Lake County, California Genealogy

Guide to Lake County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records. California Online Genealogy Records

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth, marriage, death and land records from 1867, mining and miscellaneous records; Clerk Superior Court has divorce, probate and court records

Parent County
20 May 1861: Lake County was created from Napa County. County seat: Lakeport

Description
The county was named from Clear Lake, the dominant geographic feature in the county and the largest natural lake wholly within California. The County Seat is Lakeport and was founded May 20, 1861. It is located in the northwest area of the state.

Boundary Changes
"Rotating Formation California County Boundary Maps" (1850-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
1867 Courthouse burned down and all earlier records were destroyed.

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:

Neighboring Counties

 * Colusa
 * Glenn
 * Mendocino
 * Napa
 * Sonoma
 * Yolo

Biography

 * Index to Lake County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Lake County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)

Census

 * 1860 - Census, Napa County, California, Clear Lake Township (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1870 - Index of Lake County Census Records by Location (USGenWeb Archives)

Church History and Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * 1867 - Pacific Coast Business Directory for Lake County (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1878 - 1879 - McKenney's District Directory - Lake County Portion (CAGenWeb Project)

Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

History

 * Lake County, in Memorial And Biographical History Of Northern California (USGenWeb Archives)

Land and Property

 * Index to Federal Land Patents, Lake County (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Migration

 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Civil War

 * Lake County Civil War Veterans and Cemeteries (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Lake County List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)

World War I

 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images


 * Lake County WWI Draft Registrations (CAGenWeb Project)

World War II

 * Lake County Index of World War II Army Enlistment Records (Genealogy Trails)
 * World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel, Lake County, California (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1852-1989 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

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

Obituaries

 * Lake County Obituaries and Death Notices (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Lake County Obituary Index (Genealogy Trails)

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

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Highlands California Family History Center (Clearlake)
 * Lakeport California Family History Center

Societies
Lake County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 1323 Lakeport 95453 Website

Lake County Historical Society P.O. Box 1011 Lakeport 95453 Website

Taxation

 * 1872-73 - Lake County Delinquent Taxes - Fiscal Year 1872-73 (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1874-75 - Lake County Delinquent Taxes - Fiscal Year 1874-75 (CAGenWeb Project)

Birth

 * 1800 - 1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1812 - 1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1875 - 1899 - Lake County Birth Notices (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1905 - 1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)


 * 1905 - 1910 - Lake County Birth Index by Year (Genealogy Trails)
 * To 1910 - Lake County Births from County Birth Indexes and Newspapers (CAGenWeb Project)

Marriage

 * 1800 - 2007 California, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1850 - 1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection index
 * 1850 - 1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Lake County Marriage Notices (CAGenWeb Project)

Divorce

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

Death

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

Voting Registers

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

Websites

 * Lake County CAGenWeb
 * Lake County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * USGenWeb Archives backup site
 * FamilySearch Catalog
 * Lake County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Lake County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)