Issaquah History Museums Guide to Research
The Issaquah Historical Society has a large collection
of historical information on file at the
David J. Horrocks Memorial Research Center,
at the
Gilman Town Hall Museum. You can also access a variety of information
using our website, or
e-mail us directly if you
can't find the answer to your question here.
This page includes:
Frequently Asked Research Questions
Can you tell me the history of my house?
If your home is one of the 125 buildings inventoried by King County
during their 2003 property inventory, then we can provide you with a copy of the
report on your home (copying fees apply) .You can also find information about
your home via the King County Parcel Viewer or the
Puget Sound
Regional Archives.
I need a copy of a relative’s obituary.
There is a slim chance we have a copy of the obituary in our research
files, but this depends on someone either donating the obituary at some point,
or a staff or volunteer clipping the obituary. If we don’t have a copy, please
check the Issaquah Press (either online or at the library).
I need a copy of a relative's birth certificate/death
certificate.
Although we may have information on births and deaths for selected people who
lived in Issaquah, we do not hold any official records. Depending on the year
this person was born or died, this information will be available from either
King County Vital Statistics
or the Washington State
Department of Health.
There is a house in my neighborhood that is going to
be torn down. How can I save it?
Unfortunately, there may be little that you can do to save a particular property
if the owner plans to tear it down. Private property owners have a right to do
what they like with their property. That being said, there are significant
benefits to landmarking a historic building or site; community members can
appeal to a property owner and help educate them about these benefits, although
the ultimate decision belongs to the property owner.
The
King County Office of Preservation
has more information
on historic registration, including the benefits to a property owner and the
requirements that need to be met in order for a property to be considered
historic. Note that not all buildings are eligible for landmark status on the
basis of age alone; uniqueness, preservation and historic value must also be
considered.
Local History Resources
The Issaquah Independent
(1900-1916)
The Issaquah Press (1916-present)
Issues from 1918-1983 are available on microfilm at the Issaquah
Library and the Issaquah History Museums.
If you would like to come to the IHM to use the microfilm reader, please make an
appointment in advance.
The Issaquah Independent (Jan. 25, 1900; Mar. 31, 1906;
Dec. 28, 1907-Dec. 29, 1911) and the Issaquah Press, 1918-present, are available
through the
UW Microform and Newspaper Collection, at the Suzzalo Library,
University of Washington.
Selected issues of the Press are also available online at
Small Town Papers and through
World Vital Records. Both sites
provide a search function. Note that many of the archives at World Vital Records
require membership; accessing the Issaquah Press does not.
The Puget
Sound Regional Archives
Located on the Bellevue Community College Campus, the archives are the best
place to find a history of your home or property. You’ll need to know the tax
parcel ID number before you go, and it’s best to set up a research appointment
with them ahead of time. Other documents available at the PSRA include local
government records from county offices such as the Auditor, the Clerk, the
Treasurer, the Board of Commissioners, and from municipalities, school
districts, and other service districts.
Federal Archives at
Sand Point
The collections at Sand Point Federal Archives span 1850 to the 1990s and
feature maps, architectural drawings, photographs, records, and other documents
created or received by the Federal government. They also provide microfilm
access to federal census records from all states and territories between 1790 and 1930, in
addition to other records of genealogical interest. See their web site for more
information on planning a visit.
UW
Special Collections
The University of Washington Special Collections include city directories, phone
books, newspapers, atlases, manuscripts and personal papers.
King County Vital Statistics
Copies of birth, death, marriage and divorce records can be obtained through
this office, or ordered online.
Washington State Department of Health
Copies of birth, death, marriage and divorce records can be obtained through
this office, or ordered online.
Online Resources
Washington State
Digital Archives
Information from a variety of historic records has been organized by the
Secretary of State and is available for free at this web site. Among the records
included are marriage, birth, death, census, naturalization, and court records.
Not all records are available for all counties in Washington state at this time.
Death
Certificates of Finns in King County
Transcriptions of King County death certificates (1892 to 1947) of anyone born
in Finland, or of Finnish descent. The certificates are arranged by date of
death, and the transcriptions of some names may not be completely accurate.
Flintofts
Crematory and Funeral Home
Online obituaries are available for many or most of Flintofts’ clients since
1999. Obituaries are searchable by last name.
The
King County Parcel Viewer
The parcel viewer reveals property information (including the year the house was
built). You can search by address, tax parcel information, or use a map to zero
in on a particular property. A limited number of recent property transfers
(within the last 20 years) are also be listed. For more complete property
transfer information, you'll need to visit the
Puget Sound
Regional Archives..
Find-A-Grave
Many graves at Issaquah's Hillside Cemetery have been recorded in this online
database. Grave information for cemeteries all over the United States is also
available. If you are unable to find a grave through this site, it may mean only
that the grave has not been indexed yet.
Ellis Island Records
This free resource links visitors to immigration records from 1892 to 1924. Site
users may view images of the original ship manifests, which often include
information on age, occupation, hair and eye color, home town, next of kin in
country of origin, and name and address of party they will be meeting in the
USA. Images of the ships used for passage are also available.
Castle Garden Records
Castle Garden, the predecessor of Ellis Island, was our nation's first
immigration center. This free web site provides access to more than 10 million
immigration records from 1830 to 1892. This web site is still being built and
completed, so access to original records may be limited at this time.
For a Fee…
If you are dedicated enough to your research to pay a fee for it, check out
Ancestry. com. The web site, which is
dedicated to genealogical research, has census records, death records, birth
records, World War I draft registration records, and many others. The annual fee
to join may be worth it if you do a lot of research.
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