Yuma County, Arizona Genealogy

United States Arizona  Yuma County

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

Historical Facts

 * Parent County: Yuma County was created 10 Nov 1864 as an original county of Arizona.
 * County seat: Yuma Named after the Yuma Indians. Look for records in Yuma County.
 * Neighboring Counties: La Paz County, Arizona | Maricopa County, Arizona | Pima County, Arizona | Imperial County, California

Yuma County, Arizona is in the far southwest corner of the state. Principal communities include Yuma and Somerton. It extended to Parker in the north until 1983 when the northern half of the county split off to form La Paz County.


 * Until 1821 - New Spain controlled land that later would become Arizona. 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 Arizona. 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 the land that later became the New Mexico 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 part of present day Arizona. The land south of the Gila River in Arizona was not ceded, it remained in control of Mexico. The land in present day Yuma County was split between the US and Mexico. 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 north part of present day Yuma County was then in Socorro County.  Look for records in Socorro County.
 * 30 Dec 1853 - The United States bought the Gadsden Purchase from Mexico. It contained land south of the Gila River in present day Arizona, including the south part of present day Yuma County. Look for records in the National Archives and Records Administration, the Mexico Archives, and the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.
 * 4 Aug 1854 - The land acquired in the Gadsden Purchase was officially added to New Mexico Territory. Look for records in the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.
 * 3 Feb 1855 - Dona Ana County gained all the land acquired in the Gadsden Purchase. This included land in present day Yuma County. Look for records in Dona Ana County.
 * 24 Feb 1863 - The US created the Arizona Territory from the western half of New Mexico Territory. All previous counties were discontinued for this new territory. Look for records in the Arizona State Library and New Mexico State Records Center and Archives

Boundary Changes

 * 27 Apr 1983 - Arizona created La Paz County from the northern half of Yuma County. This county named for the town of La Paz, Arizona. Look for records in La Paz and Yuma counties.

See Previous Jurisdictions to land in Arizona showing dates the jurisdictions were created and maps. This will help in determining what jurisdiction your ancestor lived in and where the records are now located.

For animated maps illustrating Arizona county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Arizona County Boundary Maps" (1852-1993) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
For a list of record loss in Arizona counties see: Arizona Counties with Burned Courthouses

Some environmental damage has occurred to many of the historical registers. Mildew and mold have taken its toll on the readability of some of the books and case file contents.

Cemeteries

 * Arizona Cemetery Transcription and Photo Project
 * BillionGraves.com - Provides photos and GPS locations of grave markers.
 * Cyndi's List - Cemeteries &amp; funeral homes
 * Findagrave.com
 * Interment.net
 * Rootsweb
 * UsGenweb.org

Church Records
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Yuma

Court Records
Yuma County (Arizona). County Recorder, (Main Author), Powers of attorney (Yuma County, Arizona), Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 2002.

Courthouse
Yuma County Court House 168 S 2nd Ave Yuma, Az 85364 Phone:520-329-2170

Clerk Superior Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1863

Family History Centers
Introduction to Family History Centers

Yuma Arizona 4300 W 16th St Yuma, Yuma, Arizona, United States Telephone: 928-782-6364

This is not a mailing address. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Societies
Genealogical Society of Yuma Arizona P.O. Box 2905 Yuma, AZ 85366-2905

Arizona Historical Society Rio Colorado Division 240 Madison Avenue Yuma, Arizona 85364 520-782-1841

Marriage
695 marriages from 2 Apr 1864 to 17 Mar 1902 are listed on the Western States Marriage Index. Some of the early marriage volumes are difficult to read and the writing is hard to decipher due to environmental damage.

Websites

 * Yuma County, AZ History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Genealogy Inc)
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Yuma County, Arizona Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Yuma County, Arizona Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)