Tehama County, California Genealogy

Guide to Tehama County, California ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The county was named for the City of Tehama. The county seat Red Bluff and the county was created 1856. The County is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Tehama County Courthouse 1740 Walnut St. Red Bluff, CA 96080 Phone: 530-527-3484 Tehama County Website County Clerk has birth and death records from 1889, marriage records from 1856 and military records from 1944.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Biographies

 * Index to Tehama County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Tehama County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Tehema County Transcribed Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)

Church Records
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Corning
 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Local Histories

 * California Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of California (1850-1925)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
Online Records
 * 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Early migration routes to and from Tehama County for emigrant settlers included:
 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * The Lassen Cutoff 1848 was established by gold rushers from Oregon going to California. It branched off the Applegate Trail at Davis Creek, went through Devil's Garden to the Pit River passing east of Mt. Lassen, and turning west to Lassen Rancho, California, and from there to Sacramento. In some years as much as 1/3 of emigrants mistakenly took the Applegate Trail-Lassen Cutoff, a much longer and more difficult trail than the Truckee or Carson routes.
 * Nobles Road 1851 from the Applegate Trail at Rabbithole Springs in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada to Shasta City, California

Military Records

 * 1883 Tehama County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)

 Civil War
 * 1886 Roster of Civil War Veterans, J. K. Mansfield Post No. 75, G. A. R. 1886 (USGenWeb Archives)

World War I
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

 World War II
 * Index to Tehama County World War II Army Enlistees (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Tehama County, World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research
 * California, U.S., Newspapers.com Stories and Events Index at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Obituaries

 * Tehama County Obituary Index (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Tehama County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Voting Records

 * 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1782-1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1833-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Early Tehama County Birth Notices by year (Genealogy Trails)

Marriage

 * 1800-2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1854-1860 Tehama County Marriage Index, 1854-1860 (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho
 * Early Tehama County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)

Death

 * 1776-2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1905-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1940-1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

Divorce

 * 1966-1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

FamilySearch Centers

 * Anderson California FamilySearch Center
 * Chico California FamilySearch Center
 * Corning California FamilySearch Center
 * Paradise California FamilySearch Center
 * Quincy California FamilySearch Center
 * Red Bluff California FamilySearch Center
 * Redding California FamilySearch Center

Societies

 * Tehama County Genealogical and Historical Society P. 0. Box 415 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Website

Websites

 * Tehama County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Tehama County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Tehama County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.