Monterey County, California Genealogy

Guide to Monterey 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 from Monterey Bay. The county seat Monterey Bay and the county was created February 18, 1850. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Monterey County Courthouse 240 Church Street Salinas, CA 93901 Phone: 831-755-5400 Monterey County Website County Recorder has birth, death, and marriage records from 1893. Clerk Superior Court has probate and land records. County Court has divorce 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

 * Index to Monterey County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Index to Monterey County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)

Census Records

 * 1850-1910 Index to Monterey County Census Records (CAGenWeb Project)
 * 1852 California State census, schedule I inhabitants of Monterey County, California : Escobar 1852 Monterey County database, by Lorraine Escobar at FamilySearch - (book)

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
 * Monterey
 * Pacific Grove
 * Salinas

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

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records Superior Court of California – County of Monterey  Case Lookup – Index Court Portal ''Probate/Guardianship. Conservatorship Case Fillings '' Probate

 PDF Requesting Court Case File and Adjudicative Records (divorce, criminal, complaints, judgments, traffic tickets, case information) Mostly available at the clerk’s office at the court location where record was originally filed. Requests to inspect and copy case file and other adjudicative records prepared for or filed or used in a court proceeding may be made at the courthouse where they are filed. There is a copying fee of $0.50 per page, which must be paid in advance. Please direct requests for access to administrative records maintained by the Monterey County Superior Court to: PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE Superior Court of California County of Monterey 240 Church Street Salinas, CA 93901 Phone: (831) 775-5400 x3020 Fax: (831) 775-5499 [mailto:Mediainfo@monterey.courts.ca.gov Mediainfo@monterey.courts.ca.gov]''' Court records held by Monterey County Historical Society:

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Index to Monterey County General Land Office Records (USGenWeb Archives]
 * Land records held by the Monterey County Historical Society:
 * Taylor, Alexander Smith. 1900. Index to the Mexican Archives of the County of Monterey from volume sixth to volume sixteenth inclusive

Local Histories
The Old Monterey Courthouse History - Monterey County Courthouse Completed 1878 Monterey Courts. The military and social capital of Alta California during Spanish and Mexican rule, the town of Monterey naturally became the county seat when the 27 original counties were formed in, 1850. But when it was learned that the railroad was to go through the valley and not along the coast, the government center was moved to Salinas. After the house used as a courthouse burned, this much larger brick Victorian building was commissioned. The courthouse remained in use while the current one was being constructed around it, and then was demolished. Today a courtyard, lily pond, and commemorative sculpture occupy the site.


 * Monterey County Historical Society
 * City of Monterey Museums

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 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 & images

Military Records
 Civil War Civil War service men in Monterey 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:
 * 1883 List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883, Monterey County (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1886 Gen. Jas. B. Steedman Post No. 56, G. A. R. 1886 Roster (USGenWeb Archives)
 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company A
 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company B

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

 World War II
 * Monterey County World War II Army Enlistees (CAGenWeb Project)

