in local directories or college records.

Walla Walla Public Library is at 238 E Alder Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362, phone 509-527-4388. The library holds local history collections and may have newspaper archives that supplement vital record searches with obituary and community information. The Walla Walla Valley Genealogical Society is at PO Box 115, Walla Walla, WA 99362-0003. The society is active in the tri-county area with Franklin and Benton counties.

The Eastern Washington Genealogy Society is also active in this region. Researchers working in Walla Walla County often find it useful to cross-reference with Franklin County and Benton County records, since families frequently moved across county lines in this agricultural area of southeastern Washington.

State-Level Resources for Walla Walla Researchers

The Library of Congress Washington vital records guide outlines the split responsibility for birth, death, marriage, and divorce records in Washington State. For births and deaths at the county level, the county auditor holds records from 1891 to June 30, 1907. At the state level, the Washington State Department of Health handles records from July 1, 1907 to present. For marriage records at the county level, the county auditor holds them from 1891 to 1968. For divorce records at the county level, the county superior court clerk holds them from 1891 to 1968. If a record has been digitized, it can be accessed online through the Washington State Digital Archives.

The Washington State Archives Eastern Regional Branch covers Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties. Collections span the territorial period to the present and include school census records, tax assessment rolls, court dockets and case files, photographs, maps, plats, and engineering drawings. There is no charge to request and view public archival documents; fees apply for copies.

The state images below come from the Washington State Archives and related state-level genealogy sources, which are all relevant to Walla Walla County research as the county's records are managed at this level.

The Washington State Digital Archives is the main online portal for Walla Walla County vital and land records that have been digitized.

The Washington Secretary of State's genealogy page links to the Digital Archives and the regional branch network that serves Walla Walla County researchers.

Cities in Walla Walla County

Walla Walla County's genealogy records cover the county seat and surrounding communities. Residents of the county seat have their records through the same county offices.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Walla Walla County in southeastern Washington. Early land records and family migrations often crossed into these neighboring jurisdictions.