Kern County, California Genealogy

Guide to Kern County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records. California Online Genealogy Records

County Courthouse
Kern County Courthouse 1655 Chester Ave Bakersfield, CA 93301; Phone 661.868.6440

County Clerk Recorder has birth, marriage, death and land records from 1850 divorce, probate court and voting record from 1866; An exchange of territory with San Bernardino Co took place in 1963

Parent Counties
2 April 1866: Kern County was created from Los Angeles and Tulare Counties. County seat: Bakersfield

Description
The county was named from the Kern River, which was named for Edward Kern, cartographer for General John C. Frémont's 1845 expedition, which crossed Walker Pass. The County Seat is Bakersfield and was founded 1866. It is located in the south-central area of the state.

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.

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:

Neighboring Counties

 * Inyo
 * Kings
 * Los Angeles
 * Monterey
 * San Bernardino
 * San Luis Obispo
 * Santa Barbara
 * Tulare
 * Ventura

Biography

 * Kern County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Kern County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Kern County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)

Census

 * 1870 Kern County Census Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Church History and Records

 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Bakersfield
 * FamilySearch Places

Gazetteers

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

History

 * Index to Kern County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Land and Property
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Index to Federal Land Records, Kern County (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps

 * 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

Civil War

 * 1883 List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883, Kern County (Genealogy Trails)

World War I

 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

World War II

 * Index to Kern County WWII Army Enlistees by Name (USGenWeb Archives)

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)


 * Bakersfield Californian- 2700+ issues of the paper digitized and in the Google News Archive; covers 1907-1949.
 * California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research

Obituaries

 * Kern County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Kern County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Index to Kern County Obituaries - Scroll down to "Kern County Obituaries & Death Certificates" (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Obituary Index at Kern County Genealogical Society

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1833 – 1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Bakersfield California Family History Center
 * Bakersfield California East Family History Center
 * Bakersfield California South Family History Center
 * Delano California Family History Center
 * Frazier Park California Family History Center
 * Kern Valley California Family History Center
 * North Edwards California Family History Center
 * Ridgecrest California Family History Center
 * Taft California Family History Center
 * Tehachapi California Family History Center
 * Wasco California Family History Center


 * Kern County Library - an affiliate library

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

BMD records can be requested at the Kern County Hall of Records website https://www.kerncounty.com/government/departments/assessor-recorder/records/birth-marriage-or-death-certificates

Birth

 * 1812 - 1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1905 - 1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)


 * 1905 Kern County Births, 1905 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1906 Kern County Births, 1906 (Genealogy Trails)
 * Kern County Births (USGenWeb Archives)

Marriage

 * 1800 - 2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1850 - 1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1850 - 1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)


 * Kern County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)

Divorce

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

Death

 * 1776 - 2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection index, some images
 * 1880 - 1900 Kern County Coroner's Reports, 1885-1900 (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1905 - 1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1940 - 1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index-. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Index to Kern County Deaths and Death Notices (USGenWeb Archives); Also at: MyHeritage($)


 * Pre-1905 Kern County Death Index (CAGenWeb Project)

Voting Registers

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

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Kern County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 2214 Bakersfield, CA 93303-2214

Kern County Historical Society P.O. Box 141 Bakersfield, CA 93302 Website

Kern River Valley Historical Society 49 Big Blue Rd. P.O. Box 651 Kernville, California 93238-0651 Phone: (760) 376-6683 Website

Kern-Antelope Historical Society P.O. Box 325 Rosamond 93560 Website

Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert 100 E. Las Floras Avenue Ridgecrest CA 93555 Website

Shafter Historical Society PO Box 1088 Shafter, CA 93263 Website

Ridge Route Communites Historical Societies and Museum Box 684 Frazier Park, CA 93225 Phone: 661-245-7747 Website


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

Websites

 * Kern County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Kern County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * FamilySearch Catalog
 * Kern County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Kern County, CA Genealogy