JCHS Research Center Collections

RESEARCH CENTER COLLECTIONS

Many of our artifacts, archival materials and photographs have been indexed on a
searchable online data base.

Jefferson County's history is a patchwork of stories from individual lives. Personal letters, diaries, family trees, scrapbooks and photographs all tell first-hand stories of lives we can only imagine. Maps, ledgers, business correspondence, directories, newspapers, and event programs reveal threads within and throughout the community. This new research facility provides a safe home and easy access to the materials that literally document Jefferson County’s heritage.

If you have family treasures tucked away in an attic, trunk, hat box or pasteboard box under the bed, please consider adding to the community quilt. Give your documents and artifacts to the historical society for safe keeping. Tell us your stories. It’s the best way to share them with future generations.

The Jefferson County Historical Society Research Center contains reference and original archival materials concerning the history of Jefferson County and its residents. The Research Center is a reference facility only. Museum staff and volunteers provide assistance.

HISTORICAL RESEARCH
We invite you to undertake your own assisted research in our research center, or we will be happy to do it for you. The research center is open and accessible to the public only when a JCHS/JCGS staff person or volunteer is present. Researchers must sign in and complete a "Research Access Form." Photocopies are made by staff and volunteers only, and the research center is a "pencils only" area.

RESEARCH CHARGES
You may e-mail, mail, walk-in, or phone in your research request.

Photocopy charges: letter size -.20/page, microfilm - $1/page (JCHS and JCGS members pay half price on all rates)

Extended research: $20.00 per hour. Please specify amount of time and records to be searched. Due to limited staff, volunteers, and time, major research projects cannot be undertaken.

USE PERMISSION & FEES
Use fees apply to photographs which are published in any book, magazine, calendar, non-print media, etc., or which are used for displays, advertising purposes, etc. For non-private use of photographs duplicated from the JCHS photo collection, a written statement of intent must be approved by the Director of the JCHS Museum. If use is approved, a fee is charged and permission for "one-time, non-exclusive" use in one production is granted by formal letter. Upon production, a copy of the article, book, video, etc. in which a photo is used must be sent to the JCHS for inclusion in the JCHS Research Center reference collection. All public use of JCHS photographs must be acknowledged. All revenue generated by the photographic services beyond the cost of production are used to maintain the historic photo collection.

RESEARCH CENTER HOLDINGS

ABSTRACTS - Original Town Site. Miscellaneous Jefferson County (indexed).

BIOGRAPHIES - Miscellaneous published genealogical histories.

BIRTH RECORDS - 1892 - 1926.

CENSUS RECORDS (Microfilm):
Oregon Territory Census: 1850.
U.S. Federal Census: Jefferson County: 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920.
Washington Territorial Census: 1871, 1874, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1883, 1885, 1887, 1889, 1891 (partial index).

CHINESE - Miscellaneous information on the Chinese Community in Port Townsend.

CITY DIRECTORIES:
Port Townsend: 1887, 1890 and 1897.
Port Townsend and Jefferson County: from 1907 to present (not all years).

CIVIL WAR - Special Census: Washington State Civil War Veterans and their widows.

DEATH INDEX, WASHINGTON STATE Microfilm: 1907 - 1979.

FORTS - Casey, Flagler, Townsend, Worden.

GENEALOGY RECORDS - The Jefferson County Genealogical Society records include birth, marriage, and death records, manuscripts and files on Jefferson County residents.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION - Regulations, guidelines, and resources.

JEFFERSON COUNTY COMMUNITIES - Miscellaneous histories and archival documents.

LIBRARY BOOKS - List available on CLAN at area libraries. Reference use only.

MAPS

Sanborn Fire Maps for Port Townsend 1884, 1888, 1890, 1891, 1911, 1945.
Plat maps of Port Townsend.
Jefferson County Metsker Maps.
Miscellaneous area maps.

MARITIME - Documents and books on ships and shipping.

NATIVE AMERICAN - Miscellaneous records of Olympic Peninsula Tribes.

NATURALIZATION RECORDS - Index for Jefferson County: 1890 - 1926.

NEWSPAPERS

Port Townsend Leader:

Microfilm: 1889 - 1905, 1910 - 1993.
Bound Copies: 1906 - 1909, 1994 -1996.*
Loose copies - 1997 - Present.

Irondale News: 1910.
Quilcene Queen: May 1891 - May 1892.
Miscellaneous encapsulated and on film: 1868 -1900 (partial index).

ORAL HISTORIES - Volumes on Jefferson County residents.

PHOTOGRAPHS - Historic photographs

PORT TOWNSEND CITY RECORDS - 1868-1997 (partial index).

PROBATE RECORDS - Index to Superior Court records at the Jefferson County Court House.

PROTECTION ISLAND - Histories.

SCHOOL RECORDS - Jefferson County Schools.

SWAN, JAMES G. - Archival records and documents.

TAX RECORDS - Miscellaneous.

U.S. CUSTOMS - Archival records and documents.

WASHINGTON MILL CO. - Correspondence.

*no photo copies may be made from bound Leader volumes.