Tulare County, California Genealogy

United States

California

Tulare County

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

Tulare County, California
Map
Location in the state of California
Location of California in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	April 20, 1852
County Seat	Visalia
Courthouse
Address	Tulare County Courthouse 221 S Mooney Blvd Visalia, CA 93291 Phone: 559.733.6418 Tulare County Website

County Information

Tulare County, California Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1852	1852	1873	1854	1854	1854	1850
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1905. General compliance by 1920.

County Courthouse

County Recorder has birth and marriage records from 1852
death records from 1873 & mil rec from 1919; Clerk
Superior Court has divorce, probate, court and
naturalization records County Assessor has land records

Historical Facts

Parent County

20 April 1852: Tulare County was created from Mariposa County. County seat: Visalia

Description

The county was named from this lake that the county derives its name. The root of the name Tulare is found in the Mexican word tullin, designating cattail or similar reeds. Tularemia is named after Tulare County. The county seat Visalia and the county was created 1852. The County is located in the central 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.

Places/Localities

Neighboring Counties

• Fresno
• Inyo
• Kern
• Kings

Resources

Biography

• Tulare County Biographical Index (Genealogy Trails)
• Index to Tulare County Biographies (USGenWeb Archvies)
• Index to Biographical Resources, Tulare County (CAGenWeb Project)

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Tulare, California online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com California GenWeb California Genweb Archives Tombstone Project Billion Graves
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves California's Genealogy Guide for Finding Obituaries, Cemetery Burials and Death Records Tulare California Cemetery Records
See California Cemeteries for more information

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

• Interment.net California cemetery records by County.

• 1850 - 1960 - California Cemetery Transcriptions, 1850-1960 at FamilySearch — index and images

Census

For tips on accessing Tulare County, California Genealogy census records online, see: California Census.

• Tulare County Census Records (USGenWeb Archives)

Church History and Records

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.

LDS Ward and Branch Records

• Porterville
• Visalia

History

Local histories are available for Tulare 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.

• Tulare County History Books Excerpts (Genealogy Trails)

Land and Property

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.

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of California (1850-1925)

Military History and Records

• 1798 - 1937 - United States Muster Rolls of the Marine Corps, 1798-1937 at FamilySearch - index and images
• 1856 - The Indian War on the Tule River (Genealogy Trails)

Civil War

• 1883 - Tulare County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
• 1886 - Civil War Veterans Rosters, G.A.R. Posts in Tulare County (USGenWeb Archives)

World War II

• Index to Tulare County, World War II Army Enlistees (USGenWeb Archives)
• Tulare County, Honor List of World War II Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship

• Index to Tulare County Naturalization Records (CAGenWeb Project)

Newspapers

Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Tulare County, California Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• Do a Tulare 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 Place-name Search).

Obituaries

• Index to Tulare County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
• Index to Tulare County Individual Obituaries and Obituary Collections (USGenWeb Archives)
• Index to Tulare County Obituary Sources (CAGenWeb Project)

Probate Records

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 - Tular - Probate records.

Online Probate 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 — images

Repositories

Family History Centers

Family history centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes. See family history center for more information. Search the online FHC directory for a nearby family history center.

• Introduction to Family History Centers
• Porterville California Family History Center
  
• Visalia California Family History Center
  

Taxation

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

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

• Index to Tulare County Vital Records (CAGenWeb Project)

Birth

• 1812 - 1988 - California Births and Christenings, 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — index
• 1905 - 1995 - California Birth Index, 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — index
• Tulare County Birth Notices by year (Genealogy Trails)

Marriage

• 1800 - 2007 - California, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
• 1850 - 1945 - California Marriages, 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — index
• 1850 - 1952 - California, County Marriages, 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1854 - 1885 - Western States Marriage Index.
• 1960 - 1985 - California Marriage Index, 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — index and images
• Tulare County Marriage Notices by year (Genealogy Trails)

Divorce

• 1966 - 1984 - California Divorce Index, 1966-1984 at FamilySearch — index

Death

• 1905 - 1939 - California Death Index, 1905-1939 at FamilySearch — index
• 1940 - 1997 - California Death Index, 1940-1997 at FamilySearch — index

Voter Registers

California county clerks were to keep voting registers every other year from 1866 and well into the 20th century. These large books, called Great Registers, listed the men who registered to vote in that county. Besides name and age, the record may show place of birth, address, occupation, naturalization date and sometimes even a physical description.

These records are at the California State Library (1866-1944), and microfilmed copies are available through Family History Centers (1866-1910). Ancestry ($) has a searchable database of Los Angeles Great Registers from 1873-1896.

The Tulare records for 1869, 1890, and 1898 are available on the RootsWeb site, by clicking here.

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries

Sequoia Genealogical Society
c/o Tulare City Library, Genealogy Room
113 North "F" Street
Tulare, CA 93274; Phone:559-685-4518
Website

Tulare County Historical Society
P.O. Box 295
Visalia 93279

Tulare County Historical Society
27000 South Mooney Boulevard
Visalia, CA 93277
Phone:559-733-6616
Website

• List of California Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies

Websites

• Tulare County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• California Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• Tulare County CAGenWeb
• Linkpendium
• USGenWeb Archives
• FamilySearch Catalog
• Tulare County, California Genealogy Trails
• Tulare County CA Genealogy (LDS Genealogy)