Sacramento County, California Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1880 County Recorder has birth, marriage, death and land records

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

Description
The county was named after the Sacramento River, which forms its western border. The river was named by Spanish cavalry officer Gabriel Moraga for the Santisimo Sacramento (Most Holy Sacrament), referring to the Catholic Eucharist. The county seat Sacramento and the county was created February 18, 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
1854: Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.

Populated Places
Populated places in Sacramento County include:


 * Arcade
 * Carmichael
 * Citrus Heights
 * Courtland
 * Elk Grove
 * Elverta
 * Fair Oaks
 * Florin
 * Folsom
 * Freeport
 * Galt
 * Rio Linda
 * Sacramento
 * Sheldon
 * Sloughhouse
 * Walnut Grove

Neighboring Counties

 * Amador
 * Contra Costa
 * El Dorado
 * Placer
 * San Joaquin
 * Solano
 * Sutter
 * Yolo

Cemeteries
The following web sites may have additional information on Sacramento  County cemeteries.


 * Interment.net California cemetery records by County.


 * 1850 - 1960 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Church History and Records
Sacramento Metro Churches lists churches in various metro areas in the county with links to the websites of the churches.

Sacramento County Churches Alphabetical Index lists the names of churches. After you click on a name, on the next screen, you need to click on the name again in 'Search for' in the right column. The address, phone number and a map appear.

Church records are usually found in the towns rather than on the county level. Search the FamilySearch Catalog in FamilySearch.orgPlace Search for the appropriate town in Sacramento County.

Church histories may be on the county level. In the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Sacramento, California, look at the list of records for. Films can be sent to family history centers. Public libraries may have copies of the books or can obtain them through Interlibrary Loan.

LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Arcade
 * Carmichael
 * Homestead
 * Sacramento

Court Records
Sacamento County Court Directory gives addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and links to the courts websites and online resources..

In the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Sacramento, California, look at the list of records for and. Films can be sent to family history centers. Public libraries may have copies of the books or can obtain them through Interlibrary Loan.

History
Google Books has some books about the history and people in Sacramento County, California. Try various search terms, including the names of people. Books designated with "Full view" can be read online.

In the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Sacramento County, California, look at the list of records for and. Films can be sent to family history centers. Public libraries may have copies of the books or can obtain them through Interlibrary Loan.

Land and Property
For information about deeds and other land records in Sacramento County, see the Service Directory.

For deeds, 1965 to the present, see County Register.

In the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Sacramento County, California, look at the list of records for and  and. Films can be sent to family history centers. Public libraries may have copies of the books or can obtain them through Interlibrary Loan.

Maps
For historical maps of Sacramento County,search the following free sites: • Maps of California (1850-1925)

• Maps-Historical-Sate of California, the Carlifornia government's site. Links to American Memory (Library of Congress), California Missions, and the State Library

• Historical Maps of California

• California Maps - HSU Library, also lists and links to gazetteers

• David Rumsey Collection for Sacramento, California

• Perry-Castaneda Map Collection for California

For topographical maps of California mountains, rivers, etc., try the sites listed at USGS Topographic Maps of California.

For current maps, search Google Maps or MapQuest or other map services online.

Migration
Early migration routes to and from for emigrant settlers included:


 * California Trail 1844 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California


 * Truckee (River) Trail 1844 crossed the Forty Mile Desert to the Truckee River to follow it west past Reno, Nevada to Donner Pass to Emigrant Gap to Sutter's Fort (Sacramento, California). The exact route varied over the years, the most used being the Nevada City Road and Auburn Emigrant Road combination.
 * Roller Pass 1846 alternate to the Truckee Trail two miles south of Donner Pass through Emigrant Gap to Placerville, California
 * Nevada City Road 1850 branched off the Truckee Trail through Emigrant Gap to Nevada City, California the most important mining area 1850-1851
 * Auburn Emigrant Road 1850 believed to be from Nevada City to Auburn to Sacramento, California
 * Henness Pass Road 1850 branched off the Truckee Trail at Verdi, Nevada headed for Camptonville and steamboat service at Marysville, California. In 1860 it became a major route to the Comstock Lode silver mines in Nevada.
 * Beckwourth Trail 1850 left the Truckee Trail near present-day Sparks, Nevada going to Oroville and Marysville, California


