Repository:Washington State Library

Genealogical resources at the Washington State Library include (but are not restricted to) the following (from the website):

Biographies

The State Library has many biographical resources available on site for genealogy research, biographies of Washingtonians and other persons from the Pacific Northwest. They are all listed in our online catalog. Some of these books, especially the ones in our Rare Collection, have been scanned, and are available on our web site.

Cemetery Transcriptions

The State Library has collected cemetery transcriptions published by local genealogical and historical societies in Washington State. They are all listed in our online catalog. A list of some online Washington cemetery records, can be found on our web site.

Census

The State Library has Washington Territorial Census Rolls, 1859-1892 available on microfilm. The State Library also has the Washington Territory & State U.S. census records on microfilm for years between 1850 – 1880 and 1900 - 1930. All of these censuses, both the Washington Territorial and the U.S. censuses are also available on Ancestry.com, which the library subscribes to.

City & County Directories

The State Library has an extensive collection of city and county directories, dating from 1890 to present. City directories were generally published annually and list the names and occupation of adult residents. All of the directories are listed in our online catalog. They are available for on site use only.

City & County Histories

The State Library has many Washington city and county histories. They are all listed in the online catalog.

Gazetteers and Business Directories

The State Library has gazetteers and business directories dating from the late 19th and early 20th century.2). All of the gazatteers and directories are listed in our online catalog. They are available for on site use only.

Military Records

A complete list of the military records in the State Library can be found in Selected Military Genealogy Holdings at the Washington State Library, which can be downloaded from the Genealogy page.

Newspapers

The State Library has copies of Washington State newspapers dating from 1853 - present, available on microfilm. Our complete newspaper holdings are listed in our online catalog. Most newspaper microfilm is available for interlibrary loan(max. 10 reels). Please contact your local library to initiate your request.

Telephone Directories

The State Library has a large collection of telephone directories for major and small towns in Washington. All of the directories are listed in our online catalog. They are available for on site use only.

Whiteside Funeral Home Records

The State Library has now has a collection of 50 binders filled with Whiteside Funeral Home Records(Aberdeen WA) for the years 1905 – 2002. If you have an ancestor that died in Aberdeen, WA during those years, you can request a search of this collection, by going to the Ask-A-Librarian page on our web site, and providing us with the name of the person, and the exact date that they died. Please make sure to include in your question that you are requesting a search of the Whiteside Funeral Home Records.