The Washington Pioneer Pursuit contest is a little over half done. So far, we have more than 500 pioneers identified in our index and many more in the review process. While the contest part (a prize for everyone!) ends October 31, 2023, the program will continue as we march toward identifying every man, woman and child that lived in Washington Territory on or before Nov. 11, 1889.

We’re sure you’re not the only one with a question or two about the Pioneer Pursuit Contest. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to try to answer some of the most frequently asked questions. To see a list of other FAQs, click here.

Are Pioneer Pursuit and the Pioneer Certificate program the same?

No, they’re not the same. The Pioneer Pursuit Contest is designed to document every man, woman and child that lived in Washington Territory on or before November 11, 1889. The Pioneer Certificate (and First Citizen) program is a way to purchase a certificate signifying that your ancestor was in Washington Territory on or before statehood. If your ancestor was in Washington on or before December 31, 1900, you may be eligible to purchase a First Citizen Certificate.  To get more information about the Pioneer Certificate program, click here.

I already have a Pioneer Certificate. Can I use that information for Pioneer Pursuit?

Absolutely! All you need to do is complete the Pioneer Pursuit application form, noting your pioneer ancestor is in the Pioneer Certificate program. We’ll pull the information over from one program to the other.

Click HERE for a video presentation explaining Pioneer Pursuit and answering questions. This video recording is from the Pioneer Pursuit Roundtable discussion, 24 Apr 2023.