Need tips on homestead research

[Ray in CA]

Hi all,

I want to start researching homesteads here in SW Washington but I don't know where to begin. Can any of you Washingtonians point me in the right direction? Thanks!

Ray

 

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[Seamuss]

Old maps of the areas that you want to hunt. Check out the history of the people that settled in the county and the communities that no longer exit. These dried up communities are also called ghost towns. Some times there were only a few dozen families living there and no sustainable income for these people to stay in the area.

 

[Ray in CA]

Thanks Seamuss. I was hoping, though, that there might be some official records of homesteaders that I could look up, from like a government agency or something.

Ray

 

[Seamuss]

The government is absolutely no help unless you no enough information about a site to ask specific questions to get answers out of them.

County offices might be of some help. If your in Clark County or a neighboring county then go into the county clerks office and ask questions there. If you have researched enough about a scecific area then ask about land records where there might have been a railroad station or homesteads for that area. The local library might be a good place to start for some basic information.

 

[lgadbois]

You didn't make it very clear what you are researching. Are you looking for homestead records in Washington State? Are you looking for land ownership records? Are you researching families or relatives by name?

Land records are kept at the county courthouses. The National Archives office on Sandpoint Way in Seattle has census records for locating people and where they lived. University libraries have a lot of good reference material. Here are some websites to read:
http://content.lib.washington.edu/curriculumpackets/homesteaders/intro.html

http://digitum.washingtonhistory.or...HALL&CISOROOT=/ephemera&CISOBOX1=homesteading

http://74.125.45.132/search?q=cache...on+state&cd=40&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&lr=lang_en

Good luck!

 

[49er]

Call or go over to the local library in the area to see if they have 'Historical' pamphlets published by the local Historical society. These pamphlets are a wealth of information show old sites.