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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Governor Albert D. Rosellini with Seymour Kaplan and the National Council of Jewish Women in 1961. Photo by State Patrol. State Governors' Negative Collection, 1949-1975. Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov, accessed : 02 Dec 2021. 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
Check out local societies' meetings and events on this page. Many of the events are via Zoom and available to everyone. If your society would like to have your event published on our website and blog, please email WSGSBlog@wasgs.org.
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 in 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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FamilySearch Interest Group
Saturday - 12/04/2021
The Seattle Genealogical Society is hosting its FamilySearch Interest Group with Lou Daly. Discover the many ways to use FamilySearch. At each meeting a different aspect of the website will be featured. There will be time for Q & A. Want to join ...
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Eastern Washington Genealogical Society
Saturday - 12/04/2021
The program at the Eastern Washington Genealogical Society's meeting is "Holiday Traditions Around the World," a sharing time with EWGS members. For more information, visit the EWGS website.
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Brags & Bricks
Wednesday - 12/08/2021
The Seattle Genealogical Society is hosting its Brags & Bricks Social Interest Group (Virtual). Join us for an informal social gathering. Share your recent genealogical successes and challenges, or just come to hang out with other genealogists. Contact Sue at spinner3jensen@gmail.com. ...
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