Hi. I'm new to Washington State genealogy and have an initial query I hope someone can answer off the top of his or her head.

I am helping a British Columbian family find more about their ancestors, which a B.C. marriage certificate now tells us include one Lucy Thompson, born ca. 1894 or 1895 in Washington State -- not the remotest indication which county or region, but it seems likely that she was American Indian. We'd love to peek at her birth certificate to learn about who HER parents were. Poking around, it seems that Washington State birth certificates from that period are retained only at the county level (is that right?). Is there ANY kind of index of these records anywhere? Is there any less expensive and quicker alternative to visiting each county seat in turn and looking for the right piece of paper? Are there online finding aids? An agency that will search for the document for a fee?

Hope someone can help.

Chris Roth
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
cfroth@earthlink.net