Ventura County, California Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
County Clerk Recorder has birth, marriage and death from 1873 and land records from 1850 Clerk Superior Court has divorce, probate and court records from 1873 Some land went to Kern &amp; Los Angeles Counties in boundary change

Historical Facts
Mission San Buenaventura, one of the original 21 Roman Catholic missions in Alta California was founded in what is now downtown Ventura city in 1782 although it had a long rocky history including fires, earthquakes, tsunami and pirates, among other difficulties. The mission fathers kept the original vital records.

The costal plains and inland valleys are mostly devoted to agriculture even today but the costal mountains also cover a considerable part of the county. El Camino Real, the original roadway connecting the early missions, crosses the county. In the late 1800s the railroads came and in the 1900s US-101 followed essentially the Camino Real route heading north to Santa Barbara. Settlements mainly grew up along these routes.

Parent County
22 March 1872: Ventura County was created from Santa Barbara County. County seat: Ventura

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

Places/Localities
Camarillo, Fillmore, Hueneme, Moorpark, Nyeland Acres, Newbury Park, Oak View, Ojai, Oxnard, Piru, Santa Paula, Simi, Somis, Thousand Oaks, Ventura

Neighboring Counties

 * Kern
 * Los Angeles
 * San Luis Obispo
 * Santa Barbara

Census

 * Ventura County censuses from 1850-1900

Church History and Records

 * Ventura Congregational Church Baptisms to 1900, Ventura

LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Ventura

Court Records
Guardianship record index,1873-1993

Directories

 * Miscellaneous County Directories

History

 * Victims of the St. Francis Dam Disaster, 1928

Land and Property
Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in Ventura County

Index to Ventura County Deeds, 1873-1917

Maps

 * Maps of California (1850-1925)



Military History and Records

 * Military Records

Civil War

 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company A
 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company C

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Local Naturalization Records, 1873-1911

Probate Records

 * Probate Record Index, 1873-1993

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

Archives, Libraries and Museums

 * Scandinavian Center. Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation at California Lutheran University. Large oral history recordings collection; many early works about Scandinavian churches in Midwest United States. See library catalog at CLU.


 * Ventura County Museum of History and Art The museum is currently closed for renovation, though a temporary exhibit space and gift shop are open on California St. The Librarian is available to answer question by phone. Once the museum is reopened the Library is an excellent research resource.

County Courthouse
County Clerk and Recorder County Recorder's Office Hall of Admin., Main Plaza 800 S. Victoria Ave. Ventura, CA 93009-1260

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Camarillo California Family History Center
 * Fillmore California Family History Center
 * Newbury Park California Family History Center
 * Ojai California Family History Center
 * Oxnard California 2nd Family History Center
 * Simi Valley California Family History Center
 * Thousand Oaks California Family History Center
 * Ventura California Family History Center

Societies

 * Ventura County Genealogical Society


 * Conejo Valley Genealogical Society


 * Jewish Genealogical Society of the Conejo Valley and Ventura County

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

Birth
The County Recorder maintains records from 1873. Prior to that the Santa Barbara Recorder has the records. Ventura County Recorder fees: $14 to search and/or copy birth records.


 * Ventura County Recorder.

Marriage
The County Recorder maintains records from 1873. Prior to that the Santa Barbara Recorder has the records. Ventura County Recorder fees: $12 to search and/or copy marriage records.


 * Ventura County Recorder.

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

Death
The County Recorder maintains records from 1873. Prior to that the Santa Barbara Recorder has the records. Ventura County Recorder fees: $14 to search and/or copy of death records.


 * Ventura County Recorder.


 * Ventura County Death Records Index, 1872-1908; Coroner's Inquest Records, 1873-1941

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Conejo Valley Genealogical Society P. O. Box 4977 West Lake, CA 91359-1977 Website

Conejo Valley Historical Society PO Box 1692 Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

Fillmore Historical Society PO Box 314 Fillmore, CA 93015

Jewish Genealogical Society of Conejo Valley and Ventura County 6052 Hackers Lane Agura Hills, CA 91301 Website

Los Californianos 2531 Aztec Court Ventura,CA 93001

Moorpark Historical Society PO Box 662 Moorpark,CA 93020

Ojai Valley Historical Society PO Box 204 Ojai, CA 93023

Simi Valley Historical Society 137 Strathearn Place Simi Valley, CA 93065

Ventura County Genealogical Society  PO Box 24608 Ventura, CA 93002 Website

Ventura County Historical Society 100 East Main Street Ventura,CA 93001-2698


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

Web Sites

 * Ventura County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Ventura County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * USGenWeb Archives backup site