Amador County, California Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Clerk of the Superior Court has divorce, probate and court records.

County Archives has naturalization records.

Parent County
11 May 1854: Amador County was created from Calaveras and El Dorado Counties. County seat: Jackson

Description
The county was named for José María Amador, a soldier, rancher, and miner, born in San Francisco in 1794, the son of Sergeant Pedro Amador (a Spanish soldier who settled in California in 1771). The county seat Jackson and the county was created May 11, 1854. The County is located in the east 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.

Record Loss
1862 There was a courthouse fire in 1862 destroying some records.

Neighboring Counties

 * Alpine
 * Calaveras
 * El Dorado
 * Sacramento
 * San Joaquin

Biography

 * Index to Amador County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Amador County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
 * Amador County Pioneer Stories (CAGenWeb Project)

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


 * Interment.net California cemetery records by County.

Church History and Records
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Ione

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

• Maps-Historical-State of California, the California 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 Amador, California

• Perry-Castaneda Map Collection for California

For topographical maps of California mountains, rivers, etc., try the sites listed at USGS Topographic Maps of California.

For current maps, search Google Maps or MapQuest or other map services online.



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


 * California Trail 1844 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California


 * Carson (River) Trail 1848 (aka Mormon Emigrant Trail) crossed the Forty Mile Desert past the west side of the Carson Sink to pick up the Carson River near Fallon, Nevada up to Hope Valley and Red Lake. The Devil's Ladder then climbed 700 feet (210 m) in half a mile so ropes, chains, and pulleys were required to lift the wagons. Carson Pass was followed by the relatively easy West Pass (Kirkwood, California) and then on to Pollock Pines, Placerville, and Sutter's Fort, California


 * Grizzly Flat Road 1852 an extension of Carson Trail down the middle fork of the Consumnes River to Grizzly Flat and Placerville, California
 * Volcano Road 1852 from Coral Flat (Pioneer) on the Carson Trail to Volcano, California

Civil War

 * - 1st Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company C
 * - 7th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company C

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1833 – 1991 at FamilySearch — images

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Jackson California Family History Center (Sutter Creek)

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

Marriage
Online Resources
 * 1850 - 1952 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1854 - 1885 - Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
Amador County Historical Society P.O. Box 761 Jackson 95642

Amador County Genealogical Society 322 Via Verde Sutter Creek 95685

Amador County Historical Society 148 Main Street, Suite A Jackson, CA 95642 Phone:209-257-1485 Website

Amador County Archives 12200-A Airport Rd. Jackson, CA 95642 Email:[mailto:archivesdept@amadorgov.org] Phone: 209-223-6389 Appointments Recommended Website


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

Web Sites

 * Amador County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Amador County CAGenWeb Project
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * USGenWeb Archives backup site