Napa County, California Genealogy
Guide to Napa County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Napa County, California | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of California, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of California in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | February 18, 1850 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Napa |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Napa County Courthouse 900 Coombs PO Box 298 Napa, Ca 94559-0298 Phone: 707.253.4246 |
County Information[edit | edit source]
Napa County, California Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1873 | 1850 | 1873 | 1850 | 1848 | 1850 | 1850 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Clerk Recorder has birth and death records from 1873
marriage and land records from 1850 Court Executive Officer
has divorce and court records from 1850[2]
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
18 February 1850: Napa County was created as an original county. County seat: Napa [3]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county seat Napa and the county was created February 18, 1850. The County is located in the northwest central area of the state.[4]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[5]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
|
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| Census-designated places | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
- Napa County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to Napa County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 405 | — |
| 1860 | 5,521 | 1263.2% |
| 1870 | 7,163 | 29.7% |
| 1880 | 13,235 | 84.8% |
| 1890 | 16,411 | 24.0% |
| 1900 | 16,451 | 0.2% |
| 1910 | 19,800 | 20.4% |
| 1920 | 20,678 | 4.4% |
| 1930 | 22,897 | 10.7% |
| 1940 | 28,503 | 24.5% |
| 1950 | 46,603 | 63.5% |
| 1960 | 65,890 | 41.4% |
| 1970 | 79,140 | 20.1% |
| 1980 | 99,199 | 25.3% |
| 1990 | 110,765 | 11.7% |
| 2000 | 124,279 | 12.2% |
| 2010 | 136,484 | 9.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Napa County, California Genealogy census records online, see: California Census.
Church History and Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about California denominations, view the California Church Records wiki page.
- 1864-1985 California, Church Records, 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Crime and Criminals[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Germans[edit | edit source]
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Napa County, California Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the Wiki page section California Local Histories.
- Index to Napa County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See California Land and Property for additional information about early California land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1897-1913 Certificates of Delinquent Tax Sales (Napa County, California), 1897-1913(*); Napa County Tax Collector at FamilySearch Library Catalog — images
- Index to Napa County Land Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of California (1850-1925)
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
- 1906-1935 California, Pioneer Migration Index, Compiled 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Military History and Records[edit | edit source]
- 1883 - Napa County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- 1886 - Index to Rosters, G.A.R. Posts in Napa County (USGenWeb Archives)
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1914-1918 California, Geographical and Name Index of Californians who served in WWI, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
World War II[edit | edit source]
- Index to Napa County World War II Army Enlistees (USGenWeb Archives)
- World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel, Napa County, California (Genealogy Trails)
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1831-1985 California County Naturalizations, 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1852-1989 California, Northern U.S. District Court Naturalization Index, 1852-1989 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 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
- Napa County library digitized newspapers [1]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Napa County, California Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Napa County, California Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog. Do NOT use the word County. (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 1866-1992 California Napa and Butte Counties Obituaries 1866-1992 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
- Index to Napa County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to Napa County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
The county clerk is usually the custodian of probate records. The records include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets.
Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
You can obtain copies of the original probate records (such as wills and estate files) by writing to the county clerk at the county courthouse.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for California - Napa - Probate records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1833 – 1991 California Probate Estate Files 1833-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
Repositories[edit | edit source]
Archives, Libraries and Museums[edit | edit source]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Cloverdale California Family History Center
- Fairfield California Family History Center
- Napa California Family History Center
- Oakland California FamilySearch Library
- Santa Rosa California Family History Center
- Sonoma California Family History Center
- Vacaville California Family History Center
- Vallejo California Family History Center
Societies[edit | edit source]
Bay Area Genealogical Societies
- California Genealogical Society and Library - 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, CA 94612-3031 Tel. (510) 663-1358 FAX (510) 663-1596: Link
- East Bay Genealogical Society - PO Box 20417, Oakland, CA 94620-0417 Link
- Hayward Area Genealogical Society - Meets at 395 Paseo Grande Avenue, San Lorenzo, CA [sites.rootsweb.com/~cahags/ Link]
- Livermore-Amador Genealogical Society - Meets at 3400 Nevada Court, Pleasanton, CA CA Link
- MacGen (Macintosh Genealogical) Society - Meets at 4766 Lincoln Ave., Oakland, CA 94602 Link
- San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society Link
- San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society Link
- Santa Clara County Historical and Genealogical Society - Meets at Santa Clara Central Park Library, 2635 Homestead Rd., Santa Clara, CA http://scchgs.org/
Taxation[edit | edit source]
California tax records complement land records and can supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information, see the wiki page California Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. See the CDC Where to Write website for information on acquiring copies of these records. The State office has records since July 1905. For earlier records, contact the County Recorder. See also How to order California Vital Records
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1812 - 1988 California Births and Christenings, 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1905 - 1995 California Birth Index, 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1800 - 2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- 1850 - 1945 California Marriages, 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection index
- 1850 - 1952 California, County Marriages, 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
- 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
- 1960 - 1985 California Marriage Index, 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
- Napa County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1966 - 1984 California Divorce Index, 1966-1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1776 - 2000 California Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, some images
- 1905 - 1939 California Death Index, 1905-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1940 - 1997 California Death Index, 1940-1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
- Napa County, California Obituary and Death Notice Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. Obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the Napa, St. Helena, American Canyon, Calistoga, Yountville, Deer Park, Anguin, Rutherford and Spanish Flat areas.
- Deaths, Napa County, California, 1873-1905 : copied from records in the Napa County Recorder's Office by members of the Napa Valley Genealogical and Biographical Society at FamilySearch; Also at: MyHeritage($)
Voting Registers[edit | edit source]
- 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
- 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index, ($)
Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Napa County Historical Society
1219 First Street
Napa 94559
Website
Napa Valley Genealogical Society
1701 Menlo Avenue
Napa 94558-4725
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Napa County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Napa County CAGenWeb
- Linkpendium
- Tombstone Transcription Project
- USGenWeb Archives
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Napa County, California Genealogy Trails
- Napa County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Napa County, California. Page 84-88 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 81-83.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Napa County, California. Page 86 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Monterey County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterey_County,_California 05/04/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Napa County, California," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napa_County,_California, accessed 18 September 2019.
