Shasta County, California Genealogy

Guide to Shasta 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 after Mount Shasta; the name "Shasta" is derived from the English equivalent for the name of an Indian tribe that once lived in the area. The county seat Redding and the county was created 1850. The County is located in the north central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Shasta County Courthouse 1500 Court St. Redding, CA 96001 Phone: 530-245-6789 Shasta County Website County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1880. County Recorder has birth, marriage and death 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:

Indian Reservations or Rancherias

The Big Bend Indian Rancheria is located in this county.

Biographies

 * Shasta County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Shasta County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Index to Biographies of Pioneers in Shasta County, CA (CAGenWeb project)

Church Records
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Redding
 * Shasta

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

Local Histories

 * Shasta County History Records (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1891 Shasta County 1891 (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
Early migration routes to and from Shasta County for emigrant settlers included:
 * California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * The Lassen Cutoff 1848 was established by gold rushers from Oregon going to California. It branched off the Applegate Trail at Davis Creek, went through Devil's Garden to the Pit River passing east of Mt. Lassen, and turning west to Lassen Rancho, California, and from there to Sacramento. In some years as much as 1/3 of emigrants mistakenly took the Applegate Trail-Lassen Cutoff, a much longer and more difficult trail than the Truckee or Carson routes.
 * Nobles Road 1851 from the Applegate Trail at Rabbithole Springs in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada to Shasta City, California
 * 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Military Records

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

 Civil War Regiments. Civil War service men in Shasta 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 Rosters, G.A.R. Posts, Shasta County, California (USGenWeb Archives)
 * - 4th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company C

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

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

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research
 * California, U.S., Newspapers.com Stories and Events Index at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Obituaries

 * Early Shasta County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Shasta County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Voting Records

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

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($)

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($)
 * 1850-1860 Shasta County Marriages (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho
 * Early Shasta County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)

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

 * Anderson California FamilySearch Center
 * Fall River California FamilySearch Center
 * Mount Shasta California FamilySearch Center
 * Red Bluff California FamilySearch Center
 * Redding California FamilySearch Center
 * Weaverville California FamilySearch Center

Societies
Shasta Genealogical Society P.O. Box 493431 Redding, CA 96049-3431 Website Shasta County Historical Society 1449 Market Street Redding, CA 96001 Phone: 530-243-3720 Website

Websites

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

 * Shasta Research Guide at California State Library