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

Newspapers
(note: some of these dates may be off due to incomplete holdings lists and variations in titles of the newspapers) BIG SUR Big Sur Gazette (1978-1981) CARMEL and CARMEL VALLEY Carmel Californian (1936-1937) Carmel Cottager (1934) Carmel Cymbal (1926-1941) Carmel Cymbal and Masten’s Gazette (1941-1942) Carmel, Pebble Beach, Carmel Valley Spectator (1949) Carmel Pine Cone (1915-present) Carmel Pine Cone and Carmel Valley Outlook (1981-1993) Carmel Pine Cone Cymbal (1942-1962) Carmel Spectator (1949-1955) Carmel Sun (1992-1994) Carmel Valley News (1951-1955) Carmel Valley Sun (1983-1990) Carmel Valley Outlook (1979-1981) Carmel Valley Weekly Sun (1990-1993) Carmel Village Daily (1933) Masten’s Gazette (1941) Paisano (1948) Peninsula Spectator (1959) Spectator (1949-1950) CASTROVILLE and MOSS LANDING Castroville News (1936-1942) Castroville Times (1950-1952) Castroville Times Journal (1950) Castroville Times and Moss Landing Harbor News (1952-1975) North County News (1975-1982) FORT ORD Fort Ord Panorama (1980-1982) GONZALES Gonzales Tribune (1956-1991) GREENFIELD Greenfield News (1952-1991) KING CITY King City Rustler (1901-1997) Rustler and King City Herald (1961-1964) Semi Weekly Rustler (1936-1937) MARINA Marina Tribune (1981-1982) Marina Weekly Tribune (1979) MONTEREY Army News (1904) At Ease (1990) Monterey American (1913-1916) Monterey Argus (1887-1888) Monterey Bay Labor News 1955-1985 Monterey Bay News (1947-1950) Monterey Bay and Pacific Grove/Pebble Beach Tribune (1985) Monterey Bay Tribune (1985-1987) Monterey County Herald (1992-present) Monterey County Journal (1864) Monterey County Post (1929-1933) Monterey Daily Cypress 1889-1922) Monterey Democrat (1868-1889) Monterey Enterprise (?) Monterey Evening Herald (1909-1910) Monterey Gazette (1863-1868) Monterey Herald (1986-1992) Monterey Labor News (1937) Monterey New Era (1890-1909) Monterey News Daily and Monterey Trader (1940) Monterey Peninsula Herald (1929-1992) Monterey Sentinel (1855-1856) Monterey Trader (1933-1951) Monterey Union (1862) Montereyan (1951-1955) Peninsula Advocate (1910-1911) Peninsula Daily Herald (1927-1929) Peninsula Daily Herald and Monterey Daily Cypress and Monterey American (1923-1927) Peninsula Merchants’ Semi-Monthly Bulletin (1915-1916) PACIFIC GROVE Pacific Grove Beacon (1994-1995) Pacific Grove Daily Review (1892-1926) Pacific Grove Monarch (1987-1992) Pacific Grove News (1916) Pacific Grove/Pebble Beach Tribune (1976-1984) Pacific Grove Progress (1916) Pacific Grove Review (1888-1912) Pacific Grove Tide (1936-1943) Pacific Grove Tribune (1943-1951, 1984-1985) Pacific Grove Weekly Tribune (1978-1979) Peninsula Pelican (1925) Peninsular Review and Pacific Grove Daily Review (1926-1932) SALINAS Monterey County Labor News (1942-1954) Monterey County Post (1929-1933) North Monterey County Fortnighter (1983-1989) Owl (1894) Salinas Californian (1942-present) Salinas Daily Index (1894-1928) Salinas Daily Journal (1889-1897) Salinas Daily Post and Monterey County Post (1933-1942) Salinas Democrat (1889-1896) Salinas Index (1895-1904) Salinas Index Journal (1928-1942) Salinas Index Weekly (1873-1925) Salinas Labor News (1937-1942) Salinas Morning Post (1936-1942) Salinas Standard (1869-1872) Salinas Valley Rustler (1906-1923) Salinas Valley Settler (1889) Salinas Village Crier (1942) Salinas Weekly Index (1883-1895) Salinas Weekly Journal (1867-1915). SEASIDE Free Weekly Sentinel (1987) Right-On Post (1970) Seaside News Sentinel (1950-1970) Seaside Post (1969-1970) Seaside Post News Sentinel (1970-1988) Seaside Post Sentinel (1970) Seaside Sentinel (1988-1996) Seaside Weekly Sentinel (1987-1988) SPRECKELS Spreckles Courier (1909-1914) WATSONVILLE Watsonville Rustler (1888-1897)
 * 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 Monterey County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Monterey County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Monterey County Obituaries (CAGenWeb Project)

Voting Records
The following is a list of original voter registration records recently transferred from Monterey County Elections Department to the Monterey County Historical Society archival facility in Salinas. To access records, see: MCHS Museum

