Nevada County, California Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Nevada County Courthouse 950 Maidu Ave Nevada City, CA 95959 Phone 530.265.1221

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1873 marriage and land records from 1856 probate and court records from 1880

Parent County
25 April 1851: Nevada County was created from Yuba County. County seat: Nevada City

Description
The county was named after the mining town of Nevada City, a name derived from the term "Sierra Nevada." The word nevada is Spanish for "snowy" or "snow-covered." The county seat Nevada City and the county was created April 25, 1851. The County is located in the east 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
1856 and 1863: Courthouse burned twice and many records were damaged.

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

 * Placer
 * Sierra
 * Washoe County, Nevada
 * Yuba

Biography

 * Nevada County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Nevada County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Selected Nevada County Biographies (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
 * Grass Valley
 * FamilySearch Places

Gazetteers

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

History

 * 1867 Bean’s History and Directory of Nevada County, 1867 (USGenWeb Archives)
 * 1891 Memorial And Biographical History Of Northern California (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Nevada County Pioneers (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Nevada County Pioneer Diaries - available at the Searls Historical Library in Nevada City. (CAGenWeb Project)

Land and Property

 * Alphabetical Index of Mining Claims (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Original Nevada City Lot owners--1869 CAGenWeb Project)

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 1844 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Truckee (River) Trail 1844 crossed the Forty Mile Desert to the Truckee River to follow it west past Reno, Nevada to Donner Pass to Emigrant Gap to Sutter's Fort (Sacramento, California). The exact route varied over the years, the most used being the Nevada City Road and Auburn Emigrant Road combination.
 * Roller Pass 1846 alternate to the Truckee Trail two miles south of Donner Pass through Emigrant Gap to Placerville, California
 * Nevada City Road 1850 branched off the Truckee Trail through Emigrant Gap to Nevada City, California the most important mining area 1850-1851
 * Auburn Emigrant Road 1850 believed to be from Nevada City to Auburn to Sacramento, California
 * Henness Pass Road 1850 branched off the Truckee Trail at Verdi, Nevada headed for Camptonville and steamboat service at Marysville, California. In 1860 it became a major route to the Comstock Lode silver mines in Nevada.
 * Central Pacific Railroad reached Nevada County in 1866. Tracks completed 1869 from Ogden, Utah to Sacramento, California


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

Military History and Records

 * Nevada County List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
 * Nevada County Military Records - Includes veterans of the Civil War, Draft Registration for World War I, and Army Enlistees for World War II. (USGenWeb Archives)

Civil War

 * - 1st Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company G
 * - 4th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company I
 * - 5th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company C

World War I

 * 1914-1918 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

 * Nevada County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Excerpts of Naturalization Record Cards at the Searls Historical Library (CAGenWeb Project)


 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

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


 * NewspaperArchive.com ($) has a collection of digitized Reno, Nevada newspapers going back to 1870 that may include residents from Nevada County. This database is sometimes free at libraries.

Obituaries

 * Index to Nevada County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Nevada County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

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
 * Index to Selected Will Books at Searls Historical Library (CAGenWeb Project)

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Searls Historical Library 161 Nevada City Hwy Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 265-5910

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Nevada City California Family History Center

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

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($)


 * Nevada County Birth Notices (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($)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Nevada County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)
 * Early Nevada County Marriage Certificates (CAGenWeb Project)

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

 * 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
Nevada County Genealogical Society PO Box 176 Cedar Ridge, CA 95924 Website

Nevada County Historical Society P.O. Box 1300 Nevada City 95959 Website

Truckee-Donner Historical Society P.O. Box 893 Truckee, CA. 96160 Website

Doris Foley Library for Historical Research 211 N. Pine Street Nevada City, CA 95959 Open Wed - Sat 10-4 (530) 265-4606 Website


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

Websites

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