Lincoln County, Nevada Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States in 1866. It is located in the southeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Lincoln County Courthouse 181 Main Street Pioche, NV 89043 Phone: 775-962-5390 Lincoln County Website County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1873.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes
Lincoln County boundaries were modified on three other occasions. In 1867, a portion of the western edge of Lincoln County was ceded to Nye County. In 1875, the northern boundary was adjusted following the acquisition of the northeast corner of Nye County. But the largest boundary adjustment occurred in the year 1909, when Lincoln County was split in half and Clark County was formed from the southern half.
 * Parent County: created 26 February 1866 from Nye
 * County Seat: Pioche
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nevada - shows boundary changes for Nevada Counties
 * Nevada Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

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:

Planned development Ghost Towns''
 * Coyote Springs — a proposed community for 240,000 people.

List of Ghost Towns in Nevada

A selected list, previously posted on this page:

History Timeline

 * Until 1821 - New Spain controlled land that later would become Nevada. Some records of early settlers may have been sent to an archives in Seville, Spain, or to archives in Mexico City.
 * In 1821 - Mexico obtained jurisdiction over the land that later would become Nevada. Records of this period may have been sent to archives in Mexico City.
 * 18 Aug 1846 - During the war with Mexico, the US took control of Santa Fe and proclaimed sovereignty over land that later became the Nevada Territory. Look for records in the National Archives and Records Administration, the Mexico Archives and the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.
 * 4 July 1848 - In the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, Mexico ceded land that later became present day Nevada. Look for records in the National Archives and Records Administration, the Mexico Archives and the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.
 * 9 Jan 1852 - New Mexico redefined the boundaries of previous counties and created new ones to cover all the land within its territory. The New Mexico counties of Taos, San Juan (1861-1862 only), Rio Arriba, Santa Ana, Bernalillo, Valencia, and Socorro counties covered land that would later become the southern part of Lincoln county.   Look for records in Dona Ana County, Socorro County, Bernalillo, Rio Arriba, Taos, and Valencia counties.
 * 24 Feb 1863 - The US created the Arizona Territory from the western half of New Mexico Territory. This territory contained land that would later become the southern part of Lincoln county. Look for records in the Arizona State Library and New Mexico State Records Center and Archives
 * 10 Nov 1864 - Mohave County was created as one of the four original counties in Arizona. This county included land that would later become the southern part of Lincoln county. Look for records in Mohave County.
 * 22 December 1865 - Pah-Ute County was created by Arizona out of the north part of Mohave County. This county included land that would later become the southern part of Lincoln county. Look for records in Mohave County.
 * 18 January 1867 - A large portion of Pah-Ute County and a smaller portion of Mohave County was given to Nevada by the US government. Nevada used the land to increase Lincoln and Nye counties. Utah opposed this transfer of land by creating Rio Virgin County which extended out of Utah, covering a large portion of southern Lincoln and Nye counties. Arizona opposed loosing this land, twice petitioned Congress for repeal of the law. Up thru 1868, representatives from Pah-Ute county attended the Arizona legislature. Look for records in Mohave County AZ, Washington County UT, Nye County NV and Lincoln County NV.
 * 18 February 1871 - Arizona discontinued Pah-Ute County, finally accepting the loss after exhausting all legal remedies. The remainder of Pah-Ute County AZ was restored to Mohave County AZ. Look for records in Mohave County AZ
 * 16 February 1872 - Utah discontinued Rio Virgin County, finally accepting the transfer after exhausting all legal remedies. The tiny bit of Rio Virgin County actually in Utah was restored to Washington County.

Cemeteries
The following web site has additional information on Lincoln county cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Nevada cemetery records by county.

State and Territory Census Records

 * 1850  at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Nevada was included in both the 1850 New Mexico and Utah Territory Censuses. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1860  at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Nevada was included in both the 1860 New Mexico and Utah Territory Censuses. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1860 Nevada, Compiled Census Index, 1860-1910 at Ancestry ($), index
 * 1862-1863 1862-1863 Nevada Territory Tax List - Index
 * 1875 Nevada State Census, 1875 at Ancestry ($), index

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for the state of Nevada starting in 1870. Although, those living in south-eastern Nevada in 1870 may be enumerated in Utah or Arizona because of disputed boundaries with Nevada. For links to Federal Census indexes, see Nevada Census.

Transcriptions of many Lincoln County federal census records are available online as part of The USGenWeb Project. Click on the links below to search a particular census.

1870 Census | 1880 Census | 1880 Mortality Schedules | 1890 Special Census | 1900 Census | 1900 Indian Census

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

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Alamo
 * Caliente
 * Panaca
 * Pioche
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1933-1937 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * 1868-1869 Nevada Directory 1868-1869 at Ancestry ($), index only, includes settlers of Nevada

Emigration and Immigration

 * Nevada Emigration and Immigration

Land and Property Records


Record Highlights: Real estate deeds, mortgages, mining deeds and notices, maps, and early vital records (births, marriages, and deaths). Note, only births and deaths prior to 1911 are accessible to the public. Researchers can also access bound volumes of early Lincoln County newspapers, such as the Pioche Daily Record, 1872-1876.

On-site researchers can obtain photocopies of documents from the recorder's office. Researchers are also allowed to take digital photographs of documents. Check with the office for current fees.

For more information see Nevada Land and Property
 * 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1863-1908 U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry ($), index and images
 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available

Local Histories

 * A History of Lincoln County, Nevada, 1776-1874. c1959. By Richard E. Gillies. Salt Lake city, Utah: University of Utah. Church History Library;.
 * An Overview of the History of Lincoln County. c1978. By Ralph Joseph Roske. Las Vegas, Nevada: University of Nevada..
 * Delamar, Nevada. c1992. By Donald Thomas Clark. Lake Grove, Or. : The Depot.  FamilySearch Books;.
 * Lincoln County, Nevada, 1864-1909: History of a Mining Region. c1971. By James W. Hulse. Reno, Nevada: University of Nevada Press..
 * Treasures of Tempiute. c1967. By Eva Hyde Koyen. Sparks, Nevada : Western Print & Pub. Co..

