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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| Julia Butler Hansen presenting certificate of appreciation to Virginia Gunby, September 18, 1979. General Subjects Photograph Collection, 1845-2005, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov. Accessed 01 Sep 2026. |
What's New
The Washington State Genealogical Society is sponsoring a "Make AI Your Personal Genealogy Assistant" workshop with Lisa Louise Cooke on October 22, 2026. Registration is limited and will open on September 15. For more information, read the August 20, 2026, Blog article
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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DNA
Friday - 09/11/2026
The Tacoma-Pierce County DNA special interest group will focus on various topics regarding the use of DNA testing in genealogy. If you are not a member of TPCGS and wish to attend, please email info@tpcgs.org for the Zoom link. ...
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The Scoop on Digitized Historic Newspaper Databases for Genealogy -- HQRL
Thursday - 09/17/2026
Heritage Quest Research Library is sponsoring a class "The Scoop on Digitized Historic Newspaper Databases for Genealogy" with Eleanor Brinsko. In this class you will learn about different online databases that can give you a glimpse of the daily lives of ...
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One Name Studies: What Are They and How can they help your Research -- HQRL
Thursday - 10/01/2026
Heritage Quest Research Library is sponsoring a class "One Name Studies: What Are They and How can they help your Research" with Michael Cassara. You will learn to understand in-depth research on all occurrences of a single surname. His presentation ...
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