Clark County, Nevada Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for William A. Clark, copper magnate. It is located in the southern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clark County Courthouse200 S 3rd Street Las Vegas, NV 89155-1601 Phone: 702–455–3156 Clark County Website County Clerk has probate, divorce and court records. County Recorder has marriage and land records. County Health Department has birth and death records.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

 * Parent County: created 5 February 1909 from Lincoln
 * County seat: Las Vegas
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nevada - shows boundary changes for Nevada Counties
 * Nevada Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

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:

Locations not listed in Wikipedia

History Timeline

 * Up until 1821 - New Spain controlled land that later would become Arizona and Nevada. Some records of early settlers may have been sent to an archives in Seville, Spain, or to archives in Mexico City.
 * From 1821 until 1846 - Mexico had jurisdiction over the land that later would become Arizona and Nevada. Some records of this period may have been sent to archives in Mexico City.
 * From 1846 to 1863 - New Mexico Territory included land that later would become Arizona and southern Nevada.
 * In 1852 - New Mexico Territory set up counties that stretched east and west from the Texas border to the California border, including land that became Arizona and southern Nevada. Present-day Clark County, Nevada was once part of Taos NM, and Rio Arriba NM, Santa Ana NM, Bernalillo NM, and Valencia NM counties of New Mexico. There is a small chance that a few records from 1846 to 1863 may have been sent to courthouses in their respective New Mexico counties.
 * 29 December 1863 – Arizona's three judicial districts were established by the Arizona Territory Organic Act from the western half of New Mexico Territory. All previous counties were dissolved, and eventually four new counties were created in the new Arizona Territory.
 * By November 1864 – Mohave County was created by the Arizona legislature as an original county from parts of the 2nd and 3rd Judicial Districts. A part of the 3rd Judicial District, Arizona eventually became Clark County, Nevada. Some records from 1863 to 1871 may have been sent to the Mohave County, Arizona offices.
 * 22 December 1865 – Pah-Ute County was created by Arizona from part of Mohave County. Some records from 1865 to 1871 may have been sent to the Pah-Ute County offices. When part of Pah-Ute County was given to Nevada those records were probably transferred to either Mohave County, Arizona, or to Lincoln or Nye counties in Nevada.
 * 18 January 1867 – Pah-Ute County, and Mohave County, Arizona Territory west of the Colorado River and west of 114° west longitude were given to Nevada by the U.S. Congress. This area became the southern part of Lincoln, and Nye counties, and eventually Clark County, in Nevada. In 1871, after many petitions Arizona ceased to claim this land.

Cemeteries
The following web site has additional information on Clark county cemeteries.


 * Interment.net Nevada cemetery records by county.

State and Territory Census Records

 * 1850  at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Nevada was included in both the 1850 New Mexico and Utah Territory Censuses. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1860  at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Nevada was included in both the 1860 New Mexico and Utah Territory Censuses. - How to Use this Collection
 * 1860 Nevada, Compiled Census Index, 1860-1910 at Ancestry ($), index
 * 1862-1863 1862-1863 Nevada Territory Tax List - Index
 * 1875 Nevada State Census, 1875 at Ancestry.com ($), index

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for the state of Nevada starting in 1870. Although, those living in south-eastern Nevada in 1870 may be enumerated in Utah or Arizona because of disputed boundaries with Nevada. For links to Federal Census indexes, see Nevada Census.

Church Records
'''Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Boulder City
 * Bunkerville
 * Charleston (Las Vegas)
 * Henderson
 * Las Vegas 1
 * Las Vegas 2
 * Logandale
 * Mesquite
 * Overton
 * St. Thomas
 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * 1868-1869 Nevada Directory 1868-1869 at Ancestry ($), index only, includes settlers of Nevada.
 * 1954, 1957, 1959 U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 at Ancestry ($), Index and images, Las Vegas City Directories, various dates.

Funeral Homes

 * The Funeral Home Directory
 * Bunkers Mortuary
 * Palm Mortuary

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records

For more information see Nevada Land and Property
 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website.
 * 1863-1908 U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com ($), index and images.

Local Histories

 * Deaths Reported in the Las Vegas Age, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 7, 1905 through December 31, 1933. c1991. By Nevada Historical Society (Las Vegas). Las Vegas, Nevada : Clark County Nevada Genealogical Society..
 * Kawich (Goldreed), Nevada. By Alan H. Patera.
 * News from Overton, Nevada and Surrounding Areas: (Logan, St. Thomas, Cappa, Kaolin and Moapa, 1905-1015). c2014. By David Lee Andersen. San Bernadino, California : David Lee Andersen..

Online County Histories
 * 100 Years On The Muddy. c1967. By Arabell Lee Hafner. Springville, Utah : Art City Pub. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * An Index of Obituaries Published in the Las Vegas, Nevada Review-Journal and the Las Vegas, Nevada Sun, January 1, 1990-December 31, 1990. c1991. By Clark County Nevada Genealogical Society. Las Vegas, Nev : Clark County Nevada Genealogical Society. Online at Ancestry ($);.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nevada - shows boundary changes for Nevada Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of Nevada - maps and atlases of Nevada

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Clark County, Nevada Genealogy for emigrant settlers included:


 * Mormon Trail 1846 to 1869 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah.
 * Mormon Trail to Southern California 1847 from Salt Lake City, Utah to Los Angeles, California.
 * Union Pacific Railroad 1869 Ogden, Utah (among others) to Omaha, Nebraska.

Online Collections
These collections are unique to Nevada. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Nevada Military Records. Civil War World War I World War II Korea War Vietnam War Other Conflicts For further information see Nevada Military Records.
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
 * 1863-1866 Nevada Civil War Volunteers, 1863-1866 ($) at Ancestry — index
 * Nevada - Soldiers of the Great War
 * Nevada Casualties of World War II
 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
 * Nevada Military Killed in Action in Korea
 * U.S. Military Fatal Casualties of the Korean War for Nevada
 * Nevada Military Killed in Action in Vietnam
 * The Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Nevada
 * Vietnam Conflict Casualty Lists - Nevada
 * Nevadans Killed in Action - Operation Enduring Freedom & Operation Iraqi Freedom

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1956-1991 Nevada, Naturalization Petitions, 1956-1991 at Ancestry - ($), index

Newspapers

 * GenealogyBank ($), contains images of Nevada newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive ($), contains images of Nevada newspapers
 * Chronicling America, contains images of some Nevada newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind, search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper

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 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Birth

 * 1871-1992 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
 * 1975-2012 Nevada Birth Index 1975-2012 at Ancestry ($)

Marriage

 * 1809-2011 Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011 - Index, incomplete, list of counties included
 * 1862-1992 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
 * 1956-2005 Nevada Marriage Index 1956-2005 at Ancestry ($)

Death

 * 1871-1992 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection

Divorce

 * 1968-2015 Nevada Divorce Records 1968-2015 at Ancestry ($)

Family History Centers

 * Black Mountain Nevada Family History Center
 * Boulder City Nevada Family History Center
 * Las Vegas Nevada East Family History Center
 * Las Vegas Nevada Stake Family History Center (Spanish)
 * Las Vegas Nevada Large Multi-stake Family History Center
 * Las Vegas Nevada Sandstone Family History Center
 * Logandale Nevada Family History Centers
 * Mesquite Nevada Family History Center

Museums

 * Clark County Heritage Center 1830 S. Boulder Highway Henderson, NV 89002-8502 Phone: 702-455-7955

Societies

 * Clark County Nevada Genealogy Society PO Box 1929 Las Vegas, NV 89125-1929 Website
 * Nevada Historical Society 1650 North Virginia Street Reno, NV 89503 Phone: 775-688-1190 Fax: 775-688-2917 Website
 * Nevada State Genealogical Society P.O. Box 20666 Reno, NV 89515-0666 Facebook
 * Tri-State Genealogical Society For Arizona, California, Nevada PO Box 21902 Bullhead City, AZ 86439 Website


 * Daughters of the American Revolution:
 * Francisco Garces Chapter Las Vegas, NV
 * Old Spanish Trail Chapter Henderson, NV
 * Valley of Fire Chapter Las Vegas, NV
 * Helen J. Stewart Chapter Las Vegas, NV

Websites

 * USGenWeb project for Clark County, Nevada
 * - 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
 * Clark County Genealogy