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Butte County, California Genealogy

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

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Butte County, California
Map
Map of California highlighting Butte County
Location in the state of California
Map of the U.S. highlighting California
Location of California in the U.S.
Facts
Founded February 18, 1820
County Seat Oroville
Courthouse
CaliforniaButteCourthouse.jpg
Address Butte County Courthouse
25 County Center Dr;
Oroville, CA 95965;
Phone 530.538.7691
Butte County Website


County Information[edit | edit source]

Butte County, California Record Dates[edit | edit source]

Known Beginning Dates for Major Records[1]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1859 1851 1859 1850 1846 1850 1850
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1905. General compliance by 1920.

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

County Recorder has marriage records from 1851,
born and death  records from 1859 and land records;
County Clerk has divorce, probate, probate and court
record from 1850; Meriam Library, California State
 University Chico, has divorce, probate and court records
1850-1879 and natural records 1850-1960[2] 

1850--Butte County was created 18 February 1850 as an original county.  County seat: Oroville [3]

Description[edit | edit source]

Butte County was created February 18, 1850 with the original county seat being Hamilton City. In 1853, the county seat was changed to Bidwill Bar, and in 1856 to Oroville. Butte County is located in the north central corner of the state.[4][5]

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:[6]

Cities
Towns
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Ghost towns


Indian Reservations or Rancherias[edit | edit source]

The Berry Creek Indian Rancheria is located in this county.

Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Butte, California online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See California Cemeteries for more information

The following web site may have additional information on Butte County cemeteries.

Census[edit | edit source]

For tips on accessing Butte 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.

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

  • Chico
  • Gridley
  • Liberty (Gridley)
  • Oroville

Court Records[edit | edit source]

Crime and Criminals[edit | edit source]

Directories[edit | edit source]

Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

History[edit | edit source]

Local histories are available for Butte 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.

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.

Maps[edit | edit source]

Tehama CountyPlumas CountyYuba CountySutter CountyColusa CountyGlenn CountyCA BUTTE.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources


Migration[edit | edit source]

Early migration routes to and from Butte County, California Genealogy for emigrant settlers included:[7][8]

Military History and Records[edit | edit source]

Civil War[edit | edit source]

Regiments. Service men in Butte County, California Genealogy served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Butte County, California Genealogy:

- 1st Regiment, California Cavalry (Union), Company A
- 1st Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company A

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

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

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

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 - Butte - Probate records.

Online Probate Records

Repositories[edit | edit source]

Archives, Libraries and Museums[edit | edit source]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

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.

Societies[edit | edit source]

Paradise Genealogical Society
Library Address:
Paradise Genealogical Society
5587 Scottwood Road
PO Box 460
Paradise, California 95967-0460
Phone: 530-877-2330

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]

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Death[edit | edit source]

Voting Registers[edit | edit source]

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 Butte Great Registers from 1867-1898.

The Butte county records for 1872 are available on the RootsWeb site, by clicking here.

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]

Butte County Historical Society
P.O. Box 2195
Oroville, CA 95965
Phone: 530-533-9418 or 530-533-5316
Email:[1]
Website

Paradise Genealogical Society INC
P O Box 460
5587 Scottwood Rd
Paradise, CA 95969
Phone:(530) 877-2330
Website

Websites[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Butte 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.
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Amador County, California. Page 84 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  3. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
  4. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Butte County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butte_County,_California 04/28/2017.
  5. ↑ George C. Mansfield, History of Butte County, California: With Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men and Women of the County who Have Been Identified with Its Growth and Development from the Early Days to the Present, (Los Angeles, CA: Historic Record Company, 1918), 142-5.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Butte County, California," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butte_County,_California, accessed 11 September 2019.
  7. ↑ National Park Service, "California Trail" (map) in California National Historic Trail at http://www.nps.gov/cali/planyourvisit/upload/CALImap1-web.pdf (accessed 5 August 2011).
  8. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "California Trail" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Trail (accessed 5 August 2012).
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