Alameda County, California Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
County Clerk has marriage records from 1854, probate,divorce,court and land records, birth records 1919-1988 (some from 1873) and death records 1905-1988 some from 1876

Description
The county was named the Spanish word alameda means "a place where poplar trees grow," a name originally given to the Arroyo de la (Poplar Grove Creek). The willow and sycamore trees along the banks of the river reminded the early explorers of a road lined with trees, also known as an alameda. The county seat Oakland and the county was created March 25, 1853. The County is located in the west central corner of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating California county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation California County Boundary Maps" (1850-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

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

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:

Neighboring Counties

 * Contra Costa
 * San Francisco
 * San Joaquin
 * San Mateo
 * Santa Clara
 * Stanislaus

Biography

 * Alameda County Biographies, Surnames A-L (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Alameda County Biographies, Surnames M-Z (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Index to Alameda County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Alameda County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project, part of the USGenWeb Project)

Cemeteries
The following web sites may have additional information on Alameda County cemeteries.


 * 1857-1973 - at FamilySearch — index


 * Interment.net California cemetery records by County.


 * SFgenealogy Alameda County cemetery records.


 * Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society Livermore-Amador genealogical society genealogy data records for Eastern Alameda County, California.

Census

 * Alameda County Census Records (CAGenWeb Project)
 * Alameda County Census Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Church History and Records

 * 1864-1985 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Alameda Churches, short list but with links to transcriptions of some records

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

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Alameda
 * Berkeley
 * Berkeley 1
 * Berkeley 2
 * Carquinez
 * Dimond (Oakland)
 * Eastmont
 * Elmhurst (Oakland)
 * Hayward
 * Martinez
 * Maxwell Park (Oakland)
 * Napa
 * Oakland
 * Richmond
 * San Leandro
 * San Leandro

Court Records
Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, Alameda Court records Instructions.

Alameda County Court Directory gives addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers and links to the courts web sites and online resources..

Genealogy
Information is found at Family Search Wiki and California Genealogical Society.

History

 * WorldCat has a list of books available on the history.


 * FamilySearch Catalog Place Search has a list of materials available and . Films can be sent to family history centers. Public libraries may have copies of the books or can obtain them through Interlibrary Loan.


 * Research Guide to Alameda County History

Local Histories

 * History of Alameda County, California: including its geology, topography, soil, and productions: together with a full and particular record of the Spanish grants...1883, by M. W. Wood. Digitized book online from archive.org.


 * The centennial year book of Alameda County, California: containing a summary of the discovery and settlement of California ... also, a gazetteer of each township, useful local and general statistical information, appropriate for the present time, to which are added biographical sketches of prominent pioneers and public men  1876, by William Halley. Digitized book online from archive.org.


 * Past and present of Alameda County, California, 1914, 2 volumes, by Joseph Eugene Baker. Digitized book online from archive.org: Volume 1 Volume 2


 * History of Washington Township, Alameda County, California, 1904. Digitized book online from archive.org.

Land and Property
Clerk-Recorder's Office has records prior to 1969 on film that must be searched there. From 1969 to the present, the records are online.

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


 * Index to Federal Land Records, Alameda County, CA (USGenWeb Archives)

Maps
For historical maps,search the following free sites: • Maps of California (1850-1925)

• Maps-Historical-Sate of California, the Carlifornia government's site. Links to American Memory (Library of Congress), California Missions, and the State Library

• Historical Maps of California

• California Maps - HSU Library, also lists and links to gazetteers

• David Rumsey Collection for Alameda, California

• Perry-Castaneda Map Collection for California

Migration

 * 1906-1935 - at FamilySearch — index

Military History and Records

 * The California State Military Museum has a great deal of historical information and links.
 * Alameda County Military Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Civil War

 * Ancestry.com has Records of California men in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1867
 * Alameda County - List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company A

Korean War

 * Alameda County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)

Vietnam War

 * Vietnam War Casualties, Alameda County (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1831-1985 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1852-1989 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * The California Digital Newspaper Collection has newspapers from 1848 through 1922. You can search by keyword, including names, and/or by date.
 * The major newspaper published in Alameda county is The Oakland Tribune, which has been published under variations of the current name since 1874. Ancestry.com has broken runs from 1874 to 1977. Newspapers.com has all publications from 1874 to 1975.
 * Berkeley Daily Gazette - more than 8,000 issues spanning 1911-1946 freely available in Google Newspaper Archive.

