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Some of the major records sources that can be used for genealogy research in Washington include:
- Birth, marriage, and death records were kept by some towns as early as 1639
- Birth, marriage, and death records have been recorded by the state government from 1841 to the present
- Federal census records were recorded every 10 years starting in 1790; state census records were recorded in 1855 and 1865
- Land records were kept by the towns and counties from the time they were settled
- Probate records were kept by the local courts from 1692 to the present
- Churches sometimes kept records of the christenings, marriages, deaths, or other information about their members
- Newspapers were written in many areas and time periods which contain information such as notices of marriages, notices of death, and obituaries
- Town and county histories were written that record information about the settlers and their families; many family genealogies of the settlers of Washington have also been written
- Naturalization and citizenship records were recorded by the courts as early as 1790
- Ship passenger lists, tax lists, and town records were recorded for many areas