 * Applegate Trail 1846 (avoided the Forty Mile Desert) by leaving the Humboldt River in Nevada early at present-day Rye Reservoir, Nevada and passing through the Black Rock Desert to Fandango Pass past Goose Lake on to the Lost River and eventually the Willamette Valley in Oregon.


 * The Lassen Cutoff 1848 was established by gold rushers from Oregon going to California. It branched off the Applegate Trail at Davis Creek, went through Devil's Garden to the Pit River passing east of Mt. Lassen, and turning west to Lassen Rancho, California, and from there to Sacramento. In some years as much as 1/3 of emigrants mistakenly took the Applegate Trail-Lassen Cutoff, a much longer and more difficult trail than the Truckee or Carson routes.
 * Nobles Road 1851 from the Applegate Trail at Rabbithole Springs in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada to Shasta City, 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
 * Big Tree Road (Ebbetts Pass) 1851 from western Nevada to Markleeville, Murphys, Sonora, and Stockton, 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
 * 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
 * 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


 * Central Pacific Railroad since 1869 from Sacramento, California to Ogden, Utah and Omaha, Nebraska

Military History and Records
The California State Military Museum has a great deal of historical information and links to other military websites.

Civil War
Ancestry.com has Records of California men in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1867


 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company A
 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company B
 * - 1st Regiment, California Cavalry (Union), Company F
 * - 1st Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company E
 * - 2nd Regiment, California Cavalry (Union), Company F
 * - 5th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company E
 * - 6th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company D
 * - 7th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company I
 * - 8th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company B
 * - 8th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company K

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * The California State Archives has records of Sacramento County for the years 1850 to 1903.
 * The Family History Library also has Declarations of Intention for the years 1859 to 1906 in Sacramento County.

Newspapers
The California Digital Newspaper Collection has newspapers from 1848 through 1922. You can search by keyword, including names, and/or by date.

Probate Records
In the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Sacramento, California, look at the list of records for. Films can be sent to family history centers.

Online Probate Records
 * 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1833 – 1991 at FamilySearch — images

Railroads
In 1864, the First Transcontinental Railroad started from Sacramento California.

American Memory has an [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item.pl?data=/home/www/data/gmd/gmd436/g4361/g4361p/rr001890.sid&style=gmd&itemLink=r?ammem/gmd:@field%28NUMBER+@band%28g4361p+rr001890%29%29&title=New%20enlarged%20scale%20railroad%20and%20county%20map%20of%20California%20showing%20every%20railroad%20station%20and%20post%20office%20in%20the%20state. online map] showing the railroads and each railroad station and post office.

Archives, Libraries and Museums

 * Sacramento Archives and Museum Collection Center 551 Sequoia Pacific Boulevard Sacramento, CA 95811 Phone: (916) 264-7072

Researchers must have an appointment to use the records. More old records from the City and County of Sacramento are located here than probably at any other facility.

County Courthouse
County Offices Directory

County Clerk/Recorder 600 8th Street Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-874-6334

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Elk Grove California Family History Center

Societies

 * California Genealogical Society and Library web site has the CGSL catalog, discusses many useful California records, and has a list of links to other California websites.


 * Root Cellar Sacramento Genealogical Society Their library is located in the: California State Archives Building. 1020 O Street,-4th floor, Sacramento, CA. Hours: 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday - Friday.


 * Genealogical Association of Sacramento They have a genealogy collection at the Sacramento Central Library, 828 "I" Street (9th &amp; I)- 4th Floor, Sacramento, CA Phone: 916-264-2920 Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 10-8, Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-5, Sunday 12-5pm


 * Genealogical &amp; Historical Council of Sacramento Valley The web site for this organization has a list with links for over 30 genealogical and historical organizations in the Sacramento Valley area.


