Submitted by C.O.

One of the more valuable resources for 20th Century research has been long overlooked because it was not readily available. That is no longer a problem. The draft registration forms from the Selective Service System of World War I have been microfilmed and are available as near as the Family History Center Branch Library. They are also at the National Archives and the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The registration for Benton County, Washington is on microfilms #1991533 (through surname Switzler) and #1991534 on indefinite loan at the Richland Branch Family History Center. There were three different registrations in 1917 and 1918. The FGS Forum (Vol. 8,no. 2, pp.8-9) has further information about what questions were asked on different registration dates. Briefly, they all included full name, home address, date of birth, age in years, citizenship information, and a brief personal description. All men between the ages of 18 and 45 (born between 1873 and 1900) were required to register. The information about place of birth for the registrant, his father's place of birth, and name and address of nearest relative required on these registrations is invaluable.

The forms are already in alphabetical order as on this list. The addition of the registrant's age and permanent address information make it easier to tell if you want to check the registration form of that individual. Many of these men probably did not stay in Benton County, Washington. There were a lot of them employed by the railroad. Some of the towns they resided in no longer exist, but they were located in Benton County unless otherwise indicated.

It was discovered that four forms were misplaced from the Chelan County, Washington file. The following men all surnamed Coleman: Albert Bert, age 26, of Blewett; George Austin, age 26, of Dryden; Harry Walter, age 28, of Entiat and Shirley Sherwood, age 21, of Leavenworth are to be found after Wesley Hart Sawyer. A copy of their information has been made for the Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society.