Difference between revisions of "California County Resources"
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|E4 || Tuolumne || 2 S. Green St, Sonora 95370 || 1850 || original||1858 ||1850||1859||1850||1852||1852 | |E4 || Tuolumne || 2 S. Green St, Sonora 95370 || 1850 || original||1858 ||1850||1859||1850||1852||1852 | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |J4 || Ventura || 800 S Victoria Ave, Ventura 93009 || 1872 || San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara||1873 ||1873||1872||1871*||1873||1873 | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | || colspan="10" | *Alcalde records from 1782; county land records begin 1871. | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | || colspan="10" | Land was later added from Los Angeles County in 1881. | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |B6 || Yolo || 625 Court St, Woodland 95695 || 1850 || original||1878 ||1878||1863||1849||1850||1850 | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | || colspan="10" | Land was later added from Solano County in 1857 | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |A7 || Yuba || 215 Fifth St, Marysville 95901 || 1850 || original||1853 ||1851||1858||1850||1850||1851 | ||
|- | |- |
Revision as of 20:36, 16 April 2010
This entry was originally written by Dwight A. Radford, Thelma Berkey Walsmith, and Nell Sachse Woodard in Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
The following is a listing of the extant vital, land, probate, and court records for each county. Some counties encompass land settled in the eighteenth century; their records pre-date county formation. Land transactions and vital records recorded in the county are at the county recorder's office. The county clerk generally has probate books and files from the county's superior court, civil court records, and naturalizations. Divorces may be in either place, depending on how they were filed.
The California State Archives and the FHL both have microfilms of selected county records. Current information for county offices can be found at www.state.ca.us/state/portal/myca_hompage.jsp and the California Association of Counties website at www.csac.counties.org.
California's records are fairly complex, due in part to the nature of how counties were formed. Land was often added to the different counties several times for years after a county was formed. It is therefore an extremely subjective process to determine a beginning date for California's early records, a process that is complicated by the changes in jurisdiction during the territorial period, Mexican period, and the Spanish period, which all generated records. The result is that any inventory of beginning dates for county records will vary depending on how a county record is defined.
To address this problem, several published sources and Internet sites were consulted and compared to verify the county list that follows, including the following references:
- Coy, Owen C. California County Boundaries: A Study of the Division of the State into Counties and the Subsequent Changes in Their Boundaries. Berkeley: California Historical Survey Commission, 1923.
- . Guide to the County Archives of California. Sacramento: California State Printing Office, 1919.
- 'The Birth of Each County and Later Significant Boundary Changes,' found at www.csac.counties.org.
- Sperling, Muriel. Sources of Genealogical Help in California. Burbank, Calif.: The Southern California Genealogical Society, 1990. Reprinted 2000.
