Washington, the Evergreen State
Welcome to the Washington State Genealogical Society's website. We are here to help connect you with resources and services so you can advance your search for your Washington State ancestors and family history.
Nestled in the beautiful northwest corner of the U.S., Washington is a state with terrain from the vast Pacific Ocean, snow-capped Cascade Mountains and forested islands in Puget Sound to rolling wheat fields and an abundance of apples, pears, grapes and hops in Eastern Washington. While Seattle is Washington’s most recognized city, known for its booming tech industry, vibrant music scene and famed coffeehouses, the center of state government is in Olympia. State landmarks include Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, the Space Needle, and mighty Columbia River.
Washington became a state in November 1889 as the nation’s 42nd state and is the only state named after a U.S. President.
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Tree fallers standing on their spring boards as the Douglas Fir tree is starting to fall. Photographer, John Fletcher Ford. John T. Labbe Collection of Logging and Railroad Photographs, 1892 - 2010. Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov, accessed: 16 May 2025. For more information or to learn about related records, contact the Washington State Archives at (360) 586-1492, or email research@sos.wa.gov.
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What's New
Pioneer Push to 5,000. WSGS is trying to have 5,000 pioneers listed in the Pioneer Pursuit Index. To date, we have over 4,000 people indexed. Please help us by researching family histories of any man, woman or child who lived in Washington Territory on or before 11 Nov 1889. For more information about the Pioneer Pursuit program, click here.
WSGS Resources and Services
Blog: Sign up for our blog to keep current with the latest genealogical happenings and events in Washington State and the Pacific Northwest.
Event Calendar: Looking for a road trip? There are genealogical events and meetings all around the state, as well as neighboring states and British Columbia.
Local Society contacts: There are more than 30 local genealogical societies around the state waiting to help you with your research.
Pioneer and First Citizen Program: Begun in 1989 to celebrate Washington's centennial, the Pioneer and First Citizen Program memorializes those Washington citizens who were early residents of the state. Commemorative certificates are available upon residency proof, as well as an index of participants.
Resource Guides: Looking for resources in a specific county? Check out these comprehensive resource guides listing everything from chambers of commerce, and local government departments to libraries, churches and newspapers.
Speakers' Bureau: If you're looking for a speaker for a society meeting, workshop or seminar, visit our Speakers' Bureau page.
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NGS Family History Conference
Friday - 05/23/2025
The National Genealogical Society (NGS) is sponsoring its Family History Conference from May 23 - 26, 2025. The theme is "Tales and Trails." For more information, visit the NGS website.
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Nuts and Bolts of Accreditation - Fiske
Wednesday - 05/28/2025
The Fiske Genealogical Library is sponsoring "The Nuts and Bolts of Accreditation" with Jenny Hansen. Have you ever wondered about earning a professional genealogy credential? Learn more about the nuts and bolts of the process during this hour. You will learn some ...
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Learn All About MyHeritage Library Edition (HQRL)
Thursday - 06/05/2025
Daniel Horowitz will help you discover the advanced technology behind the scenes to take advantage of the search engine's robust features. Register in the HQRL store.For more information, visit the Heritage Quest Research Library website.
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