Madera County, California Genealogy

Guide to Madera 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 has birth, marriage, death, divorce, probate court and land records from 1893 and some voting records

Parent County
11 March 1893: Madera County was created from Fresno County. County seat: Madera

Description
The county was named from the town of Madera, named when the California Lumber Company built a log flume to carry lumber to the railroad there in 1876. The county seat Madera and the county was created 1893. 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
1906: Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.

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

 * Fresno
 * Mariposa
 * Merced
 * Mono
 * Tuolumne

Biography

 * Index to Madera County Biographies - Scroll down to "Biographies" (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Madera County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)

Census

 * Madera County Census Records - Scroll down to "Census Records."

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

History

 * Madera County History (CAGenWeb Project)

Land and Property

 * Madera County Index to Federal Land Patents (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps

 * Maps of California (1850-1925)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

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

Military History and Records

 * Madera County War Memorial (CAGenWeb Project)

World War I

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

World War II

 * Madera County Surname Index to World War II Army Inductees (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Madera County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Madera County Naturalizations - Declarations of Intent (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Madera County Naturalizations - Petitions for Citizenship (CAGenWeb Project)

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 Madera County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Madera 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

 * Madera County Libraries (Genealogy Trails)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Auberry California Family History Center
 * Fresno California East Family History Center
 * Fresno California Family History Center
 * Fresno California West Family History Center
 * Madera California Family History Center
 * Mariposa California Family History Center
 * Merced California Family History Center
 * Oakhurst California Family History Center


 * Madera County Library - an affiliate library

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
 * 1878 - 1905 Madera County Births (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1905 - 1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)


 * 1905 - 1915 Madera County Births (CAGenWeb Project)

Marriage
(Madera extracted)] (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 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($)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index
 * 1855 - 1897 [https://cagenweb.org/madera/FresnoMarriages1855.htm Fresno County Index to Marriage Licenses, Vol. 1, 1855-1897
 * 1893 - 1905 Madera Marriages (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)

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
 * 1850 1850 Mariposa County, California Mortality Schedule (Includes Madera County) (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1892 - 1905 Madera County, CA Record of Deaths (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1905 - 1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1912 - 1913 Jay Chapel Funerals - Small Cemeteries (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 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 ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index, ($)


 * 1871, 1872, 1880, 1894, 1900, 1898, 1920 Great Registers of Voters for Madera County - Scroll down to "Great Registers of Voters." (CAGenWeb Project)

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Madera County Historical Society P.O. Box 478 210 West Yosemite Avenue Madera, CA; (559) 673-0291 Facebook

Madera Genealogical Society P.O. Box 495 Madera 93639 Phone: 559-673-0291 Website

Coarsegold Historical Society P.O. Box 117 Coarsegold, CA 93614 Phone (559) 642-4448 Facebook


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

Websites

 * Madera County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Madera County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * FamilySearch Catalog
 * Madera County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Madera County, CA Genealogy