Sierra County, California Genealogy

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

California Online Genealogy Records



County Courthouse
County Recorder has birth records from 1857, marriage and land records from 1852 and death records from 1862, Superior Court has divorce probate and court records and naturalization records from 1852

Parent County
16 April 1852: Sierra County was created 16 April 1852 from Yuba County. County seat: Downieville

Description
The county was named from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The county seat Downieville and the county was created 1852. 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
1947: Courthouse burned 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

 * Lassen
 * Nevada
 * Plumas
 * Washoe County, Nevada
 * Yuba

Biography

 * Sierra County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Sierra County Biographies USGenWeb Archives]

Church History and Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * FamilySearch Places

Gazetteers

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

History

 * Sierra County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Sierra County History Records (Genealogy Trails)

Land and Property

 * Index to Federal Land Records, Sierra 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
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.
 * 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.
 * Beckwourth Trail 1850 left the Truckee Trail near present-day Sparks, Nevada going to Oroville and Marysville, California

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

Military History and Records

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

Civil War

 * - 8th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company I


 * 1886 Civil War Veterans, South Mountain Post No. 117, G. A. R. 1886 (USGenWeb Archives)

World War I

 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1917-1918 Information from Draft Registration Cards, World War I, Sierra County, California (USGenWeb Archives)

World War II

 * World War II Army Enlistees, Sierra County (USGenWeb Archives)

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 Sierra County. This database is sometimes free at libraries.

Obituaries

 * Sierra County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Sierra 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

Family History Centers

 * Loma Rica California Family History Center
 * Nevada City California Family History Center
 * Oroville California Family History Center
 * Portola California Family History Center
 * Quincy California Family History Center
 * Reno Nevada Family History Center


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

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($)


 * Early Sierra County Births (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 Sierra County Marriages (USGenWeb Archives)

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
Sierra County Historical Society P.O. Box 260 100 Kentucky Mine Road Sierra City 96125 Phone:530-862-1310 Website

Sierra Madre Historical Society P.O. Box 202 Sierra Madre 91024 Website


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

Websites

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