Washoe County, Nevada Genealogy

United States Nevada  Washoe County

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

Historical Facts

 * Parent County: created 25 November 1861 as an original county
 * County Seat: Reno
 * Neighboring Counties: 

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

Cemeteries

 * Find A Grave
 * Interment.Net
 * USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project and the Washoe section
 * Mountain View Cemetery, Reno BillionGraves
 * The nearest veterans cemetery is the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley, Lyon Co., Nevada; many Washoe County veterans have been buried there since it was established in 1990.

In the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for, look at the list of records for. Films can be sent to family history centers. Public libraries may have copies of the books or can obtain them through Interlibrary Loan.

LDS Cemetery Records, US Vol. 23, page 4 - Washoe Cemetery, Washoe

Church Records
Church records are usually found in town records rather than on the county level. Search the FamilySearch Catalog - Place Search for the appropriate town in Washoe County.

LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Reno
 * Sparks

Court Records
The 2nd Judicial District Court, State of Nevada, Washoe County, handles divorce and probate as well as other court matters.

History
Google Books has some books about the history and people in Washoe County, Nevada. Try various search terms, including the names of people. Books designated with "Full view" can be read online.

Search FamilySearch Catalog Place Search for Washoe County, Nevada. Order films from a local Family History Center. Public libraries may have copies of books or order through Interlibrary Loan.

Land and Property
The Washoe County Recorder handles land records.

The grantor/grantee index on this web site allows searches of public records from 19 November 1991 to the present. Available images are "unofficial" copies only at $1.00 per page.

For official copies or questions about documents prior to 19 November 1991, call the Washoe County Recorder's office at 775-328-3660 or e-mail [mailto:record@mail.co.washoe.nv.us record@mail.co.washoe.nv.us]

Maps



 * Historical Maps of Nevada
 * David Rumsey Collection for Nevada
 * Perry-Castaneda Map Collection for Nevada
 * Historic Map Works can view some images for free, though this is a commercial site
 * Washoe County GIS Home Page

Migration
Early migration routes to and from for emigrant settlers included:


 * California Trail 1844 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
 * Truckee (River) Trail 1844 followed the Truckee River 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.
 * Applegate Trail1846 (avoided the Forty Mile Desert) by leaving the Humboldt River in Nevada early at present-day Rye Reservoir, Nevada and passing through the Black Rock Desert to Fandango Pass past Goose Lake on to the Lost River and eventually the Willamette Valley in Oregon
 * 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
 * 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]
 * Central Pacific Railroad since 1869 from Ogden, Utah to Sacramento, California

Military History and Records

 * Nevada, Civil War Services Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865

Newspapers

 * Ancestry.com ($) has digital copies of several Reno Nevada newspapers.


 * Genealogy.Bank.com ($) also has digital newspapers for Nevada.


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

Courthouse
Washoe County Courthouse 75 Court Street PO Box 11130 Reno, NV 89520 775–328–3260 County Health Department has birth, death and burial records from 1900. County Clerk has divorce, probate, court and naturalization records from 1862. County Recorder has land records from 1862 and marriage records from 1871.

Family History Centers

 * Reno Family History Center

Libraries

 * Washoe County Public Libraries 301 South Center Street, Reno, NV 89501 775-327-8300 | 775-327-8341

Museums

 * Division of Museums and History/ Nevada Historical Society 1650 North Virginia Street Reno, NV 89503 775-688-1190

Societies

 * Wellington Historical Society P. O. Box 36 Wellington, NV 89444


 * Nevada State Genealogical Society MailingAddress: P.O. Box 20666 Reno, NV 89515-0666 Meet at: Reno (Nevada) Family History Center 4751 Neil Road Reno, NV


 * Nevada - ENC IOOF Independent Order of Odd Fellows PO Box 7053 Reno, NV 89510-7053 Phone: (775) 348-7461


 * Nevada - LEA IOOF Independent Order of Odd Fellows PO Box 7053 Reno, NV 89510-7053 Phone: (775)-348-7461


 * NEVADA SAGEBRUSH Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution Reno, Nevada


 * SIERRA NEVADA Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution SOUTH RENO, Nevada


 * Nevada Society of the Order of Founders and Patriots of America Registrar J. Coats 1839 Deep Creek Dr Sparks, NV 89434-1762 775-626-2547


 * Sparks Heritage Society 814 Victorian Ave. Sparks, NV 89431


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


 * Nevada Historical Society 1650 North Virginia Street Reno, NV 89503 Telephone: 775-688-1190 Fax: 775-688-2917


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


 * Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK)


 * Nevada Genealogy Network

Marriage

 * The Nevada State Library and Archives has marriage licenses for Washoe County from 1862 to 1872. The original marriage certificate registers are in the county recorder's office and have not been microfilmed by the Family History Library.
 * Western States Marriage Index over 3,775 marriages from 13 Apr 1862 to 11 Jan 1919
 * Nevada, Marriage Index, 1956-2005

Websites

 * Washoe County NV GenWeb Project
 * Nevada Genealogy Trails section for Washoe County
 * Nevada Genealogy Trails section for Washoe County