Are birth certificates available for someone born in Westport around ~1893? I'm specifically looking for Raymond Seymore Shamley, born Sept 23, 1893 or 1894.

Thank you in advance.

Hi,
If one exists it would be held at the County Auditor's office, 360-249-4232. Grays Harbor County Auditor, 100 W. Broadway, Suite 2, Montesano, WA 98563. Successful Searching!

You deserve an explanation. Birth Certificates were not REQUIRED by the State until 1907. Certificates were not issued for most births at that time, but there could have been a notation made locally. I don't think Drivers Licenses were required until sometime in the 40's.

I found him in the World War I Draft Registration Card image database, which you may already have. It shows DOB as 9/23/1894; but I've found about half of the birth dates were off by one year.

Here is a website regarding the BC's:
http://www.doh.wa.gov/EHSPHL/CHS/cert.htm

Thank you so much! I'll give them a try.

- Best wishes

Thank you so much! Your detailed explanation answered a lot of questions I had and it is truly appreciated. I do have the draft card but lost the "trail" for anything before 1900. I also have a wonderful picture of him on horseback in deep snow taken between 1910 and 1915. Caption on the back in his handwriting "Picture of me delivering mail in Clallum County." Unfortunately he passed away when I was very young so I'm pretty much left with the stories my mother shared. Thanks again!!

No Birth Certificate, but did some additional research. Don't know what you have or don't have; but probably found the correct birth date. If you have any info on his family, you might have, or this "may" identify it:

From the book: Snohomish County in the War, William H. Mason, published 1927, 448 pages.
Page 174 (could send via email, must have your email address)
Shamley, Raymond S. Everett.
Born September 23, 1893, at Westport. Son of the late Thomas and Emma Shamley. Wife, Henrietta Louisa Shamley, 3620 Colby Ave. Private Shamley entered the 166th D. B. at Camp Lewis May 24, 1918. On June 20, 1918, he was transferred to Co. E, 361st Infantry, 91st Division, and went to France with the "Wild West" Division. He was in reserve at St. Mihiel with the 91st, and went into action on September 26th in the Meuse-Argonne with the machine gun squads as a carrier and later as a gunner. On October 8th, while activing as a gunner, he was wounded and returned to the United States on November 24, 1918, just six months after his entry into Camp Lewis. Discharged at Camp Lewis July 9, 1919. 2,785,512. Private, first class. Private Shamley and Miss Henrietta Louisa Gillespie were married February 6, 1916. They have a son, Rex Gillespie Shamley, a war baby, born February 12, 1919.

Other research:
Westport was incorporated on June 26, 1914

In the 1900 Census, I find only 289 persons listed as living in Westport (It was Chehalis County at the time. It was named Grays Harbor in 1915, formed in 1854). But, there is no knowledge known or presented that Raymond would be living in Westport in 1900. Perhaps you know.
--In Chehalis Co, is found a Thomas Shamley, born Feb 1877, age 23, born in Kansas to both parents born in Ireland, he was a locomotive fireman. This person might be to young
--There were no "Ray" in Chehalis county at the time
--There were 53 "sons" of a woman named Emma in 1900 in Washington where the son was born 1 year plus/minus of 1894, in Sep.
--There were 66 "Ray*" (where * is a wildcard for any letters/words following), born in "Sep", 2 years plus/minus of 1894, living in Chehalis County.
--By 1910, Ray was a hired hand in Clallam County.

The Washington Territorial Census of 1885 for Chehalis, found on the same page. It is impossible to read on Ancestry.com, but fully readible on the below WA State Archives:
Thomas Shamley, age 35, born IL
Emma Shamley, age 26, born Wisconsin
Alice, age 11
Clyde, age 8
Thomas, age 4
Frank, age 2,
Fred, age 1 month, born WA
(If you have his obituary, it might identify any siblings, perhaps you know their names also).
--Social Security Death Index shows a Thomas Shamley, born 12/13/1880, died August 1979.

The WA Digitial Archives http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/default.aspx
shows a Thos' Shamley, marriage to a Della W. Fogle on 6 May 1914, King County; witnesses Grace L. McNamara and W.K. Hitchcock. There is NO proof this is the correct person, or the same person as above, "possibly" the Thomas born 1880.
--Under "Frontier Justice", Thomas J. Shamley filed civit suit for collection of his wages in Grays Harbor in 1884. Probably a different Thos Shamley than the one in the 1900 census due to age. But, "could" be the one found in the 1885 census with Emma. No image for this one.
--A Harold Shamley of Raymond, WA and Ann Wessner of South Bend, WA, on 8 December 1941 in Grays Harbor, in prescene of Nina B. Wolfenbargar and Lulu M. Monohon.

The Washington Death Certificate Index has
--Rex Gillespie Shamley, death 20 Sep 1919 in Port Angeles, Clallam Co, son of Raymond Seymore Shamley and Henrietta "Gallispie".
--Alice Elizabeth Shamley, 14 August 1928 in Port Angeles, age 4 years, 4 months, 26 days. Father: Ray Shambley, mother Lucile Barrett. Doesn't appear to be the correct person, but mistakes are made on DC's.

Ron Bestrom

Hi Ron. You literally took my breath away. Granted, I've only been trying to track down my grandfather's lineage for a short time, but you have supplied me with more information in this one post than I've gathered in the last six months. My mother had never said anything about my grandfather actually fighting during WW1. My mother has passed and I have no other connection to this branch of the family so your information is invaluable to me. I truly appreciate your generous offer to send me an extract from book you referenced. My email is cwppwc@yahoo.com

I will never be able to adequately express my appreciation for the information that you have provided. It has helped me fill an empty "void" in my life and for that I will be eternally grateful.

- Mike Hartman