El Dorado County, California Genealogy

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

Description
El Dorado County's name is derived from the Spanish words meaning "the gilded/golden". The County Seat is Placerville and it was founded February 18, 1850. It is located in the east-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
El Dorado County Courthouse 2850 Fairlane Court Placerville, CA 95667 Phone: 530-621-5490 El Dorado County Website

County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records. County Recorder has birth, marriage, death burial, land and military records Historical Facts

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

 * El Dorado County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to El Dorado County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Historical Souvenir of El Dorado County, Ca: with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men & pioneers (Genealogy Trails)

Church Records

 * 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

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1860-1937 (*); El Dorado County (California). Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * Index to Federal Land Records, El Dorado County at USGenWeb Archives

Local Histories

 * 1891 El Dorado County 1891 (USGenWeb Archives)
 * El Dorado County History Records (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to El Dorado History Records (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Tales of El Dorado County (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 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
Early migration routes to and from El Dorado County for emigrant settlers included:
 * California Trail 1844 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Carson (River) Trail 1848 (aka Mormon Emigrant Trail) crossed the Forty Mile Desert past the west side of the Carson Sink to pick up the Carson River near Fallon, Nevada up to Hope Valley and Red Lake. The Devil's Ladder then climbed 700 feet (210 m) in half a mile so ropes, chains, and pulleys were required to lift the wagons. Carson Pass was followed by the relatively easy West Pass (Kirkwood, California) and then on to Pollock Pines, Placerville, and Sutter's Fort, California
 * Johnson's Cutoff 1850-1851 (aka Placerville Route, Lake Tahoe Route and Day's Route) from Carson City, Nevada past the south end of Lake Tahoe going south and then west to Placerville, California and Sacramento
 * Daggett Pass 1850 (aka Georgetown Pack Trail) Carson Valley, Nevada to Johnson's Cutoff near South Lake Tahoe, California
 * Grizzly Flat Road 1852 an extension of Carson Trail down the middle fork of the Consumnes River to Grizzly Flat and Placerville, California
 * Volcano Road 1852 from Coral Flat (Pioneer) on the Carson Trail to Volcano, California
 * Luther Pass Trail 1854 connected the Carson Trail and Johnson's Cutoff and allowed travelers to avoid Lake Tahoe. It became one of the routes to the Comstock Lode in Nevada


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

Military Records
 Civil War
 * 1883 List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883, El Dorado County (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1886 Placerville Post No. 108, G. A. R. 1886 (USGenWeb Archives)

Civil War service men in El Dorado County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in this county:
 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company B
 * - 4th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company F
 * - 5th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company G
 * - 5th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company H
 * - 7th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company G
 * - 8th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company K

 Spanish American War
 * Spanish American War Veterans, El Dorado County (Genealogy Trails)

World War I
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * World War I Honor List, El Dorado County (Genealogy Trails)

 World War II
 * El Dorado County Enlistees, World War II, Names A-F (USGenWeb Archives)
 * El Dorado County Enlistees, World War II, Names G-O (USGenWeb Archives)
 * El Dorado County Enlistees, World War II, Names P-Z (USGenWeb Archives)
 * El Dorado County Casualties, World War II (USGenWeb Archives)

 Korean War
 * El Dorado County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)

 Vietnam War
 * El Dorado County Casualties, Vietnam War (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & 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

 * Index to Genealogy Trails Obituaries
 * Index to USGenWeb Archives Obituaries
 * Index to CAGenWeb Project Obituaries

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
 * 1860-1934 El Dorado County Birth Notices (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1905-1930 Index to Birth Index by year (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

Marriage

 * 1800-2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho

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

 * Auburn California FamilySearch Center
 * El Dorado California FamilySearch Center
 * Jackson California FamilySearch Center
 * South Lake Tahoe California FamilySearch Center
 * California FamilySearch Center/ Sacramento California Family Search Library
 * California Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Doris Foley Library for Historical Research Nevada County Library - an affiliate library

Societies

 * El Dorado County Historical Society Fountain &amp; Tallman Museum 524 Main Street Placerville, CA 95667 Email: [mailto:edchistoricalsociety@gmail.com edchistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Phone: 530-626-0773 Website
 * Lake Tahoe Historical Society PO Box 404 South Lake Tahoe, CA 95705 Website

Websites

 * El Dorado County CAGenWeb and CA GenWeb
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * El Dorado County, California Genealogy Trails
 * El Dorado 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.

Research Guides

 * El Dorado Research Guide at California State Library