Yakima County is located in South Central Washington, on the East side of the Cascade Mountains. The Biles-Longmire wagon train came through Yakima Valley and made its way over Naches Pass in 1853, the first wagon train to cross the Cascades north of the Columbia River.

It was another eight years before permanent settlement began in the Yakima Valley. The F. Mortimer Thorp family is credited as being first. Thorp drove his cattle herd up from Klickitat Co in October of 1860 and moved his family in February of 1861.

Yakima County was formed from Walla Walla Co. in 1865, and originally included all of Kittitas Co. and part of Benton Co. The region, with its sunny weather and abundant irrigation water, became a major orchard and farming area.

My name is Mike Sweeney and I am The USGenWeb Project Coordinator for Yakima County. If you would like to contribute information to this page, or have comments and suggestions, please let me know.

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• Yakima County Message board - View & Post Queries, Obits, etc.

• Yakima Co Lookup Volunteers

• Yakima Genealogy Resource Information - birth/death certif., local addresses, etc.

• North Yakima HS Class of 1912

• 1918 Yakima Masonic Directory - Images - Submitted by Tom Hall

• Wapato High School 1926 Yearbook

• Toppenish High School Alumni
  Names and photos from 40+ Toppenish High School Classes - Click on "Pictures"

• Selah High School 1940 Yearbook - off site, opens in new window, close when done

• Index and images of 1936 Franklin Jr. HS program "Briar Rose"

• Cowiche HS Class of 1939

• 1871 Territorial Census
  Also see Washington Secretary of State historical site for more Washington Territorial Census records, including Yakima Co, 1883, 1885 and 1887.
  Click on "Search" in the top left box marked Historical Records Search. This new, but growing site has a great search engine. More censuses and actual images are planned for in the near future.

• North Yakima 1888 Directory

• Yakima County 1888 Tax List

• First Baptist Church Directory 1906-1907

• Index to the "Honor Roll of Yakima Co"
  Men and Women of Yakima county who served in the Great War 1917-1919

• Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

• Cemeteries of Yakima County - Locations, Comments, Transcriptions

• Germans from Russia in the Yakima Valley Prior to 1940
  A history of the Yakima Valley, most of the towns, and many churches. Includes more than 450 biographies.
  This is the digital form of the original book written by the Central Washington Chapter of AHSGR (American Historical Society of Germans From Russia).

• Yakima County Discussion List
  This mail list is an opportunity to exchange information with, and ask questions of others who are researching in Yakima County.

• 1889 bird's eye map of North Yakima

• 1895 Map showing Yakima County (including present day Benton Co)

• Yakima County Early Postcards & Photos - Prosser street scene - added July 2006

• 1909? 2nd Grade class, Garfield school, Toppenish This photo submitted by Valmay of Peterborough, England. Her great grandfather, Charles Dews, is the only identified student. Anyone know some of the others?

• Selected death records from years 1933, 1935 and 1949. - Transcribed by Vernon Barlow

• Results in Yakima County for Statewide Elections 1889 - 1916. - Submitted by John Mifflin

• Results in Yakima Co by Precinct for Federal and State Elections 1892 - 1898. - Submitted by John Mifflin

• Election Results in Yakima County by Precinct for County Positions 1892 - 1898. - Submitted by John Mifflin

• Election Results in Yakima County by Precinct for Local Positions 1892 - 1898. - Submitted by John Mifflin

• 1932-33 Granger H.S. Class Photo

• 1911 Summitview Grade School, North Yakima class photo Large 456k | Small 69k Submitted by Kathy Stewart.
  Top row, 6th from left: George Reichert, b. 28 Nov 1899, died at base hosp., France 10 days after being wounded at battle of Argonne 13 Oct 1918.

• Extractions from Yakima Herald  | 7 Apr 1946 | 13 Apr 1946 |

• John W. Goodwin (1843-1924) - 1867 Yakima Valley Settler

• Eight photographs of early Yakima county with captions & notes, by Sandy Frediani

• 1919 History of Yakima Valley - Biographies

Yakima County Links

Click for weather forecast

• Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce

• Town of Naches

• The Yakima Valley Home Page a community information site with links to Valley web pages.

• Yakima Memory - searchable photographic collection

• Tour Highway 97 . through Yakima Co and Central Washington - Part of "Washington Online Highways".

• Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper

• Web sites for Local Yakima stations with News & Info:

  KNDO-TV

  KIMA-TV

  KAPP-TV

The USGenWeb Project

• USGenWeb Project [Home page]

• WAGenWeb Project [Washington Main page]

• USGenWeb Archives [Home page]
  •   WAGenWeb Archives
    Transcribed Data for Washington - Obits, cemeteries, history, census, newspapers, etc.

• Washington Tombstone Transcription Project - including Yakima County

• USGenWeb Counties Adjoining Yakima | Kittitas | Benton | Klickitat |

Other Washington Links

• Klickitat County, WA., Genealogy and History Research

• Washington State Archives - Central Regional Branch

• Rootsweb Resources: Washington

• Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites in Washington