Placer County, California Genealogy

Guide to Placer County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records. California Online Genealogy Records

County Courthouse
Placer County Courthouse 2954 Richardson Drive Auburn, CA 95603 Phone: 530.886.5600

County Clerk Recorder has birth, marriage and death records from 1873 and land records from 1850 County Clerk has probate records from 1850 and court records from 1851

Parent Counties
15 April 1851: Placer County was created from Sutter and Yuba Counties.

Description
The county was named from the numerous places where the method of extracting gold from the earth, called placer mining, was practiced. The County is located in the northeast area 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

 * Carson City (Independent City), Nevada
 * Douglas County, Nevada
 * El Dorado
 * Nevada
 * Sacramento
 * Sutter
 * Washoe County, Nevada
 * Yuba

Biography

 * Placer County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)

Church History and Records

 * 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * Churches in Placer County lists churches by denomination and gives name, address, phone number, and links to web site if available.

Church records are usually found in the towns rather than on the county level. Search the Family History Library CatalogPlace Search for the appropriate town in Placer County.

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

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Auburn
 * Roseville
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
The Placer County Archives and Research Center has the following records:


 * Court Case Files 1851-1925
 * Assessment Rolls and Maps 1851-1961
 * Record of Wills 1874-1963
 * Board of Supervisor's Minutes 1852-1980
 * Naturalization Papers 1852-1939
 * Deed Books 1851-1960
 * Great Register of Voters 1867-1974
 * Department of Education Records 1895-1997
 * Mining Records 1856-1947

In the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Placer, California, look at the list of records for and. Films can be sent to family history centers.

Directories

 * 1861 - Placer County Business Directory, 1861 (USGenWeb Archives)

Gazetteers

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

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

In the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Placer County, California, 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.


 * Index to Placer County History Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Land and Property
County Clerk - Recorder keeps the land records. Land records are scanned and indexed in a grantor/grantee index. The index is cross-referenced by document type, document number and the names of the parties. The index and images of the original documents are available to the public for research or to have copies made.

In the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Placer County, California, look at the list of records for. Films can be sent to family history centers.


 * Index to Placer County Federal Land Grants (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 Placer, California

• Perry-Castaneda Map Collection for California
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

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 crossed the Forty Mile Desert to the Truckee River to follow it 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.
 * Roller Pass 1846 alternate to the Truckee Trail two miles south of Donner Pass through Emigrant Gap to Placerville, California
 * Nevada City Road 1850 branched off the Truckee Trail through Emigrant Gap to Nevada City, California the most important mining area 1850-1851
 * Auburn Emigrant Road 1850 believed to be from Nevada City to Auburn to Sacramento, California


 * Central Pacific Railroad 13 May 1865 reached Auburn, Placer County, California from Sacramento being built toward Utah.


 * 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Military History and Records

 * California State Military Museum has a great deal of historical information and links to other military websites.
 * Index to Placer County Military Records (Genealogy Trails)

Civil War
Ancestry.com $ has Records of California men in the War of the Rebellion, 1861 to 1867


 * - 4th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company D
 * - 4th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company E
 * - 7th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company D

World War I

 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)


 * The California Digital Newspaper Collection has newspapers from 1848 through 1922. You can search by keyword, including names, and/or by date.
 * NewspaperArchive.com ($) has a collection of digitized Reno, Nevada newspapers going back to 1870 that may include residents from Placer County. This database is sometimes free at libraries.
 * Placer Herald of Auburn| Death notice index covers 1852-1885

Obituaries

 * Placer County Obituary Index (Genealogy Trails)
 * Index to Placer County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)

Probate Records
In the FamilySearch Catalog for Placer County, California, there is a lists of resources {{{{FHL|510322|subject-id|disp=Family History Library}}. Films can be sent to family history centers.

The Placer County Archives and Research Center has probate records from 1851-1960.

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1782 – 1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1833 – 1991 {{RecordSearch|1999181|California Probate Estate Files 1833-1991}} at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Placer County Pulblic Library

Placer County Library 350 Nevada Street Auburn, CA 95603 530-886-4550 Email = [mailto:library@placerlibrary.org library@placerlibrary.org]

Placer County Online Catalog

Library branches in Placer County giving addresses and phone numbers with dates and hours open

Lake Tahoe Branches of the Placer County Library System

Sparks Law Libraryof Placer County

1523 Lincoln Way, Auburn (530) 823-2573


 * Archives and Research Center

11526 C Ave, Auburn, CA 95603 101 Maple Street Auburn, CA 95603 530-889-7789 | Fax: 530-889-7708

County Courthouse
Clerk- Recorder Divisions 2954 Richardson Drive Auburn, CA 95603 Dewitt Larry Oddo Building Recordings - (530) 886-5600 Clerk - (530) 886-5610 Fax: (530) 886-5687 E-mail: clerk@placer.ca.gov Placer County Free Public Records

Family History Centers

 * Auburn California Family History Center
 * El Dorado California Family History Center
 * Elk Grove California Family History Center
 * Nevada City California Family History Center
 * Sacramento California FamilySearch Library
 * South Lake Tahoe California Family History Center
 * Yuba City California Family History Center


 * Doris Foley Library for Historical Research Nevada County Library - an affiliate library

Societies

 * Placer County Genealogical Society

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

In the FamilySearch Catalog Place Search on FamilySearch, for Placer County, California, look at the list of records for. Films can be sent to family history centers.

The Placer County Clerk-Recorder's Office has birth, death and marriage records for Placer County. This office has birth and death records, 1873 to the present and marriage records 1852 to the present.

Placer County California Vital Records Placer County Clerk-Recorder 2954 Richardson Drive Auburn, CA 95603 Phone: (530) 886-5600 Fax: (530) 886-5687 Guidelines For Ordering Vital Records

Birth

 * 1800 - 1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1812 - 1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1905 - 1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)


 * 1905 - 1995 - California Birth Index, 1905-1995 ($) (Ancestry.com)
 * Transcriptions from the California Birth Index by year (Genealogy Trails)
 * Placer County Birth Notices by year (Genealogy Trails)

Marriage

 * 1800 - 2007 California, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1850 - 1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection index
 * 1850 - 1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1851 - 1860, 1877 - Index to Placer County Marriages in the California Marriage Index (Genealogy Trails)
 * 1854 - 1885 Western States Marriage Index.
 * 1960 - 1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images. Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * Index to Placer County Marriage Notices by year (Genealogy Trails)

Divorce

 * 1966 - 1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Death

 * 1776 - 2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1800 - 1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1905 - 1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1940 - 1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)


 * Online California Death Records &amp; Indexes links to California sites

At RootsWeb is an index to California Death Records 1940-1997 (free)

Voting Registers

 * Placer County Great Register of Voters (Genealogy Trails)
 * 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
Placer County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 7385 Auburn 95604-7385 Website

Clayton Historical Society PO BOx 94 Clayton, CA 94517-0094 Website

Colfax Area Historical Society PO Box 185 Colfax, CA 95713 Website

North Lake Tahoe Historical Society 130 West Lake Blvd. Tahoe City, CA 95730 Website

Roseville Genealogical Society 557 Lincoln Street Roseville, CA 95678-1459 Website


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

Websites

 * Placer County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Placer County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives
 * FamilySearch Catalog
 * Placer County, California Genealogy Trails
 * Placer County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)