Obituaries

 * Index to Alameda County Obituaries, by name and by year. (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Alameda County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Probate Records

 * Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, Probate and Guardianship

Online Probate Records


 * 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1833 – 1991 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1857-1920 - Alameda County California list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills. - free

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Public, college, and university libraries in Alameda County lists the libraries with links to their web sites

Online genealogical resources at the California State Library
 * Research Guide to Alameda County History

Livermore and Pleasanton Public Libraries &amp; Family History Centers

Alameda County Library, Dublin Library (Online Archive of California) Livermore Heritage Guild "collects and preserves historical artifacts, is an information resource for those who are interested in the history of Livermore and assists those searching for family background. "

Alameda Free Library located on Oak Street in Alameda, California.

County Courthouse
Alameda County's official website 1225 Fallon St. Oakland, CA 94612

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Fremont California Family History Center
 * Hayward California Family History Center (Fremont)
 * Livermore California Family History Center
 * Oakland California Large Multi-stake Family History Center
 * Pleasanton California Family History Center

Schools

 * Index to Alameda County School Records (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Oakland High School Memorial Pages. Search by name or by year. (CAGenWeb Project)

Societies
Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society serves the cities of Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin and surrounding areas in the Livermore and Amador Valleys of southeastern Alameda County, in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Hayward Area Historical Society preserves the history of the Hayward, Castro Valley, and San Lorenzo area.

California Genealogical Society and Library, located in Oakland, is rich in genealogy reference materials, both standard and unique, covering people and places in California and the rest of the country.

East Bay Genealogical Society - serves Bay Area East Bay genealogy enthusiasts. Monthly meetings are held at the Oakland FamilySearch Library on the 2nd Wednesday at 10am.

Hayward Area Genealogical Society serves local genealogy enthusiasts. Monthly meetings are held at the San Lorenzo Library on the 4th Tuesday at 6:30pm

Macintosh Genealogical Society serves Mac users who are also genealogy enthusiasts. Monthly meetings are held at the Oakland FamilySearch Library in Oakland, California on the 4th Saturday at 1:30pm.

San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society serves local genealogy enthusiasts. Monthly meetings are held at the Danville Family History Center in Alamo, California on the 3rd Tuesday at 10am.

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

Birth
Copies of Birth Certificates can be obtained at: Alameda County Clerk Recorder - Vital Records 1106 Madison Street, Room 121 Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: 510-272-6362
 * 1800 - 1994 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1905 - Index to Alameda County Birth Records, 1905 (Genealogy Trails)
 * Alameda County Birth Notices listed by year. (Genealogy Trails)

Marriage
Copies of Marriage Certificates can be obtained at: Alameda County Clerk Recorder - Vital Records 1106 Madison Street, Room 121 Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: 510-272-6362

Online Resources
 * 1800 - 2007 - California, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1840 - 1940 - Alameda County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1850 - 1952 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1854 - 1885 - Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Divorce
Divorce papers are filed at:

Alameda County Superior Court 1225 Fallon Street, Room 209 Oakland, CA 94612 Phone: 510-208-4900

Death
Copies of Death Certificates can be obtained at: Alameda County Clerk Recorder - Vital Records 1106 Madison Street, Room 121 Oakland, CA 94607 Phone: 510-272-6362


 * 1800 - 1994 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Alameda County, California Obituary and Death Notice Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, Berkeley, Alameda, San Leandro, Livermore, Pleasanton and Union City areas.
 * Robert Graham Mortuary Records (Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society, listed in the CAGenWeb Project)
 * Callaghan Mortuary Records, listed by year. (Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society listed in the CAGenWeb Project)

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Alameda Historical Society 2324 Alameda Avenue Alameda 94501

Alameda County Historical Society 672 11th Street Oakland 94607 Phone:510-238-3234 Website

African American Genealogical Society of Northern California PO Box 27485 Oakland,CA 94602-0985

Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society PO Box 573 Pleasanton,CA 94566 Berkeley Historical Society 1931 Center Street Berkeley,CA 9470

East Bay Genealogical Society PO Box 1648 Alameda,CA 94501-0182 Website

Hayward Area Genealogical Society PO Box 754 Hayward, CA 94543-0754

San Leandro Historical Commission 300 Estudillo Avenue San Leandro, CA 94577

Surveyors' Historical Society 31457 Hugh Way Hayward, CA 94544

Washington Township Historical Society PO Box 3045 Fremont CA 94539


 * List of California Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Websites

 * Almeda County CAGenWeb
 * Alameda County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Alameda County CAGenWeb, part of CAGenWeb Project
 * Alameda County, California Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * Genealogy Trails, Alameda County California History &amp; Genealogy
 * FamilySearch Catalog
 * Alameda County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)