Alpine County, California Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth, marriage, death, probate, court and land records from 1900

Parent County
1864--Alpine County was created 16 March 1864 from Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mono and Tuolumne Counties. County seat: Markleeville

Description
The county was named because of its resemblance to the Swiss Alps. The county seat Markleeville and the county was created March 16, 1864. The County is located in the east central corner 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
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Neighboring Counties

 * Amador
 * Calaveras
 * Douglas County, Nevada
 * El Dorado
 * Mono
 * Tuolumne

Cemeteries
The following web site may have additional information on Alpine County cemeteries.


 * Interment.net California cemetery records by County.

Maps



 * Maps of California (1850-1925)

Migration
Early migration routes to and from for emigrant settlers included:


 * California Trail 1844 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California


 * Carson (River) Trail 1848 (aka Mormon Emigrant Trail) crossed the Forty Mile Desert past the west side of the Carson Sink to pick up the Carson River near Fallon, Nevada up to Hope Valley and Red Lake. The Devil's Ladder then climbed 700 feet (210 m) in half a mile so ropes, chains, and pulleys were required to lift the wagons. Carson Pass was followed by the relatively easy West Pass (Kirkwood, California) and then on to Pollock Pines, Placerville, and Sutter's Fort, California


 * Big Tree Road (Ebbetts Pass) 1851 from western Nevada to Markleeville, Murphys, and Stockton, California
 * Sonora Road 1852 from the Carson Trail to Sonora, California
 * Luther Pass Trail 1854 connected the Carson Trail and Johnson's Cutoff and allowed travelers to avoid Lake Tahoe. It became one of the routes to the Comstock Lode in Nevada

Military History and Records
United States, Burial Registers for Military Posts, Camps, and Stations,1768-1921

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1833 – 1991 at FamilySearch — images

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1850 - 1952 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1854 - 1885 - Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Alpine County Historical Society P.O. Box 24 Markleeville 96120 Website

Alpine County Historical Society 1 School Street California Markleeville, CA 96120 Phone:530-694-2317


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

Websites

 * Alpine County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Alpine County CAGenWeb Project
 * Alpine County, California Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * USGenWeb Archives backup site
 * FamilySearch Catalog