User:DiltsGD/Sandbox

''This article is about a state of the United States. For other uses, see California (disambiguation)''. United States California Welcome to California, the Golden StateMost unique genealogical features:
 * Spanish mission (church records) list many of the earliest settlers
 * CA took an 1852 state census
 * About 14% of CA immigrants before the railroad are in CA Pioneer Project
 * Starting 1866 most CA counties have Great Registers (voter lists)

Counties
Extinct or Renamed Counties:  Branciforte· Klamath· Lake (Nevada)· Pahute· Roop· Nataqua Territory

Click on the map below to go to a county page. Hover over a county to see its name. To see a larger version of the map, click here.

Major Repositories
California State Archives· California State Library· Sutro Library· California Historical Society· California Genealogical Society· UC Berkeley Bancroft Library· Los Angeles Public Library· Chinese Historical Society· National Archives Pacific Region (Riverside)· National Archives Pacific Region (San Francisco)· Family History Library

Migration Routes
Applegate Trail· Butterfield Overland Mail· California Trail· Camino Real de California· Central Overland Trail· Old Spanish Trail· Atlantic and Pacific Railroad· Central Pacific Railroad· Santa Fe Railway· Southern Pacific Railroad· Texas and Pacific Railway· Union Pacific Railroad· Ship Passenger Arrivals

Research Tools

 * TheCalifornia State Genealogical Alliance's Online Research Guide is a collaborative effort between the Alliance and it's member societies to provide information and links to resources for the entire state.
 * Finding Aids for the collections of university libraries, public libraries, state and county archives, historical societies, genealogical societies and other record repositories are collected together in the Online Archive of California
 * Find which county a town is in, what town a cemetery is in, even where a postoffice or building is by using the United States Geological Survey's Geographical Names Information System.
 * David Rumsey Map Collection is a large online collection of rare, old, antique historical atlases, globes, maps, charts plus other cartographic treasures. There is also a map of Southern California.
 * The California GenWeb Project has a wealth of information and is a part of the larger USGenWeb Project. The USGenWeb Project provides internet information on every county in every state in the United States.

Featured Content
When the United States acquired California in 1848, it agreed to recognize earlier claims. A commission was established in 1852 to process the claims. The National Archives has these commission records, including petitions and translations of Spanish documents. These are indexed in J.N. Bowman, Index to the Spanish-Mexican Private Land Grant Records and Cases of California, 1958, Reprint (Berkeley, California: Bancroft Library, University of California, 1970; Family History Library film ).

Did You Know?



 * There are statewide California birth, marriage and death indexes online for free? Find links at California Vital Records.
 * Gretna Greens. When a southern California couple's marriage is not in their home county, search for it in alternate places like Las Vegas, Clark, Nevada, or Yuma, Yuma, Arizona. A favorite alternative for northern California was Reno, Washoe, Nevada.

Things You Can Do
In order to make this wiki a better research tool, we need your help! Many tasks need to be done. You can help by: