Lassen County, California Genealogy

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

Description
Lassen County takes its name from Mount Lassen, which was named for Peter Lassen, one of General John C. Fremont's guides and a famous trapper and frontiersman. The county is located in the northeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Lassen County Courthouse 2610 Riverside Drive Susanville, CA 96130 Phone: 530-251-8205 Lassen County Website

The new Lassen Superior Court Hall of Justice opened at their new location on Riverside Drive in May of 2012. The County Clerk and Recorder's Office is in the old courthouse located at 220 S. Lassen Street, Susanville. The County Clerk has divorce, probate court and naturalization records from 1864. The County Recorder has marriage records from 1864, land records from 1857, birth and death records from 1907, some prior to 1907 but incomplete before 1929.

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

 * Surname Index to Lassen County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Lassen County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)

Census Records

 * 1870, 1920 Lassen County Census Records (USGenWeb Archives)

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
 * Susanville
 * Westwood

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

Court Records
Online Court Indexes and Records
 * Lassen Superior Court Defendant Index (Tim Purdy Presents Exploring Lassen County's Past and more)

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1857-1905 (*); Lassen County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1860-1939 (*); Lassen County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * 1867-1914 (*); Lassen County Recorder at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
 * Lassen County Index to Federal Land Patents (USGenWeb Archives)

Local Histories

 * Fairfield's Pioneer History of Lassen County, California. By Asa Merrill Fairfield. San Francisco, California : H.S. Crocker, c1916. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties, with California from 1513 to 1850. San Francisco, California : Fariss & Smith, 1882. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
 * Index to Lassen County Historical Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Lassen County History (CAGenWeb Project)

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 Lassen County for emigrant settlers included:
 * California Trail 1844 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.
 * Beckwourth Trail 1850 left the Truckee Trail near present-day Sparks, Nevada going to Oroville and Marysville, California
 * 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
 Civil War
 * 1883 Lassen County List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)

World War I
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * Lassen County World War I Era Honor Roll (Genealogy Trails)

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

 Korean War
 * Lassen County Korean War Veterans Honor Roll (Genealogy Trails)

 Vietnam War
 * Lassen County Vietnam War Honor Roll (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Newspapers

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

Obituaries

 * Lassen County Obituary Index (Tim Purdy Presents Exploring Lassen County's Past and more)
 * Index to Lassen County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
 * Lassen 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 ($)
 * 1891-1955 Lassen County California list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills - free
 * 1833-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * Index to Lassen County Probate Records (Tim I. Purdy Presents Exploring Lassen County's Past and more . . .)

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
 * 1870-1940 Lassen County Birth Notices (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)

Marriage

 * 1800-2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1889-1940 Lassen County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)
 * 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
 * 1931-1988 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

 * Fall River California FamilySearch Center
 * Quincy California FamilySearch Center
 * Susanville California FamilySearch Center
 * California Genealogical Society Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Lassen County Historical Society P.O. Box 321 Susanville, CA 96130 Phone: 530-257-2996

Websites

 * Lassen County CAGenWeb
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Lassen County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Lassen 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

 * Lassen Research Guide at California State Library