Shasta County, California Genealogy

Guide to Shasta 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 divorce, probate and court records from 1880 County Recorder has birth, marriage and death records

www.co.shasta.ca.us/

Parent County
18 February 1850: Shasta County was created as an original county. County seat: Redding

Description
The county was named after Mount Shasta; the name "Shasta" is derived from the English equivalent for the name of an Indian tribe that once lived in the area. The county seat Redding and the county was created 1850. The County is located in the north central area of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating California county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation California County Boundary Maps" (1850-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Records Loss
14 June 1853: All records were destroyed in the great fire of June 14th, 1853

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:

Indian Reservations or Rancherias
The Big Bend Indian Rancheria is located in this county.

Neighboring Counties

 * Lassen
 * Modoc
 * Plumas
 * Siskiyou
 * Tehama
 * Trinity

Biography

 * Shasta County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Shasta County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Index to Biographies of Pioneers in Shasta County, CA (CAGenWeb project)

Church History and Records

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

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Redding
 * Shasta

List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

Gazetteers

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

History

 * Shasta County History Records (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1891 - Shasta County 1891 (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps

 * 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 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

Online Records


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

Military History and Records

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

Civil War

 * - 4th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company C


 * 1886 - Civil War Veterans Rosters, G.A.R. Posts, Shasta County, California (USGenWeb Archives)

World War I

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

World War II

 * Index to Shasta County World War II Army Enlistees (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Shasta 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

Obituaries

 * Early Shasta County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Shasta County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

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
 * Anderson California Family History Center
 * Fall River California Family History Center
 * Redding California Family History Center

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Shasta Genealogical Society P.O. Box 493431 Redding, CA 96049-3431 Website Shasta County Historical Society 1449 Market Street Redding, CA 96001 Phone: 530-243-3720 Website


 * List of California Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Vital Records
See also [http://www.genealogyinc.com/california/ca-vital-records/ How to order California Vital Records

Birth

 * 1800 - 1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1812 - 1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 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
 * 1850 - 1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1850 - 1860 - Shasta County Marriages (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Early Shasta County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)

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 ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index, ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index, ($)

Websites

 * Shasta County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Shasta County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * FamilySearch Catalog
 * Shasta County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Shasta County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)