Churchill County, Nevada Genealogy

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

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Description
The county was named Nevada which is a Spanish word meaning snow-capped. It's county seat is Carson City and was founded March 2, 1861. It is located in the North-western area of the state. Churchill County was named for Fort Churchill (which today is actually in Lyon County), which had been named for General Sylvester Churchill, a Mexican-American War hero who was Inspector General of the U.S. Army in 1861. Churchill County was not organized until 1864, and its county seats were Bucklands (1861-64) which is now in Lyon County, La Plata (1864-68), Stillwater (1868-1904) and Fallon (1904-present). In the nineteenth century there were several attempts to eliminate Churchill County because of its small population, but Assemblyman Lemuel Allen was able to stop it on all occasions including convincing the Governor to veto the bill after it had been passed by both houses in 1875.

County Courthouse
Churchill County CourthouseChurchill County Administrative Complex 155 N. Taylor StreetFallon, NV 89406 Phone: 775.423.6028 Churchill County Website County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1905.

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

Boundary Changes

 * Parent County: Churchill County was created 25 November 1861 as an original county.
 * County Seat: Fallon
 * 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
The following are locations in the county:


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Biographies

 * Churchill County records

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


 * Interment.net Nevada cemetery records by county.

State and Territory Census Records

 * 1862 Territorial Census for Churchill County
 * Early Nevada records: certificates of survey, Carson Valley, 1856; 1862 census of Churchill County; 1864 census of Nye County
 * Missourians in the 1870 census records of Churchill County, Nevada [and]... Douglas County, Nevada
 * 1850 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Nevada was included in both the 1850 New Mexico and Utah Territory Censuses.
 * 1860 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images; Nevada was included in both the 1860 New Mexico and Utah Territory Censuses.
 * 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
'''Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Fallon

'''Episcopal


 * Episcopal Church 507 Churchill Street Fallon, Nevada 89406 775–423–3551
 * Churchill County records Membership rolls 1906 and 1943 Baptisms, confirmations, communicants 1907-1933 marriages 1913-1940 burials 1917-1957

Directories
Online Directories
 * 1868-1869 - Nevada Directory 1868-1869 at Ancestry - ($), index only, includes settlers of Nevada

Funeral Homes

 * Churchill County records

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
 * 1861 - 1936 - U.S. Homestead Records 1861-1936 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * Some Churchill County, Nevada, records, 1850-1900 : a researchers guide. c2002. By Barbara L. Hodges and Barbara A. Pargament. Fallon, Nevada : Barbara's Place for Genealogy..
 * The Humboldt Range: 19th Century Mining Camps. c1995. By Alan H. Patera. Nd. N.p: n.p..
 * Trails to Churchill County: Historical and Genealogical Society Quarterly. c1983-. By Churchill County Historical and Genealogical Society (Nevada). Fallon, Nevada : Churchill County Historical and Genealogical Society..

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 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 Churchill County, Nevada Genealogy for emigrant settlers included:


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


 * Central Pacific Railroad since 1869 from Ogden, Utah to Sacramento, California
 * Central Overland Trail 1859-1869 from Salt Lake City, Utah to Carson City, Nevada through central Nevada on a route south of the Humboldt River]

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
 * 1863-1866 - Nevada Civil War Volunteers, 1863-1866 ($) at Ancestry — index
 * Nevada - Soldiers of the Great War
 * Nevada Casualties of World War II
 * 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
Online Naturalization Records
 * 1956-1991 - Nevada, Naturalization Petitions, 1956-1991 at Ancestry - ($), index

Newspapers

 * Churchill County records
 * NewspaperArchive.com ($) has a collection of digitized Reno newspapers going back to 1870. This database is sometimes free at libraries.

Nevada Newspapers Online Nevada Newspaper Catalogs
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of Nevada newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of Nevada newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some Nevada newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; 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

Periodicals

 * In focus: annual journal of the Churchill County Museum Association
 * Trails to Churchill County: Historical and Genealogical Society quarterly

Birth

 * 1975 - 2012 Nevada Birth Index 1975-2012 at Ancestry ($)
 * Birth records of Churchill County, Nevada

Marriage

 * 1809 - 2011 Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011 - Index, incomplete, list of counties included
 * 1956 - 2005 Nevada Marriage Index 1956-2005 at Ancestry ($)
 * Churchill County records v. 3. Marriage records/notices:Churchill County marriage records 1903-1920 Marriage notices from newspapers 1894-1920

Divorce

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

Family History Centers

 * Fallon Nevada South Family History Center

Libraries
Churchill County Library 553 S Maine St Fallon, NV 89406 Telephone:775-423-7581

Museums
Churchill County Museum and Archives 1050 South Maine Street Fallon, NV Website

Societies
Churchill Historical and Genealogical Society c/o Churchill County Museum 1050 S Maine St Fallon, NV 89406-8824 Telephone: 775-423-3677 Fax:775-423-3662 E-mail:[mailto:ccmuseum@phonewave.net ccmuseum@phonewave.net] Website

Nevada State Genealogical Society P.O. Box 20666 Reno, NV 89515-0666 Website

Clark County Nevada Genealogy Society PO Box 1929 Las Vegas, NV 89125-1929 Website

Nevada Historical Society 1650 North Virginia Street Reno, NV 89503 Telephone: 775-688-1190 Website

Tri-State Genealogical Society ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, NEVADA PO Box 21902 Bullhead City, AZ 86439 Website

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * - 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
 * Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK)
 * Nevada Genealogy Network

Research Guides

 * Some Churchill County, Nevada, Records, 1850-1900: A Researchers guide