Santa Cruz County, California Genealogy

Guide to Santa Cruz 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 for "Santa Cruz" ("Holy Cross"). The county seat Santa Cruz and the county was created 1850. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Santa Cruz County 1 2nd St Watsonville, CA 95076 Phone: 831-786-7200 Santa Cruz Website County Recorder has marriage and land records from 1850, birth and death records from 1905, and military records from 1930. Clerk of Superior Cout has divorce, probate 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:

History Timeline
The first European settlements in Santa Cruz County began with the founding of a Franciscan mission in 1791 near the San Lorenzo River in what is now the city of Santa Cruz. In 1797, a proprietary Spanish colony was founded near the mission church and named Branciforte. When California became part of the United States in 1850, Branciforte County was one of the original counties but the name was quickly changed to Santa Cruz County on 19 April 1850. Geographically, the coastline gives way to coastal mountains which often come right down to the sea. Two significant rivers played a role in settlement, the San Lorenzo (Santa Cruz city) and the Pajaro River (Watsonville). California highway route 1 passes through the county along the coast and route 17 provides a connection over the coastal mountains to the San Jose/Silicon Valley area. A railroad also came to the area in the late 1800s providing a shipping outlet for agricultural products of the coastal farmlands.

Earthquakes have affected the area destroying much of the mission church in 1857 and another doing major damage to the city of Santa Cruz in 1989 but they did not cause any significant loss of records.

Biographies

 * Index to Santa Cruz County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Santa Cruz County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)

Census Records

 * 1850 Federal Census, Santa Cruz County, California (USGenWeb Archives)

Church Records

 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

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

Directories

 * 1937 Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, California, City Directory, 1937 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1939 Santa Cruz, California, City Directory, 1939 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1940 Santa Cruz, California, City Directory, 1940 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1946 Watsonville, California, City Directory, 1946 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1959 Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, California, City Directory, 1959 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1960 Santa Cruz, California, City Directory, 1960 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Index to Federal Land Records, Santa Cruz County, California (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Santa Cruz County History (USGenWeb Archives)
 * California Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of California (1850-1925)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

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

Military Records

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

 Civil War
 * 1886 Index to Civil War Veterans Rosters, G.A.R. Posts, Santa Cruz County, California] (USGenWeb Archives)

Regiments. Civil War service men in Santa Cruz 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:
 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company A
 * - 7th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company K
 * - 8th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company A

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

 World War II
 * Index to World War II Army Enlistees, Santa Cruz County, California (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Santa Cruz County, World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)

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

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
 * Mountain Echo (Boulder Creek 1896-1916)
 * Register Pajaronian (Watsonville, 1868-present)
 * Santa Cruz Sentinel (Santa Cruz 1866-present 2011)
 * Santa Cruz Surfer (Santa Cruz 1889-1919)

Obituaries

 * Index to Santa Cruz County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Santa Cruz County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Santa Cruz County, California Obituary and Death Notice Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Capitola, Pajaro, Royal Oaks, Bonny Doon, Aptos and Freedom areas.

Voting Records

 * 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1782-1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1833-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

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($)
 * Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency Public Health Department Birth Certificates

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($)
 * Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency Public Health Department Death Certificates

Divorce

 * 1966-1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

FamilySearch Centers

 * Los Altos California FamilySearch Center
 * San Jose California FamilySearch Center
 * Santa Clara California FamilySearch Center
 * Santa Cruz California FamilySearch Center

Libraries

 * Santa Cruz Central Library 224 Church Street Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Societies

 * Santa Cruz County, Genealogical Society P.O. Box 72 Santa Cruz, CA 95063 Phone:861-427-7707 ext 5794 Email: [mailto:staff@scgensoc.org staff@scgensoc.org] Website
 * Santa Cruz Jewish Genealogical Society 7960 B Soquel Dr., Ste 370 Aptos, CA 95003 Email: [mailto:info@scjgs.org info@scjgs.org] Website
 * Santa Cruz Historical Society P.O. Box 246 Santa Cruz 9506
 * Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County library (housed in the Central Branch Library, significant collection of genealogies)
 * Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz Public Library Downtown.

Websites

 * Santa Cruz County CAGenWeb
 * Genealogical Society of Santa Cruz County
 * www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=22649 Santa Cruz Mission State Historical Park
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Santa Cruz County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Santa Cruz 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

 * Santa Cruz Research Guide at California State Library