Discover Your Washington Roots with the State Library Genealogy Archives

How deep do your Washington roots go — moss-deep or just a couple of Starbucks generations?

If you’re looking to dive into genealogy or family history research, the Washington State Library is an excellent place to begin your journey! Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned ancestry sleuth, their resources are packed with tools to help you uncover the stories, secrets, and surprising side characters in your family tree.

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Their extensive collections include books, city directories, phone books, historical newspapers, and detailed maps—the kind that reveal who owned what and where (because sometimes “family homestead” really meant “one shed and a goat”). And if you ever feel lost in the research woods, their expert librarians are ready to guide you through it all—no compass required.

They've even built research guides for all 39 Washington counties, plus Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, and Olympia—because some family mysteries need more than just a “23andMe and me” approach. Inside, you’ll find treasures like:

City directories for 370 towns and cities (because Googling your ancestors doesn’t work when they predate Google).
Information on 400 cemeteries (meaning who's buried in them) —plus even more info on their bookshelves.
Old telephone directories, digitized newspapers, and century-old maps showing property ownership across the state—perfect for tracking down that rumored “family farm” or “moonshine operation.”
501 county-specific online resources—so you can finally fact-check Grandma’s story about “owning half of Yakima.”

So grab your curiosity (and maybe some reading glasses) and start digging. Who knows what family lore—or family weirdness—you’ll uncover. ❤️

 Start your search here!