Lake County, California Genealogy

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

Description
Lake County takes its name from Clear Lake, the dominant geographic feature in the county and the largest natural lake wholly within California. The county is located in the northwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Lake County Courthouse 255 N Forbes St Lakeport, CA 95453 Phone: 707-263-2374 Lake County Courthouse

County Clerk has birth, marriage, death and land records from 1867, mining and miscellaneous records. Clerk Superior Court has divorce, probate and court records.

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

 * History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California : with Biographical Sketches. By Aurelius O. Carpenter and Percy H. Millberry. Los Angeles, California : Historic Record Company, 1914. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * History of Napa and Lake Counties, California ... and Biographical Sketches. By Lyman L. Palmer. San Francisco, California : Slocum, Bowen, 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Index to Lake County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Lake County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)

Census Records

 * 1860 Census, Napa County, California, Clear Lake Township (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1870 Index of Lake County Census Records by Location (USGenWeb Archives)

Church Records

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

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

Directories

 * 1867 Pacific Coast Business Directory for Lake County (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1878-1879 McKenney's District Directory - Lake County Portion (CAGenWeb Project)

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1867-1928 (*); Lake County, California, Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1881 (*); Lake County, California, Assessor at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * Index to Federal Land Patents, Lake County (USGenWeb Archives)

Specific Towns in Lake County
 * 1871 (*); Lake County, California, County Court at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1871 (*); Lake County, California, County Court at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images

Local Histories

 * Historical and descriptive sketch book of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino. By Campbell Augustus Menefee. Napa, California : Reporter Pub. Co., 1873. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, HathiTrust.
 * History of Lake County. By Henry K. Mauldin. San Francisco, California : East Wind Printers, ©1960. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California : with Biographical Sketches. By Aurelius O. Carpenter and Percy H. Millberry. Los Angeles, California : Historic Record Company, 1914. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * History of Napa and Lake Counties, California ... and Biographical Sketches. By Lyman L. Palmer. San Francisco, California : Slocum, Bowen, 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Lake County (California) History. By Henry Mauldin. N.p. : H. Mauldin, 1976..
 * Lake County, in Memorial And Biographical History Of Northern California (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 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
 Civil War
 * Lake County Civil War Veterans and Cemeteries (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Lake County List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)

World War I
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Lake County WWI Draft Registrations (CAGenWeb Project)

 World War II
 * Lake County Index of World War II Army Enlistment Records (Genealogy Trails)
 * World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel, Lake County, California (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1852-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers

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

Obituaries

 * Lake County Obituaries and Death Notices (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Lake County Obituary Index (Genealogy Trails)

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 ($)


 * Lake County Probate Index (CAGenWeb Project)

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

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1872-73 Lake County Delinquent Taxes - Fiscal Year 1872-73 (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1874-75 Lake County Delinquent Taxes - Fiscal Year 1874-75 (CAGenWeb Project)

Birth

 * 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1875-1899 Lake County Birth Notices (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1905-1910 Lake County Birth Index by Year (Genealogy Trails)
 * To 1910 Lake County Births from County Birth Indexes and Newspapers (CAGenWeb Project)

Marriage

 * 1800-2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho
 * Lake County Marriage Notices (CAGenWeb Project)

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

 * Highlands California FamilySearch Center
 * Lakeport California FamilySearch Center
 * California Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Lake County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 1323 Lakeport, CA 95453 Website Lake County Historical Society P.O. Box 1011 Lakeport, CA 95453 Website

Websites

 * Lake County CAGenWeb and CA Genweb
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Lake County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Lake 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.