Tuolumne County, California Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
County Clerk Recorder has birth records from 1858 marriage records from 1850, death records from 1859 burial records from 1916 divorce, probate, court and land  from 1850 and old newspapers 1862-1948

Parent County
18 February 1850: Tuolumne County was created as an original county. County seat: Sonora

Description
The county was named Tuolumne is of Native American origin and has been given different meanings, such as Many Stone Houses, The Land of Mountain Lions and, Straight Up Steep, the latter an interpretation of William Fuller, a native Chief. Mariano Vallejo, in his report to the first California State Legislature, said that the word is "a corruption of the Indian word talmalamne which signifies 'cluster of stone wigwams.'" The name may mean "people who dwell in stone houses," i.e., in caves.. Tularemia is named after Tulare County. The county seat Sonora and the county was created 1850. The County is located in the 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
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

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

 * Alpine
 * Calaveras
 * Mariposa
 * Merced
 * Mono
 * Stanislaus

Biography

 * Index to Tuolumne County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Tuolumne County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Index to Tuolumne County Published Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)

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

Gazetteers

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

Land and Property
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1850-1886 (*); Tuolumne County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * Index to Tuolumne County Federal Land Records (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 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


 * Big Tree Road (Ebbetts Pass) 1851 from western Nevada to Markleeville, Murphys, Sonora, and Stockton, California
 * Sonora Road 1852-1854 from the Carson Trail south to the Walker River along the base of the Sierra Nevada until it ascends to Sonora Pass and then down to Strawberry and Sonora, California

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

World War I

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

World War II

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

 * Index to Tuolumne County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Tuolumne 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

Archives, Libraries and Museums
The official records of Tuolumne County, one of California's 27 original counties, are located in the Carlo M. De Ferrari Archive. The building was designed in 1997 by Cooper Kessel, an East Sonora architect and built by Barham Industrial Constructors, Inc. in 1999. It was dedicated for public use on December 21, 1999, and officially opened on June 8, 2001.

Address: 490 Greenley Rd., Sonora, Ca 95370

Phone: (209)536-1163

Email Contacts: [mailto:amattos@co.tuolumne.ca.us amattos@co.tuolumne.ca.us]

Hours: By appointment, Monday through Friday

The archive was named in honor of Carlo M. De Ferrari, a third generation Tuolumne County native son and "Official Historian of Tuolumne County," a title bestowed in 1972 by the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors in recognition of his extensive knowledge of local history and his dedication to its preservation.

The county archivist oversees general administration of the archive. All records accepted for preservation in the archive must have a historical connection to official county governmental business.

Over 250,000 records from this collection have been entered into the Archive's database for the public to access and query. The public can access the collection via the Tuolumne County's website at the following portal.

Carlo M. De Ferrari Archive (Tuolumne County Archive)

To begin searching the archives, click the Online Index button. The User Id for the public is Research; no Password is needed. Click the Enter button, then click Archives from the dropdown list. Press Go.

Tuolumne County Library Website

The current listing of books is available via the internet on the Tuolumne County Library web page. The books are available for researchers at the archive as reference material.

 Columbia State Park Archives 

Corner of Main & Fulton, Columbia, CA 95310

Phone: (209)536-2646

Email: columbialibraryarchives@gmail.com

Hours:


 * Tuesday: Noon to 3:00 P.M.
 * Thursday 10 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.
 * 2nd Saturday of month: 12:30 P.M. to 2:30 P.M.
 * Alternative hours by appointment

FamilySearch Centers

 * Lodi California FamilySearch Center
 * Groveland California FamilySearch Center
 * Jackson California FamilySearch Center
 * Mariposa California FamilySearch Center
 * Modesto California FamilySearch Center
 * Modesto California North FamilySearch Center
 * Murphys California FamilySearch Center
 * Sonora California FamilySearch Center
 * Stockton California FamilySearch Center
 * Turlock California FamilySearch Center

Societies
The Tuolumne County Historical Society, established in 1956, is home to the Tuolumne County Museum, Tuolumne County History Center and the Tuolumne County Genealogical Society.

Vital Records
See also 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($)


 * Early Tuolumne 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
 * 1850 - 1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Early Tuolumne County Marriage Notices by year (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 ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index, ($)

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Tuolumne County Genealogical Society 158 West Bradford Street, Sonora, CA 95370 Phone:209-532-1317 Website

Tuolumne County Historical Society P.O. Box 695, Sonora, CA 95370

Phone: 209-532-4227 Website


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

Websites

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