Nevada County, California Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named after the mining town of Nevada City, a name derived from the term "Sierra Nevada." The word nevada is Spanish for "snowy" or "snow-covered." The county seat Nevada City and the county was created April 25, 1851. The County is located in the east central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Nevada County Courthouse 201 Church Street Nevada City, CA 95959 Phone: 530-362-4309 Nevada County Courthouse County Clerk has birth and death records from 1873, marriage and land records from 1856, probate and court records from 1880.

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:

Biographies

 * Nevada County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Nevada County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Selected Nevada County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)

Church Records
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Grass Valley

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

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1856-1921 (*); Nevada County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1856-1922 (*); by Charles W. Kitts at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1856-1926 (*); Nevada County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1856-1929 (*); Nevada County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1860-1929 (*); Nevada County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1862-1879 (*); Nevada County Assessor at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1866-1916 (*); Nevada County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1869-1929 (*); Nevada County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1872-1917 (*); Nevada County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1875-1936 (*); Nevada County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * Alphabetical Index of Mining Claims (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Original Nevada City Lot owners--1869 CAGenWeb Project)

Local Histories

 * 1867 Bean’s History and Directory of Nevada County, 1867 (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1891 Memorial And Biographical History Of Northern California (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Nevada County Pioneers (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Nevada County Pioneer Diaries - available at the Searls Historical Library in Nevada City. (CAGenWeb Project)
 * California Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 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 Nevada County for emigrant settlers included:
 * 1844-1869 California Trail 1844 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * 1844 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.
 * 1846 Roller Pass 1846 alternate to the Truckee Trail two miles south of Donner Pass through Emigrant Gap to Placerville, California
 * 1850 Nevada City Road 1850 branched off the Truckee Trail through Emigrant Gap to Nevada City, California the most important mining area 1850-1851
 * 1850 Auburn Emigrant Road 1850 believed to be from Nevada City to Auburn to Sacramento, California
 * 1850 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.
 * 1866 Central Pacific Railroad reached Nevada County in 1866. Tracks completed 1869 from Ogden, Utah to Sacramento, California
 * 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Military Records

 * 1883 Nevada County List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
 * Nevada County Military Records - Includes veterans of the Civil War, Draft Registration for World War I, and Army Enlistees for World War II. (USGenWeb Archives)

 Civil War Civil War service men in Nevada County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in this county:
 * - 1st Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company G
 * - 4th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company I
 * - 5th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company C

World War I
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

 World War II
 * Nevada County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * Excerpts of Naturalization Record Cards at the Searls Historical Library (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research
 * NewspaperArchive.com ($) has a collection of digitized Reno, Nevada newspapers going back to 1870 that may include residents from Nevada County. This database is sometimes free at libraries.

Obituaries

 * Index to Nevada County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Nevada County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Voting Records

 * 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index, ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1782-1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1833-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * Index to Selected Will Books at Searls Historical Library (CAGenWeb Project)

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

Birth

 * 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Nevada County Birth Notices (Genealogy Trails)

Marriage

 * 1800-2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Nevada County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho
 * Early Nevada County Marriage Certificates (CAGenWeb Project)

Death

 * 1776-2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1905-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1940-1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

Divorce

 * 1966-1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

FamilySearch Centers

 * Nevada City California FamilySearch Center
 * Doris Foley Library for Historical Research Nevada County Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Searls Historical Library 161 Nevada City Hwy Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 265-5910 Website


 * Doris Foley Library for Historical Research 211 N. Pine Street Nevada City, CA 95959 Open Wed - Sat 10-4 (530) 265-4606 Website

Societies

 * Nevada County Genealogical Society PO Box 176 Cedar Ridge, CA 95924 Website
 * Nevada County Historical Society P.O. Box 1300 Nevada City 95959 Website
 * Truckee-Donner Historical Society P.O. Box 893 Truckee, CA. 96160 Website

Websites

 * Nevada County CAGenWeb
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Nevada County, Nevada Genealogy Trails
 * Linkpendium
 * Nevada County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)


 * – 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.