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COURT RECORDS: Here's something that our researchers just discovered! If you are looking for court records such as probate records in Stevens County, ask the clerk to check the "Fee Book." Here you will find the case # and a list of each item in the file. It is like an inventory of what's in the file. They will make a copy of this list for free, then you can select which items you may want to have copied for a fee.
[Located in Category: Researching Stevens County]
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FORT COLVILLE: Did you know that there were two Fort Colvilles? The first was a fur trading post belonging to Hudson’s Bay Co. and it was located on the Columbia River near the present towns of Kettle Falls and Marcus. It was established in l825 and was abandoned in l870. We had very few settlers before that time except for a few trappers. The second Fort Colville was near the present town of Colville and was in operation from l859 through l882. It was a military fort. You are liable to find conflicting stories that will be confusing if you are not aware of this.
[Located in Category: Researching Stevens County]
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EARLY MARRIAGE & BIRTH REGISTRATION: This county is long and narrow, bisected by the Huckleberry Mountains running north and south through the middle. Travel was difficult and there were almost no roads. During the winter it was impossible to go very far, so people often did their "marrying" and "burying" in Lincoln County if they lived along the River at the south end of the county. They also went to Spokane County for supplies or to get married. If they lived in the north end of the county, they caught the ore train going to the smelter in Trail, British Columbia, got off at Rossland, had time to get married and catch the train on it’s return trip into the states. All this could be done in time to get home for evening chores. The railroad was completed in l892-3. The Lincoln County seat is located in Davenport, WA 99l22. The address for the proper office in Rossland is Vital Records, Court Registry, Box 639, Rossland, B.C. VOG 1YO. Phone 604-362-7368.
[Located in Category: Researching Stevens County]
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COUNTY OF RECORD: Washington became a state in l889, but Stevens became a county in l863. It extended to the west, almost to the Cascades. As newly formed counties split off from Stevens, the records were sent to those counties as they formed, so don't expect to find them in Stevens County. Births and deaths were sent directly to the state offices in Olympia after l907. We can only furnish you with a VERY limited number of names for those early years.
[Located in Category: Researching Stevens County]
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OTHER UNIQUE RESOURCES: Applications for homestead papers are often overlooked as a great source of genealogical information. When we do a search on your names, this is one of the records that we include. Some of the other sources that we use are off-year census lists of l87l, 1878, 1885, 1887 and 1892, as well as the federal censuses; extractions from newspapers from l908; cemetery lists; same name research; directories; maps; area books; extensive military files; people files; church and school files; personal property tax from l888 to l936; territorial court records; both Fort Colville files; telephone contacts; and many miscellaneous items such as cattle brands, poor farm records, and lists of pioneers.
[Located in Category: Researching Stevens County]
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CONTACT: Please contact research@newgs.org for help with your Stevens County research problem. Check out the sample report generated during a search on our Public Download page.
[Located in Category: Researching Stevens County]
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