Santa Barbara County, California Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
Santa Barbara County Courthouse 105 E Anapamu Rm #204 Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Phone 805.568.2550

Superior Court has divorce, probate, court and naturalization records Recorder has birth, marriage, death and land records from 1850

Historical Facts
Santa Barbara area Native Americans were first contacted by several early explorers in the 1500s and 1600s but the first moves toward settlement by Europeans were Spanish in 1769. The Santa Barbara mission was founded in 1786 by Franciscan padres who were also the first record keepers.

Parent County
18 February 1850: Santa Barbara was created as an original county when California first became a state.

Description
The county was named from Mission Santa Barbara was founded on December 4, 1786 in what is now Santa Barbara. The county derives its name from the mission. The county seat Santa Barbara and the county was created 1856. The County is located in the west central area of the state.

Boundary Changes
1 January 1873: Ventura County was set off.

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.

Places/Localities
The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have websites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names. Information about the cemeteries can be found in these pages if known.

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


 * Interment.net California cemetery records by County.


 * 1850 - 1960 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Church History and Records
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Santa Maria

Genealogy
The Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society has free online databases and indexes to search at sbgen.org and maintains the Sahyun library open for research at 316 Castillo St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101. Online subscriptions to Ancestry.com, Fold3, and GenealogyBank.com available to members only, or $5 per day. WiFi available.

Hours are: Tues., Thurs., Fri. - 10-4, Sun. 1-4.

Summer evening hours beginning in April - Tues. 5-8 p.m.

Maps

 * Maps of California (1850-1925)



Civil War

 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company A
 * - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (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
 * Lompoc California Family History Center
 * Santa Barbara California Family History Center
 * Santa Maria California Family History Center
 * Solvang California Family History Center

Societies

 * Santa Barbara Genealogical Society
 * Santa Barbara Chapter; Sons of the American Revolution

Vital Records
See also How to order California Vital Records

Santa Barbara Mission archives contain early births, baptisms, marriages and deaths.

Marriage

 * 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
Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society 316 Castillo Street P.O. Box 1303 Goleta 93116-1303 Website

Santa Maria Valley Genealogical Society PO Box 1215 Santa Maria, CA 93456

Vandenburg Genealogical Society PO Box 81 Lompoc, CA 93438-0081


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

Websites

 * Santa Barbara County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * California Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Santa Barbara County CAGenWeb
 * Linkpendium
 * USGenWeb Archives