- Nicklas, Laurie. The California Locator: A Directory of Public Records for Locating People Dead or Alive in California. Modesto, Calif.: Nicklas Publishing Co., 1996.
Map | County | County Address | Date Formed | Parent County(ies) | Birth | Marriage | Death | Land | Probate | Court |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D6 | Alameda | 1221 Oak St Ste 536, Oakland 94612-4224 | 1853 | Contra Costa/ Santa Clara | 1873 | 1853 | 1859 | 1853 | 1853 | 1853 |
D4 | Alpine | 99 Water St/ P.O. Box 158, Markleeville 91620-0158 | 1864 | El Dorado/Amador/ Calaveras/ Tuolumne | 1873 | 1864 | 1864 | 1864 | 1864 | 1864 |
C8 | Amador | 500 Argonaut Lane, Jackson 95642-6470 | 1854 | Calaveras/El Dorado | 1873 | 1854 | 1873 | 1854 | 1854 | 1854 |
Land from El Dorado was added in 1855 and again in 1857 and 1863 | ||||||||||
Branciforte | (renamed Santa Cruz in 1850) | original | ||||||||
C2 | Butte | 25 County Center Dr, Oroville 95965-3316 | 1850 | original | 1859 | 1851 | 1859 | 1846 | 1850 | 1850 |
C8 | Calaveras | 891 Mountain Ranch Road, San Adreas 95249-9713 | 1850 | original | 1858 | 1854 | 1858 | 1850 | 1866 | 1850 |
A6 | Colusa | 546 Jay St, Colusa 95932-2400 | 1850 | original | 1873 | 1873 | 1873 | 1844 | 1851 | 1851 |
Attached to Butte County for administration until it was organized in 1851. Land was later added from counties Yolo (1851), Butte (1856) , and Sutter (1856) . | ||||||||||
D6 | Contra Costa | 651 Pine St. Rm 106, Martinez 94553-1229 | 1850 | original | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 |
A1 | Del Norte | 555 H St, Crescent City 95531 | 1857 | Klamath | 1873 | 1857 | 1873 | 1853 | 1848 | 1848 |
Land was later added from counties Siskiyou (1887) and Humboldt (1901) . | ||||||||||
B8 | El Dorado | 330 Fair Lane, Placerville 95667-4103 | 1850 | original | 1878 | 1851 | 1907 | 1851 | 1850 | 1850 |
Land from Placer County was added in 1863 | ||||||||||
G3 | Fresno | 2281 Tulare St, Fresno 93721 | 1856 | Mariposa/Merced/Tulare | 1873 | 1856 | 1873 | 1856 | 1880 | 1856 |
Land was later added from counties Merced (1856) and Tulare (1856) | ||||||||||
C2 | Glenn | 526 W Sycamore St, Willows 95988-2746 | 1891 | Colusa | 1895 | 1891 | 1891 | 1891 | 1891 | 1891 |
Land from Mendocino County was added in 1907. | ||||||||||
A1 | Humboldt | 825 Fifth St, Eureka 95501-1153 | 1853 | Trinity | 1873 | 1864 | 1873 | 1874 | 1853 | 1853 |
Land was later added from counties Mendocino (1860), Klamath (1875), and Del Norte (1901) . | ||||||||||
G6 | Inyo | 168 N Edwards St, Independence 93526 | 1866 | Tulare/Mono | 1905 | 1873 | 1905 | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 |
Land was later added from counties Mono (1870) San Bernardino (1872) , and Kern (1872) . | ||||||||||
H5 | Kern | 1115 Truxton Ave, Bakersfield 93301-4617 | 1866 | Tulare/Los Angeles | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 | 1866 | 1866 |
Land from San Luis Obispo was added in 1866. | ||||||||||
G4 | Kings | 1400 W Lacy Blvd, Hanford 93230-5905 | 1893 | Tulare | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 |
Land from Fresno County was added in 1909. | ||||||||||
Klamath | 1851 | Trinity | ||||||||
Abolished 1874; parts annexed to Humboldt and Siskiyou. | ||||||||||
C1 | Lake | 255 N Forbes St, Lakeport 95453-4759 | 1861 | Napa | 1867 | 1867 | 1867 | 1867 | 1867 | 1867 |
Land was later added from counties Mendocino (1864) and Calusa (1868). | ||||||||||
A3 | Lassen | 221 S. Roop St, Susanville 96130 | 1864 | Plumas/Shasta | 1864 | 1864 | 1874 | 1857 | 1864 | 1863 |
Land from Plumas County was added in 1872. | ||||||||||
