Sierra County, California Genealogy

Guide to Sierra 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 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.

County Courthouse
Sierra County Courthouse 100 Courthouse Square Downieville, CA 95936 Phone: 530-289-3698 Sierra County Website 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

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:

Biographies

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

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Index to Federal Land Records, Sierra County (USGenWeb Archives)

Local Histories

 * Sierra County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Sierra County History Records (Genealogy Trails)
 * 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
Early migration routes to and from Sierra County for emigrant settlers included: 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.
 * California Trail 1844 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * 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
 * 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Military Records

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

 Civil War Regiments. Civil War service men in Sierra 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:
 * 1886 Civil War Veterans, South Mountain Post No. 117, G. A. R. 1886 (USGenWeb Archives)
 * - 8th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company I

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

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($)
 * 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 & 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
 * Early Sierra County Marriages (USGenWeb Archives)

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($)

Divorce

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Loma Rica California FamilySearch Center
 * Nevada City California FamilySearch Center
 * Oroville California FamilySearch Center
 * Portola California FamilySearch Center
 * Quincy California FamilySearch Center
 * Reno Nevada FamilySearch Center
 * Doris Foley Library for Historical Research Nevada County Library - an affiliate library

Societies
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

Websites

 * Sierra County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Sierra County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Sierra 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

 * Sierra Research Guide at California State Library