El Dorado County, California Genealogy

Guide to El Dorado 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 County Recorder has birth, marriage, death burial, land and military records Historical Facts

Parent County
18 February 1850: El Dorado County was created ;as an original county. County seat: Placerville

Description
The county was named is derived from the Spanish meaning "the gilded/golden". The County Seat is Placerville and was founded February 18, 1850. It is located in the East 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
Fires in 1910 and 1920 destroyed most courthouse records.

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 | Amador | Placer | Sacramento | Douglas County, Nevada | Carson City (Independent City), Nevada

Biography

 * El Dorado County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to El Dorado County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Historical Souvenir of El Dorado County, Ca: with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men & pioneers (Genealogy Trails)

Church History and Records

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

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

 * 1891 - El Dorado County 1891 (USGenWeb Archives)
 * El Dorado County History Records (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to El Dorado History Records (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Tales of El Dorado County (CAGenWeb Project)

Land and Property

 * Index to Federal Land Records, El Dorado County (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


 * Johnson's Cutoff 1850-1851 (aka Placerville Route, Lake Tahoe Route and Day's Route) from Carson City, Nevada past the south end of Lake Tahoe going south and then west to Placerville, California and Sacramento
 * Daggett Pass 1850 (aka Georgetown Pack Trail) Carson Valley, Nevada to Johnson's Cutoff near South Lake Tahoe, California
 * Grizzly Flat Road 1852 an extension of Carson Trail down the middle fork of the Consumnes River to Grizzly Flat and Placerville, California
 * Volcano Road 1852 from Coral Flat (Pioneer) on the Carson Trail to Volcano, California
 * Luther Pass Trail 1854 connected the Carson Trail and Johnson's Cutoff and allowed travelers to avoid Lake Tahoe. It became one of the routes to the Comstock Lode in Nevada


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

Civil War

 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company B
 * - 4th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company F
 * - 5th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company G
 * - 5th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company H
 * - 7th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company G
 * - 8th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company K


 * 1883 - List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883, El Dorado County (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1886 - Placerville Post No. 108, G. A. R. 1886 (USGenWeb Archives)

Spanish American War

 * Spanish American War Veterans, El Dorado County (Genealogy Trails)

World War I

 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * World War I Honor List, El Dorado County (Genealogy Trails)

World War II

 * El Dorado County Enlistees, World War II, Names A-F (USGenWeb Archives)
 * El Dorado County Enlistees, World War II, Names G-O (USGenWeb Archives)
 * El Dorado County Enlistees, World War II, Names P-Z (USGenWeb Archives)
 * El Dorado County Casualties, World War II (USGenWeb Archives)

Korean War

 * El Dorado County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)

Vietnam War

 * El Dorado County Casualties, Vietnam War (Genealogy Trails)

Iraqi War

 * El Dorado County Casualties, Iraqi War (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

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 Genealogy Trails Obituaries
 * Index to USGenWeb Archives Obituaries
 * Index to CAGenWeb Project Obituaries

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

 * Auburn California Family History Center
 * El Dorado California Family History Center
 * Elk Grove California Family History Center
 * Jackson California Family History Center
 * Nevada City California Family History Center
 * South Lake Tahoe California Family History Center
 * Yuba City California Family History Center
 * Sacramento California Family Search Library


 * California Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Doris Foley Library for Historical Research Nevada 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
 * 1860 - 1934 El Dorado County Birth Notices (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1905 - 1930 Index to Birth Index by year (Genealogy Trails)
 * 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($)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)

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
 * 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
El Dorado County Historical Society Fountain &amp; Tallman Museum 524 Main Street Placerville, California 95667 email:[mailto:edchistoricalsociety@gmail.com] Phone: 530-626-0773 Website

Lake Tahoe Historical Society PO Box 404 South Lake Tahoe,CA 95705 Website

Roots Gold Dust Genealogical Society PO Box 1354 Diamond Springs, CA 95619-1354 Facebook Website


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

Websites

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