J5 | Los Angeles | 500 W Temple St, Los Angeles 90012-2713 | 1850 | original | 1849 | 1850 | 1874 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 |
Land was later added from counties Mariposa (1851) and Santa Barbara (1851) . | ||||||||||
F4 | Madera | 209 W Yosemite Ave, ,Madera 93637-3534 | 1893 | Fresno | 1883 | 1893 | 1892 | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 |
D1 | Marin | Civic Center, Rm 329, San Raphael 94903 | 1850 | original | 1868 | 1857 | 1873 | 1834 | 1850 | 1850 |
E4 | Mariposa | 5100 Bullion St, Mariposa 95338 | 1850 | original | 1873 | 1851 | 1873 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 |
C1 | Mendocino | 501 Low Gap Rd, Ukiah 95482-3734 | 1850 | original | 1859 | 1859 | 1859 | 1852 | 1854 | 1858 |
Attached to Sonoma County from administrative purposes until 1859 . | ||||||||||
F3 | Merced | 2222 M St, Merced 95340-3729 | 1855 | Mariposa | 1873 | 1855 | 1889 | 1856 | 1855 | 1855 |
A4 | Modoc | 204 Court St, Alturas 96101 | 1874 | Siskiyou | 1894 | 1874 | 1882 | 1874 | 1874 | 1874 |
E5 | Mono | P.O. Box 715, Bridgeport 93517 | 1861 | Calaveras/Fresno/Mariposa | 1873 | 1862 | 1877 | 1861 | 1864 | 1864 |
Land from Amador County was added in 1866 . | ||||||||||
G2 | Monterey | 240 Church St, Salinas 93901-2695 | 1850 | original | 1824 | 1887 | 1887 | 1850* | 1850 | 1850 |
*Alcalde records from 1781. See Land Records. Land from San Luis Obispo was added in 1863 and 1872 . | ||||||||||
C6 | Napa | 1195 Third St Rm 310, Napa 94559-3035 | 1850 | original | 1868 | 1850 | 1873 | 1848 | 1851 | 1849 |
Land was added from counties Lake (1872) and Solano (1855) | ||||||||||
A8 | Nevada | 950 Maidu Ave, Nevada City 95959-8617 | 1851 | Yuba | 1873 | 1856 | 1873 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 |
Land was added from counties Yuba (1852) and Sierra (1856) . | ||||||||||
K5 | Orange | 10 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana 92701-4017 | 1889 | Los Angeles | 1887 | 1889 | 1889 | 1889 | 1889 | 1889 |
B8 | Placer | 175 Fulweiler Ave, Auburn 95603-4543 | 1851 | Yuba/Sutter | 1873 | 1851 | 1873 | 1851 | 1850 | 1852 |
Land was added from El Dorado County in 1913 . | ||||||||||
Land was added from Sierra County in 1866. | ||||||||||
K7 | Riverside | 4080 Lemon St, 14th Floor, Riverside 92501-3679 | 1893 | San Diego/San Bernardino | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 | 1893 |
C7 | Sacramento | 700 H St, Sacramento 95814-1216 | 1850 | original | 1858 | 1850 | 1850 | 1848 | 1849 | 1849 |
F2 | San Benito | 481 Fourth St, Hollister 95023-3840 | 1874 | Monterey | 1850 | 1874 | 1874 | 1850 | 1874 | 1874 |
Land was later added from counties Fresno (1887) and Merced (1887). | ||||||||||
F2 | San Benito | 481 Fourth St, Hollister 95023-3840 | 1874 | Monterey | 1850 | 1874 | 1874 | 1850 | 1874 | 1874 |
J7 | San Bernardino | 385 N. Arrowhead Ave, San Bernardino 92415-0110 | 1853 | Los Angeles | 1854 | 1854 | 1873 | 1854 | 1856 | 1853 |
Land was from Los Angeles County in 1878. | ||||||||||
K6 | San Diego | 1600 Pacific Hwy, San Diego 92101-2429 | 1850 | original | 1860 | 1850 | 1851 | 1850 | 1848 | 1855 |
F1 | San Francisco | 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlet Place, San Francisco 94102-4603 | 1850 | original | 1860 | 1850 | 1851 | 1850 | 1848 | 1855 |
Extensive record loss caused by the 1906 earthquake; some records re-registered. | ||||||||||
D7 | San Joaquin | 222 E Weber Ave Rm 701, Stockton 95202-2709 | 1850 | original | 1860 | 1850 | 1858 | 1850 | 1850 | 1851 |
Land was later added from Sacramento County in 1878. | ||||||||||
H3 | San Luis Obispo | 1050 Monterey Rm 370, San Luis Obispo 93408-2040 | 1850 | original | 1857 | 1850 | 1873 | 1881 | 1854 | 1854 |
