Repository:Northwest Regional Branch, Washington State Archives

Watchers
Repository Northwest Regional Branch, Washington State Archives
Postal Address Washington State Archives
Northwest Regional Branch
Western Washington University, MS-9123
Bellingham, WA 98225-9123
Place Bellingham, Whatcom, Washington, United States
Phone (360) 650-7930
URL http://www.sos.wa.gov/archives/archives_northwest.aspx

From the website:

The Northwest Regional Branch provides archival and records management services to local government agencies throughout Clallam, Island, Jefferson, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties.

The Collections at the Northwest Region

Local government records include those from county offices such as the Auditor, the Clerk, the Treasurer, the Board of Commissioners, and from municipalities, school districts, and other service districts. Only a small percentage of the records created by these offices are transferred to the State Archives as archival records. They are selected as archival for their value as legal and historical evidence of policy development, implementation, and effect. The transfer of records to the State Archives is an ongoing process. Some historical records remain with their originating office pending future transfer to the Archives.

Although the Archives does not hold all the records for the entire span of Washington's history from the various county and city offices in the region, it does hold extensive series of some records from all seven counties, with more complete representation in Whatcom, Skagit, and Snohomish counties. These series include:

  • Birth and death records from January, 1891 to July, 1907
  • Marriage records
  • Court records including naturalization records, court dockets, and civil, criminal, and probate case files
  • Land records including general indices to recordings, deeds, and patents
  • County commissioner's proceedings, ordinances, and resolutions
  • Real and personal property tax records
  • School district and Educational Service District records including school censuses