 * Sacramento County Historical Society publishes online their "Golden Notes" articles about the history and life of early Sacramento.

Taxation
In the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Sacramento, California, look at the list of records for. Films can be sent to family history centers.

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

In the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Sacramento, California, look at the list of records for and. Films can be sent to family history centers. Public libraries may have copies of the books or can obtain them through Interlibrary Loan.

Birth
The Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder has birth and death certificates for the county of Sacramento. These can be ordered in person, by mail, by fax, by email and online. For more information, see the Sacramento County Recorder.

County Clerk/Recorder, 600 8th Street Sacramento, CA 95814; phone: 916-874-6334

Sacramento County can only issue:

At Ancestry is the California Birth Index, 1905-1995 ($)

The FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Sacramento, California, look at the list of records for and. Films can be sent to family history centers. Public libraries may have copies of the books or can obtain them through Interlibrary Loan.

Marriage

 * 1850 - 1952 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1854 - 1885 - Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 - at FamilySearch — index and images

The Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder has marriage certificates for the county of Sacramento. These can be ordered in person, by mail, by fax, by email and online. For more information, see the Sacramento County web site.

County Clerk/Recorder, 600 8th Street Sacramento, CA 95814; phone: 916-874-6334

Sacramento County can only issue:


 * Copies of marriage certificates for licenses issued in Sacramento County since 1905.

The FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Sacramento, California, look at the list of records for and. Films can be sent to family history centers. Public libraries may have copies of the books or can obtain them through Interlibrary Loan.

Death
The Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder has death certificates for the county of Sacramento. These can be ordered in person, by mail, by fax, by email and online. For more information, see the Sacramento County Recorder.

County Clerk/Recorder, 600 8th Street Sacramento, CA 95814; phone: 916-874-6334

Sacramento County can only issue: Certificates for deaths which occurred in Sacramento County since 1850. Certificates for deaths prior to 1850 are not available.

The FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Sacramento, California, look at the list of records for and. Films can be sent to family history centers. Public libraries may have copies of the books or can obtain them through Interlibrary Loan.

At RootsWeb is an index to California Death Records 1940-1997 (free)

Voting Registers
California county clerks were to keep voting registers every other year from 1866 and well into the 20th century. These large books, called Great Registers, listed the men who registered to vote in that county. Besides name and age, the record may show place of birth, address, occupation, naturalization date and sometimes even a physical description.

These records are at the California State Library (1866-1944), and microfilmed copies are available through Family History Centers (1866-1910). Ancestry ($) has a searchable database of Sacramento Great Registers from 1867-1898.

Extracts from the Sacramento records for 1866-1871 are available on the RootsWeb site, by clicking here.

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Sacramento County Historical Society P.O. Box 1175 Sacramento 95806

Sacramento Genealogical Association P.O. Box 28297 Sacramento 95828

Sacramento German Genealogy Society P.O. Box 660061 Sacramento 95866

Sacramento River Delta Historical Society The Jean Harvie Community Center 14273 River Road P.O. Box 293 Walnut Grove, CA 95690 Website

Sacramento Genealogical Society – Root Cellar P.O. Box 265 Citrus Heights, CA 95611-0265 Website

Sacramento Historical Society Belle Cooledge Library 5600 South Land Park Drive P.O. Box 160065 Sacramento, CA, 95816-0065 Phone:916-443-6265 Website

G.A.S. Genealogical Society of Sacramento P.O. Box 292145 Sacramento, CA 95829-2145 Website


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

Websites

 * Sacramento County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Sacramento County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * USGenWeb Archives backup site
 * Online California Death Records and Indexes links to California sites and Sacramento County sites
 * Genealogy Trails section on Sacramento County, California Genealogy and History
 * Genealogy Trails section on Sacramento County, California Genealogy and History