Land was later added from counties Santa Barbara (1854 and 1872), Monterey (1861), and Kerns (1885). | ||||||||||
E1 | San Mateo | 400 County Center, Redwood City 94063-1668 | 1856 | San Francisco/Santa Cruz | 1865 | 1853 | 1865 | 1856 | 1856 | 1871 |
Land from Santa Cruz County was added in 1868. | ||||||||||
J3 | Santa Barbara | 105 E Anapamu St, Santa Barbara 93101-6054 | 1850 | original | 1859 | 1850 | 1873 | 1844* | 1854 | 1850 |
*Alcalde records included from 1779. See Land Records | ||||||||||
Land was added from San Luis Obispo in 1852 and 1872. | ||||||||||
F2 | Santa Clara | 70 W Hedding St, San Jose 95110 | 1850 | original | 1873 | 1846 | 1873 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 |
F2 | Santa Cruz | 701 Ocean St, Santa Cruz 95060-4003 | 1850 (as Branciforte; renamed, 1850) | original | 1873 | 1851 | 1873 | 1847* | 1850 | 1850 |
*Alcalde records included from 1779. See Land Records | ||||||||||
A2 | Shasta | 1815 Yuba St Ste 1, Redding 96001 | 1850 | original | 1873 | 1852 | 1873 | 1852 | 1850 | 1850 |
Land was added from Plumas County in 1872. | ||||||||||
C3 | Sierra | P.O. Box D, Downieville 95936 | 1852 | Yuba | 1857 | 1853 | 1873 | 1852 | 1852 | 1852 |
Land was added from counties Yuba (1866) and Plumas (1863 and 1866). | ||||||||||
A2 | Siskiyou | P.O. Box 338 Yreka 96097 | 1852 | Shasta/Klamath | 1850 | 1852 | 1873 | 1852 | 1852 | 1852 |
Land was added from counties Klamath (1875) and Del Norte (1887). | ||||||||||
C6 | Solano | 580 Texas St, Fairfield 94533 | 1850 | original | 1873 | 1850 | 1873 | 1848 | 1850 | 1850 |
Land was added from More Island in Solano County in 1853. | ||||||||||
D1 | Sonoma | 575 Administration Dr, Santa Rosa 95401 | 1850 | original | 1858 | 1846 | 1873 | 1841 | 1850 | 1848 |
Land was added from Mendocino County in 1855 and again in 1859. | ||||||||||
E3, D7 | Stanislaus | 1010 Tenth St, Ste 6500, Modesto 95354 | 1854 | Tuolumne/San Joaquin | 1873 | 1854 | 1873 | 1854 | 1854 | 1854 |
Land was added from counties San Joaquin (1860) and Merced (1868). | ||||||||||
B7 | Sutter | 1160 Civic Center Blvd, Yuba City 95993 | 1850 | original | 1873 | 1850 | 1873 | 1849 | 1872 | 1854 |
Land was later added from counties Placer (1866) and Butte (1852, 1854, and 1866). | ||||||||||
B2 | Tehama | 332 Pine St/P.O. Box 250, Red Bluff 96080 | 1856 | Colusa/Butte/Shasta | 1889 | 1856 | 1889 | 1856 | 1856 | 1856 |
Land was later added from Shasta (1857) and Butte (1857). | ||||||||||
B1 | Trinity | 101 Court St/P.O. Box 1613, Weaverville 96093 | 1850 | original | 1873 | 1857 | 1873 | 1855 | 1860 | 1854 |
For the first year of organization, Trinity County was attached to Shasta County. | ||||||||||
Land was later added from counties Klamath (1855) and Mendocino (1860, 1872). | ||||||||||
G4 | Tulare | 2800 W Burrel, Visalia 93291 | 1852 | Mariposa | 1852 | 1852 | 1873 | 1854 | 1854 | 1854 |
E4 | Tuolumne | 2 S. Green St, Sonora 95370 | 1850 | original | 1858 | 1850 | 1859 | 1850 | 1852 | 1852 |
J4 | Ventura | 800 S Victoria Ave, Ventura 93009 | 1872 | San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara | 1873 | 1873 | 1872 | 1871* | 1873 | 1873 |
*Alcalde records from 1782; county land records begin 1871. | ||||||||||
Land was later added from Los Angeles County in 1881. | ||||||||||
B6 | Yolo | 625 Court St, Woodland 95695 | 1850 | original | 1878 | 1878 | 1863 | 1849 | 1850 | 1850 |
Land was later added from Solano County in 1857 | ||||||||||
A7 | Yuba | 215 Fifth St, Marysville 95901 | 1850 | original | 1853 | 1851 | 1858 | 1850 | 1850 | 1851 |