Great Register of Voters: Ledger Books: 1866-1870 1 book 1870 1 book 1881-1883,1886,1888,1890 1 book 1892 (Vol. 1, Vol. 2) 2 books 1896 (Vol. 1, Vol. 2) 2 books 1898 (Vol. 3) 2 books 1900 (Vol. 1,Vol. 2) 2 books 1902 (Vol. 1, Vol. 2) 2 books 1904 (Vol. 1, Vol.2) 2 books 1906-1907 (Vol. 1, Vol. 2) 2 books 1908-1909 (A-L, M-Z) 2 books 1910-1911 (A-L, M-Z) 2 books 1912-1913 (A-L, M-Z) 4 books 1914-1915 (A-L, M-Z) 2 books

Scattered records: Voter affidavits*: 1922-23 (Affidavits, Pleyto precinct) 1930-31 (Affidavits, Blanco precinct)

Indexes (no voter affidavits): 1938, August primary (Greenfield precincts No.1 and No. 2)

Description of collection: The ledger books1 titled Great Register of Voters are the original handwritten manuscripts kept by the County Clerk’s (Registrar of Voters) office of the County of Monterey beginning in 1866.2 The entries are made in alphabetical sections (with alpha sub-sections) and show chronological appearance of voters as they were sworn and registered to vote. The entries include place of nativity (birthplace); age of voter; place of residence (post office or precinct); date and place of naturalization, if applicable; whether citizen by virtue of Treaty of Hildago or citizen by virtue of father’s naturalization (and in later years a woman’s citizenship status by marriage); occupation; date of appearance to be sworn; and date of registration. Later registration data includes a physical description of the voter and party affiliation. The Registrar of Voters also appended notes to the entries to indicate reasons for cancellation whether due to removal to another county or state, transfer to another county due to change of boundary lines (i.e. to San Benito County in 1874), death, incarceration or “Section 1106” (failure to vote). These notations usually contained dates if known. Copies of the list of voters not thus cancelled, were made every two years and sometimes more frequently if a special election occurred (polling lists). These copies of uncancelled voters were sent to the state and other repositories on a routine basis. Microfilm of these typeset lists is available at the California State Library in Sacramento, California, and other repositories.3

These original handwritten Great Register ledger books have not been microfilmed or transcribed. There was a partial transcription done of the 1890 Great Register as part of a census substitute project4 but the transcription does not include cancellation information.

Note: The Great Register books contain information for years other than marked on the book spines. For example, the 1866-1870 Great Register contains several entries made after 1870 when cancellations were noted and the 1890 Great Register shows voter registration dates which occurred years earlier.


 * Voter affidavits are registration forms signed by the voters and contain birth date, birth place, residence address, occupation, party affiliation and sometimes cancellation information.
 * 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index($)
 * List of records

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($)

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

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

 * Coalinga California FamilySearch Center
 * Fresno California FamilySearch Center
 * Fresno California North FamilySearch Center
 * Fresno California West FamilySearch Center
 * Hanford California FamilySearch Center
 * Hollister California FamilySearch Center
 * Monterey California FamilySearch Center
 * Selma California FamilySearch Center
 * Fresno County Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Carmel Heritage Society Lincoln and Sixth P.O. Box 701 Carmel, CA 93921 Phone: 831.624.4447 Website The Carmel Valley History Center 77 W. Carmel Valley Rd Carmel Valley, CA 93924 P.O. Box 1612 Phone: 831.659-5715 Website Castroville Historical Society 11560 Merritt Street Castroville, CA 95012 Monterey County Genealogy Society Inc P. O. Box 8144 Salinas, CA 93912-8144 Website Monterey County Historical Society, Inc Boronda Adobe History Center 333 Boronda Road Salinas, CA 93907 Mailing Address:P.O. Box 3576 Salinas, CA 93912 Phone: 831.757.8085 Website Soledad Historical Society P.O. Box 593 Soledad, CA 93960 Phone: 831.678.8668 Contact Person:Margaret Jacobsen Website Monterey County Genealogy Society Website Monterey County Historical Society The MCHS is a major archive for Monterey County records.Website

Websites

 * Monterey County CAGenWeb
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Linkpendium
 * Monterey County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Monterey 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

 * Monterey Research Guide at California State Library