Calaveras County, California Genealogy

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

Description
Calaveras is Spanish for "skulls"; the county was reportedly named for the remains of Native Americans discovered by the Spanish explorer Captain Gabriel Moraga. The county is located in the east-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Calaveras County Courthouse 400 Government Center Drive San Andreas, CA 95249 Phone: 209-754-9800 Calaveras County Website

County Recorder has birth records from 1860, marriage, death and divorce records from 1882, probate and court records from 1866, land records from 1852 mining claims from 1850

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

 * A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Merced, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa, California. New Haven, Connecticut : Research Publications, 1968. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * Calaveras County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Calaveras County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)

Census Records

 * 1852 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1940 1940 U.S. Federal Census

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

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1907-1948 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1893-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1903 (*); County Judge, Calaveras County at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1852-1923 (*); County Judge, Calaveras County at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1852-1931 (*); County Judge, Calaveras County at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1860-1923 (*); County Judge, Calaveras County at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * BLM Land Grants
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Merced, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa, California. New Haven, Connecticut : Research Publications, 1968. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * Legends of Calaveras County. By Fred S. Cook. Volcano, California : California Traveler, [200-?]. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Brief History of Calaveras County
 * California Pioneer Project
 * California Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Calaveras County 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 Calaveras County for emigrant settlers included:
 * California Trail 1844 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Carson (River) Trail 1848 (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
 * Big Tree Road (Ebbetts Pass) 1851 from western Nevada to Markleeville, Murphys, and Stockton, California
 * California Pioneer Project
 * 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Military Records
 Civil War
 * - 8th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company H

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

 World War II
 * World War II Enlistments, Calaveras County, A-L (USGenWeb Archives)
 * World War II Enlistments, Calaveras County, M-Z (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel, Calaveras County, CA (Genealogy Trails)

 Vietnam War
 * Calaveras County Casualty List (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1852-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1868-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1915-1976 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * Chronicling America LOC Newspaper Project
 * California Digital Newspaper Project

Obituaries

 * 1850-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Index to Calaveras County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Calaveras County Obituary Index (Genealogy Trails)

Voting Records

 * 1850-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1905-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1940-1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * California Probate 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
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

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
 * 1858-1974 Calaveras County Birth Records, 1858-1974 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; microfilm
 * 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Marriage
 ''Online Resources
 * 1800-2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1949-1959 California, Marriage Index, 1949-1959 at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 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
 * 1835-1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Divorce

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

Archives
Calaveras County Archives 891 Mountain Ranch Road San Andreas, CA 95249 Phone: 209-754-3918 Website

FamilySearch Centers

 * Jackson California FamilySearch Center
 * Modesto California North FamilySearch Center
 * Sonora California FamilySearch Center
 * Stockton California FamilySearch Center
 * Sacramento California FamilySearch Center
 * California Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Museums
Calaveras County Historical Museum Website

Societies
Calaveras County Historical Society P.O. Box 721 30 N. Main St. San Andreas, CA 95249 Phone: 209-754-1058 Website Calaveras Genealogical Society PO Box 184 Angels Camp, CA 95222 Website

Websites

 * Calaveras County CAGenWeb and CA GenWeb
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Calaveras County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Calaveras County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
 * California Pioneer Project


 * – 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

 * Calaveras Research Guide at California State Library