Online County Histories
 * Lincoln County: Land of Many Frontiers. c1981. By James W. Hulse. N.p: n.p. Online at: University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada Historical Society Quarterly;.
 * Settlement of Lincoln County and White Pine County, Nevada, by Utah Pioneers. c2006. By Mary N. Porte Harris. Salt Lake City, Utah : Daughters of Utah Pioneers.  Online at: Family Search Catalog;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nevada - shows boundary changes for Nevada Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of Nevada - maps and atlases of Nevada

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Lincoln County, Nevada Genealogy for emigrant settlers included:
 * Mormon Trail 1846 to 1869 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah
 * Mormon Trail to Southern California 1847 from Salt Lake City, Utah to Los Angeles, California
 * Union Pacific Railroad 1869 Ogden, Utah (among others) to Omaha, Nebraska

Online Collections
These collections are unique to Nevada. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Nevada Military Records. Civil War World War I World War II Korea War Vietnam War Other Conflicts For further information see Nevada Military Records.
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
 * 1863-1866 Nevada Civil War Volunteers, 1863-1866 ($) at Ancestry — index
 * World War I Draft Registrations
 * Nevada - Soldiers of the Great War
 * Nevada Casualties of World War II
 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
 * Nevada Military Killed in Action in Korea
 * U.S. Military Fatal Casualties of the Korean War for Nevada
 * Nevada Military Killed in Action in Vietnam
 * The Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Nevada
 * Vietnam Conflict Casualty Lists - Nevada
 * Nevadans Killed in Action - Operation Enduring Freedom & Operation Iraqi Freedom

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1956-1991 Nevada, Naturalization Petitions, 1956-1991 at Ancestry($), index

Newspapers

 * The Lincoln County Record is the official newspaper of Lincoln County. It is published weekly every Thursday. The paper's roots trace back to the early 1870s. Over the course of its history, the paper has been known by several titles: The Ely Record,1870-1872; Pioche Daily Record, 1872-1876; Pioche Weekly Record, 1877-1900; Lincoln County Record, 1900-1905; Pioche Weekly Record, 1906-1908; Pioche Daily Record, 1908-1925; Lincoln County Record, 1925-1932; Pioche Record, 1932-1968; and since 1968, the newspaper has been titled the Lincoln County Record.
 * GenealogyBank ($), contains images of Nevada newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive ($), contains images of Nevada newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Nevada newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1905-1954 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — 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 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Birth

 * 1871-1992 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
 * 1975-2012 Nevada Birth Index 1975-2012 at Ancestry ($)

Marriage

 * 1809-2011 Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011 - Index, incomplete, list of counties included
 * 1862-1992 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
 * 1956-2005 Nevada Marriage Index 1956-2005 at Ancestry ($)

Death

 * 1871-1992 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection

Divorce

 * 1968-2015 Nevada Divorce Records 1968-2015 at Ancestry ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Alamo-Hiko Nevada Family History Center
 * Beatty Nevada Family History Center
 * Gabbs Nevada Family History Center
 * Hawthorne Nevada Family History Center
 * Logandale Nevada Family History Center
 * Mesquite Nevada Family History Center
 * Panaca Nevada Family History Center
 * Smoky Valley Nevada Family History Center
 * Tonopah Nevada Family History Center

Libraries


Alamo Branch Library 100 South First West PO Box 239 Alamo, NV 89001-0239 Phone: 775-725-3343 Website Caliente Branch Library 100 Depot Avenue PO BOX 306 Caliente, NV 89008 Phone: 775-962-5244 Website Lincoln County Library 63 Main Street PO Box 330 Pioche, NV 89043-0330 Phone: 775-962-5244

Museums


Lincoln County Historical Museum 69 Main Street Pioche, NV 89043 Phone: 775-962-5207



Million Dollar Courthouse 25 Lacour Street Pioche, NV 89043 Phone: 775-962-5182 Website
 * Record highlights: The museum houses several early original record volumes including tax records, license books, school ledgers, deed indexes, and more. Of particular interest is the grantor/grantee index to Lincoln County Deeds, 1871-1873. These records, for whatever reason, are not included in the master deed index found at the Lincoln County Courthouse.
 * For a brief history of the "Million Dollar Courthouse," see the Lincoln County Courthouse entry found in the Online Nevada Encyclopedia.

Societies
Clark County Nevada Genealogy Society 280 S Green Valley Pkwy PO Box 1929 Henderson, NV 89012 Website

Lincoln County Historical Society 63 Main St PO Box 515 Pioche, NV 89043 Lincoln County Museum 716 Main St Pioche, NV 89043 775-962-5182 Website Nevada Historical Society 1650 North Virginia Street Reno, NV 89503 Phone: 775-688-1190 Email: [mailto:shayeszorn@nevadaculture.org shayeszorn@nevadaculture.org] Website

Nevada State Genealogical Society 4751 Neil Road Reno, NV 89515-0666 Website

Tri-State Genealogical Society For Arizona, California, Nevada PO Box 21902 Bullhead City, AZ 86439 Website

Websites

 * Lincoln County at Cyndi's List — a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Lincoln County at Genealogy Trails — volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Lincoln County at Nevada USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * Lincoln County at Nevada USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
 * Lincoln County, Nevada at Linkpendium - genealogy and family history
 * Lincoln County, Nevada Genealogy at LDSGenealogy.com - collection of links by state, county, city, and record type
 * 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.