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United States Washington Benton County

Guide to Benton County Washington genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

	Washington Online Records

Benton County, Washington
Map
Location in the state of Washington
Location of Washington in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	March 8, 1905
County Seat	Prosser
Courthouse
Address	Benton County Courthouse 600 Market Street Prosser, WA 99350-0190 Phone: 509.786.5624 Adams County Website

Historical Facts

• Parent Counties: created 8 March 1905 from Klickitat and Yakima counties
• County Seat: Prosser
• Neighboring Counties: Franklin | Grant | Klickitat | Walla Walla | Yakima | Oregon counties: Morrow | Umatilla
• Boundary Changes: No counties created from this county.^[1]

Record Loss

Resources

Bible Records

Biography

Cemeteries

The links are to volunteer submitted tombstone lists and may be incomplete. In addition to these links try USGenWeb Tombstone Project - Benton County, Washington for tombstone lists and photos.

Census

• 1910
• 1920
• 1930
• 1940

Church Records

Court Records

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political and Religious Groups

Gazetteers

Genealogy

History

Land and Property

Maps

Migration

Military

Naturalization and Citizenship

Washington State Digital Archives has digitized various types of naturalization-related records, including declarations of intentions, delayed birth files, naturalization affidavits, notifications of application for admission to US citizenship, orders fixing naturalization terms, petitions and records, petitions, receipts for certificates of citizenship, record of final decrees of citizenship and record of petitions dockets. Depending on the county, records range from 1854-1988.

Newspapers

Obituaries

Periodicals

Probate

Public Records

Repositories

Courthouse

Benton County Courthouse
600 Market Street
Prosser, WA 99350-0190
Phone: 509.786.5624

County Auditor has birth records 1905-1907
and marriage records from 1905.
County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records.
County Assessor has land records. ^[2]

Family History Centers

• Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
  
  
• Kennewick Washington Family History Center
  
  
• Prosser Washington Family History Center
  
  
• Richland Family History Center located at 1314 Jadwin Ave., Richland WA 99352; phone (509) 946-6637 houses the collection of the Tri-City Genealogical Society. It also has helpful staff, free family history classes, some online databases, and access to the normal family history center resources.

Libraries

• Mid-Columbia Library System has many books of genealogical value, maps, and many local newspapers on microfilm dating from the late 1800s to the present. In the library there is also access to online databases and volunteers from the TCGS.
  
  
• Richland Public Library has access to online databases, some books of genealogical value, and the local Tri-City Herald newspaper on microfilm.

Museums

• The Columbia River Exhibition of History, Science, and Technology (CREHST) is a museum and science center created to tell the dynamic story of the Columbia Basin and surrounding region." It features an excellent exhibit and materials available on the Hanford project and the huge influx of people to support it in the 1940's.  Two collections of interest specifically to genealogists are their photos collections (indexes for Marlin's Columbia Photography, North Light Studio and Wendland Studio) and their collection of General Electric Company newsletters.

Societies

• East Benton County Historical Society primarily runs a museum of local history and a research library. The museum features local history, from the ancient petrified forests to the Native Americans to the pioneers and settlers. Of special note is an extensive photograph collection depicting life in Kennewick, Richland, Finley, Hover, Hanford, White Bluffs and surrounding areas. "The museum library houses an extensive collection of materials including obituaries, local history files, family history information, high school annuals and books of local and regional interest. There are also 121 books from Dr. Glen Axford's Audubon Collection." (From the http://ebchs.org/ website under Museum Info: Research Library)
  
  
• The Tri-City Genealogical Society has an extensive collection of local and regional resources as well as references for other areas. Check their resources page for an updated list of their holdings. They also provide genealogical help at the Mid-Columbia Library, have online resources, and conduct local research for a small fee.

Taxation

Vital Records

Birth

• Washington State Digital Archives has a database of Benton County Birth Records. This database contains the names of people who were born in Benton County from 1905-1907. For FHL entries, 1905-1907, click here^{[low quality link]}.

Marriage

• Washington State Digital Archives has a database of Benton County Marriages from 1905 to 1920. This database is an index to marriage certificates filed with the Auditor in Benton County, Washington. For FHL entries, click here^{[low quality link]}.

Death

• Washington Death Certificates 1907-1960 A free internet index to the 1907-1960 death certificates can be found at FamilySearch Record Search, no images are available. A transcribed death certificate may contain such information as name of the deceased, date and place of death, age, gender, birth date and birth place, mother’s maiden name and name of spouse, place of residence, occupation and certificate numbers.

Websites

• The Benton County WAGenWeb Project, a member of The WAGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Benton County.
• The USGenWeb Archives Project for Benton County. (Mirror site)
• FamilySearch.org Family History Library Catalog for Benton County.
• Benton County, Washington Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Tri-City Genealogical Society has online data for Benton and Franklin Counties.

Places

Cities

Communities

Extinct Communities

Benton County Washington Genealogy References

1. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Benton County, Washington page 732, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.

• This page was last modified on 7 May 2013, at 15:56.
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