Siskiyou County, California Genealogy

Guide to Siskiyou 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 Siskiyou mountain range. The county seat Yreka and the county was created 1852. The County is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Siskiyou County Courthouse 311 Fourth Street PO Box 338 Yreka, CA 96097 Phone: 530-842-8084 Siskiyou County Website

County Reader has birth, marriage, death and burial records. Court Services has divorce, probate and court records from 1852. County Clerk has election records, board of supervisor’s minutes from 1860

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:

History Timeline

 * 1874: February, part of county given to newly formed Modoc County.
 * 1874: May, Klamath County dissolved with Siskiyou County absorbing some of the area.
 * 1887: Land exchanged with Del Norte County.
 * 1901: Small area of land gained from Humboldt County.

Biographies

 * Index to Siskiyou County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Miscellaneous Siskiyou 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
 * Etna

 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
 * Index to General Land Office Records, Siskiyou County (USGenWeb Archives)

Local Histories

 * 1891 Siskiyou County 1891 in Memorial And Biographical History Of Northern California (CAGenWeb Archives)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of California (1850-1925)
 * 1895 Atlas of Siskiyou County
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Siskiyou County for emigrant settlers included:
 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Applegate Trail since 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
 * Yreka Trail 1851 from the Applegate Trail to Yreka, California
 * 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Military Records

 * 1850-1881 Index to Militia Units of the State of California 1850-1881, listed by county. (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1883 Siskiyou County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)

 Civil War
 * 1886 Civil War Veterans, Gen. Geo. B. McClellan Post No. 84 G. A. R. 1886, Siskiyou County (USGenWeb Archives)

Regiment Civil War service men in Siskiyou 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 Mountaineers, California Infantry (Union), Company F
 * - 5th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company A

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

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

Newspapers

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

Obituaries

 * Index to Siskiyou County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Siskiyou County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Searchable Siskiyou County Obituaries Index (Newspapers.net)

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 ($)

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($)
 * Early Siskiyou County Birth Notices by year (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($)
 * 1852-1910 Siskiyou County Marriages, 1850 thru 1910 (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 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($)
 * 1860 Siskiyou County Mortality Schedule, 1860 (Genealogy Trails)

Divorce

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Etna California FamilySearch Center
 * Mount Shasta California FamilySearch Center
 * Yreka California FamilySearch Center
 * Genealogical Society of Siskiyou County - an affiliate library

Libraries
Siskiyou County Library 719 4th Street Yreka, CA 96097 Website

Societies
The Genealogical Society of Siskiyou County, California 912 S. Main St. Yreka, CA 96097 Phone: 530-842-0277 Email address: gssc1@att.net Website Scott Valley Genealogical Group P.O. Box 623 Etna, CA 96027 Website Siskiyou County Genealogical Society PO Box 225 Yreka, CA 96097 Siskiyou County Historical Society 910 South Main Yreka, CA 96097

Websites

 * Siskiyou County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Siskiyou County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Siskiyou 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.

Research Guides

 * Siskiyou Research Guide at California State Library