Local Genealogy Resources

For a full list of local history materials held at the Ritzville Public Library, click here. 

Most of these materials are not available for checkout, but can be used by researchers Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm (other times by appointment only).

The resources listed below are maintained by other organizations.
 

BIOGRAPHIES

Adams County, Washington Biographical Sketches
An Illustrated History of the Big Bend Country
U.S. Biographies Project - Adams County Biographies

CEMETERIES

Emanuel Lutheran Cemetery - Ritzville, WA
German Methodist Cemetery - Ritzville, WA
Kappel Cemetery - Ruff, WA
Lind Cemetery - Lind, WA
Michigan Prairie Cemetery - Hatton, WA
Paha Cemetery - Paha, WA
Salem Cemetery - Ralston, WA
Adams County Cemetery Records
Find A Grave - Adams County, WA
USGenWeb Tombstone Project - Adams County, WA

CENSUS RECORDS

1885 -Adams County, WA
1887 - Adams County, WA
1889 - Adams County, WA
1910 - Adams County, WA
USGenWeb Census Project - Adams County, WA
United States Census Bureau

COURT RECORDS

Frontier Justice: Guide to the Court Records of Washington Territory
Power of Attorney Records - Adams County, WA

DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections
Washington State Archives - Digital Archives
Washington State University Libraries Digital Collections
Family Search - Digitized Resources for Adams County

Click here to see our Digital Photograph Collections page.

DIRECTORIES

Coming soon...

GOVERNMENT

Auditor Misc. Records - Adams County, WA
Othello City Council Minutes: 1910-2009
Othello City Council Ordinances - Othello, WA
Othello City Council Resolutions: 1937-2009 - Othello, WA
Ordinance Records - Adams County, WA
Recorded Agreements and Contracts - Adams County, WA
Resolution Records - Adams County, WA

HISTORY

HistoryLink.org Thumbnail History of Ritzville
History of Adams County and Ritzville
An Illustrated History of the Big Bend Country
National Register of Historic Places - Adams County, WA
The Oregonian's Handbook of the Pacific Northwest (c. 1894) - Ritzville, WA
Othello Area History - Othello, WA

LAND RECORDS

Bureau of Land Management: Land Patents - Adams County, WA
Land Records - Adams County, WA
Plats and Survey Records - Adams County, WA

LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES

Directory of Archival and Manuscript Repositories in the Northwest
LDS Family History Library - Adams County, WA
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) - Seattle, WA
USGenWeb Archives - Adams County, WA
Washington State Archives
Washington State Library

MAPS & ATLASES

General Map Collection: 1851-2005 - Washington State

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps: 1891-1899 - Adams County

MILITARY RECORDS

Indian War Muster Rolls: 1855-1856 - Washington State
National Guard Enlistment Register: 1885-1907 - Washington State
1890 Veterans Census
Soldiers of the Great War Casualty List - Washington State
World War I Service Statement Cards: 1917-1919 - Washington State
Korean War Fatal Casualties - Washington State
Korean War Era Veterans' Bonus Claims: 1955-1960 - Washington State
Vietnam War Fatal Casualties - Washington State
World War II Army and Air Force Casualties

NEWSPAPERS

Washington Digital Newspapers

Library of Congress: Historic American Newspapers - Adams County, WA

Newspaper Database Resources  Please note, that a majority of these resources are not free.  

Click here to see a full list of digitized local newspapers we have available for checkout.

OBITUARIES

USGenWeb Obituaries - Adams County

ORAL HISTORIES
Adams County Community Archive

SCHOOLS

Coming soon...

SOCIETIES

Adams County Historical Society
American Historical Society of Germans from Russia
Black Sea German Research
Eastern Washington Genealogical Society
Germans from Russia Heritage Society
WAGenWeb - Adams County, WA
Washington State Genealogical Society
Washington State Historical Society

TELEPHONE BOOKS

Click here to see a full listing of telephone books at the library.

VITAL RECORDS

Birth Records: 1891-1910 - Adams County, WA
Birth Records: 1894-1907, 1910-1915 - Adams County, WA
Marriage Records: 1884-Present (gap from 1900-1903) - Adams County, WA
Naturalization Records: 1903-1956 - Adams County, WA
Death Records: 1893-1907, 1910, 1913 - Adams County, WA

YEARBOOKS
 

Ritzville High School Alumni

Click here to see a full listing of yearbooks available at the library.