Plumas County, California Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Plumas County Courthouse 520 Main Street Quincy, CA 95971 Phone: 530.283.6218

County Clerk has divorce records from 1860; County Recorder has birth, marriage, death and probate records from 1860; County Museum Archives has biographies and photographs

Parent County
18 March 1854: Plumas County was created from Butte County. County seat: Quincy

Description
The county was named from the Spanish words for the Feather River (Río de las Plumas), which flows through the county. The county seat Quincy and the county was created 1854. The County is located in the northeast 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

 * Butte
 * Lassen
 * Shasta
 * Sierra
 * Tehama
 * Yuba

Biography

 * Plumas County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Plumas County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Plumas County Biography Index (CAGenWeb Project)

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
 * Portola
 * FamilySearch Places

Gazetteers

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

History

 * Plumas County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Land and Property
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1854-1888 (*); Plumas County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * Index to Plumas County Land Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps

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

Migration
Early migration routes to and from for emigrant settlers included:


 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * The Lassen Cutoff 1848 was established by gold rushers from Oregon going to California. It branched off the Applegate Trail at Davis Creek, went through Devil's Garden to the Pit River passing east of Mt. Lassen, and turning west to Lassen Rancho, California, and from there to Sacramento. In some years as much as 1/3 of emigrants mistakenly took the Applegate Trail-Lassen Cutoff, a much longer and more difficult trail than the Truckee or Carson routes.
 * Beckwourth Trail 1850 left the Truckee Trail near present-day Sparks, Nevada going to Oroville and Marysville, California
 * Nobles Road 1851 from the Applegate Trail at Rabbithole Springs in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada to Shasta City, California


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

Military History and Records

 * Plumas County Military Records (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1882 Veterans Of The Mexican War Living In Plumas Co. In 1882 (USGenWeb Archives)

Civil War

 * - 1st Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company F
 * - 5th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company F


 * 1883 Plumas County List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1886 Ren Dixon Post No. 122, G. A. R. 1886, Civil War - Rosters (USGenWeb Archives)

World War I

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

World War II

 * Index to Plumas County World War II Army Enlistments (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Plumas County Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)

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

Obituaries

 * Plumas County Obituary Index (Genealogy Trails)
 * Plumas County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Plumas County Obituary Index (CAGenWeb Project)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1782 - 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1880 - 1919 Plumas County California list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills - free
 * 1833 – 1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images

FamilySearch Centers

 * Oroville California FamilySearch Center
 * Paradise California FamilySearch Center
 * Portola California FamilySearch Center
 * Quincy California FamilySearch Center
 * Susanville California FamilySearch Center


 * Doris Foley Library for Historical Research Nevada County Library - an affiliate library

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records
 * Plumas County Vital Records (CAGenWeb Project)

Birth

 * 1800 - 1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and 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 Plumas 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
 * 1850 - 1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)


 * Early Plumas County Marriage Notices by year (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
 * 1800 - 1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1905 - 1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1940 - 1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

Voting Registers

 * Transcription of Plumas County Great Register of Voters by year (Genealogy Trails)
 * 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
Plumas County Historical Society P.O. Box 695 Quincy 95971 Website


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

Websites

 * Plumas County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Plumas County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * FamilySearch Catalog
 * Plumas County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Plumas County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)