Ventura County, California Genealogy

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

Description
The county seat Ventura and the county was created 1873. The County is located in the southern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Ventura County Courthouse 800 S Victoria Ave Ventura, CA 93009 Phone: 805-654-2267 Ventura County Website 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 and some Los Angeles Counties in boundary change.

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

 * Ventura County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Ventura County Biographies from the Golden Nugget Library (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Index to Biographical Sketches from the Ventura County Genealogical Society (CAGenWeb Project)

Census Records

 * Ventura County Census Records (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Ventura County censuses from 1860-1900 (Ventura County Genealogical Society)

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
 * Ventura Congregational Church Baptisms to 1900, Ventura
 * Ventura

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

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records Guardianship record index, A-L Surnames, M-Z Surnames (Ventura County Genealogical Society)

Directories

 * Miscellaneous County Directories (scroll down to "City Directories")
 * 1939 Ventura, California, City Directory, 1939 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1941 Ventura, California, City Directory, 1941 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1946 Ventura, California, City Directory, 1946 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1948-1949 Los Angeles Directory Co's Ventura County, California, Directory, 1948 - 1949 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1956 Ventura, California, City Directory, 1956 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1959 Ventura, California, City Directory, 1959 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1907-1956 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1873-1917 - Index to Grantees
 * Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in Ventura County
 * Ventura County Federal Land Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1974 - present - Index to Deeds

Local Histories
 Historical 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.
 * Victims of the St. Francis Dam Disaster, 1928 (Ventura County Genealogical Society)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of California (1850-1925)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

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

Military Records

 * Veterans of Various Wars buried in Nordoff Cemetery, Ojai (Ventura County Genealogical Society)

 Civil War
 * 1883 Ventura County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1886 Civil War Veterans Rosters, G.A.R. Posts, Ventura County (USGenWeb Archives)

Regiments. Civil War service men in Ventura 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 Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company A
 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company C

World War I
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Index of Men from Ventura County who served in WWI (June 1919) (Ventura County Genealogical Society)

 World War II
 * Index of Ventura County World War II Army Enlistments (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Ventura County, World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (USGenWeb Archives)

 Vietnam War
 * Vietnam Casualties from Ventura County (Ventura County Genealogical Society)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * Declaration of Intent Book 1 (1873-1879) and Book 3 (1880-1906)
 * Declarations of Intent Book 7 (March 1907 through November 1911)
 * Certificates of Citizenship 1873-1903
 * Naturalization Book 8 1907-1914

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research
 * California, U.S., Newspapers.com Stories and Events Index at Ancestry — index & images ($)
 * Ojai Valley News ($)

Obituaries

 * Index to over 80,000 Ventura County Obituaries (Ventura County Genealogical Society)
 * Index to Ventura County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Ventura County Obituary Sources (CAGenWeb Project)

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
 * Wills & Probate Records (Ventura County Genealogical Society Local Records page) Scroll down to Wills and Probate Records.
 * 1782-1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry — index and images ($)

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
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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($)

Marriage

 * Ventura County Recorder.
 * 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($)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho

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

 * Camarillo California FamilySearch Center
 * Canoga Park California FamilySearch Center
 * Fillmore California FamilySearch Center
 * Granada Hills California FamilySearch Center
 * Newbury Park California FamilySearch Center
 * Ojai California FamilySearch Center
 * Oxnard California FamilySearch Center
 * San Fernando California FamilySearch Center
 * Santa Barbara California FamilySearch Center
 * Simi Valley California FamilySearch Center
 * Sylmar California FamilySearch Center
 * Thousand Oaks California FamilySearch Center
 * Valencia California FamilySearch Center
 * Ventura California FamilySearch Center
 * Camarillo Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries
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.Website 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.Website

Societies
Conejo Valley Genealogical Society P. O. Box 4977 West Lake, CA 91359-1977 Website 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 Website Moorpark Historical Society PO Box 662 Moorpark,CA 93020 Website Simi Valley Historical Society 137 Strathearn Place Simi Valley, CA 93065 Website Ventura County Genealogical Society  PO Box 24608 Ventura, CA 93002 Website Ventura County Historical Society 100 East Main Street Ventura,CA 93001-2698 Website

Websites

 * Ventura County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Ventura County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Ventura County CA Genealogy
 * – 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.

Research Guides

 * Ventura Research Guide at California State Library