Colusa County, California Genealogy

United States

California

Colusa County

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

Colusa County, California
Map
Location in the state of California
Location of California in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	February 18, 1850
County Seat	Colusa
Courthouse
Address	Colusa County Courthouse 546 Jay St; Colusa, CA 95932-2443; Phone. 530.458.0500  Colusa County Website

County Information

Colusa County, California Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1873	1853	1889	1851	1851	1851	1850
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1905. General compliance by 1920.

County Courthouse

Colusa County has birth records 1873, marriage records from 1853, death records from 1889, probate, court, land and assessment rolls from 1851, Great Registers from 1866 and military rolls from 1879

 

Historical Facts

Parent County

18 February 1850: Colusa County was created as an original county.  County seat: Colusa

Description

The county was named for of an Indian tribe living on the west side of the Sacramento River. The county seat Colusa and the county was created 1850. The County is located in the north 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.

Records Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places/Localities

Populated Places

Arbuckle

College City, Colusa (County Seat)

Delavan

Fouls Springs

Grimes

Lodoga

Maxwell

Princeton

Sites, Stonyford, Sycamore

Williams, Wilbur Springs

Neighboring Counties

• Butte
• Glenn
• Lake
• Sutter
•  Yolo

Resources

Biography

• Index to Colusa County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)
• Index to Colusa County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
• Colusa County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Colusa, 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 Colusa California Cemetery Records
See California Cemeteries for more information

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

• Interment.net California cemetery records by County.

Census

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

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.

History

Local histories are available for Colusa 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.

• Colusa County CAGenWeb

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.

• Colusa County, CA - Index to Federal Land Records USGenWeb Archives)

Maps

• Maps of California (1850-1925)

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

• 1906-1935 - California, Pioneer Migration Index, Compiled 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — index

Military History and Records

Civil War

• Colusa County, Gen, John F. Miller Post No. 110, G. A. R. 1886, Civil War - Rosters (USGenWeb Archives)
• Colusa County, Williamsburg Post No. 116, G. A. R. 1886, Civilwar - Rosters (USGenWeb Archives)

World War II

• Index of World War II Army Enlistment Records for Colusa County, California (Genealogy Trails)

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1831-1985 - California County Naturalizations, 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

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

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• Do a Colusa 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 Colusa County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
• Index to Colusa County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)

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 - Colusa - 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

Archives, Libraries and Museums

Colusa County Library
738 Market Stret
Colusa, CA 95932
530 458-7671

Colusa County Historical Society
Colusa County Historical Records Commission
c/o Colusa County Library
738 Market Street
Colusa, CA 95932
Phone: (530) 458-7671
The county commission oversees preservation and conservation of county records of historical importance and the county records archives.

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

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

Birth

• 1800 - 1994 - California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1812 - 1988 - California Births and Christenings, 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — index
• 1870 - 1884 - Colusa County Birth Notices (Genealogy Trails)
• 1905 - 1995 - California Birth Index, 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — index
• 1905 - 1906 - Colusa County Birth Index (Genealogy Trails)
• Colusa County Birth Announcements (CAGenWeb Project)

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
• Colusa County Marriage Notices (CAGenWeb Project)

Divorce

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

Death

• 1800 - 1994 - California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1905 - 1939 - California Death Index, 1905-1939 at FamilySearch — index
• 1940 - 1997 - California Death Index, 1940-1997 at FamilySearch — index
• Colusa County Death Notices (CAGenWeb Project)

Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries

Colusa County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 973
Williams 95987

Colusa County Historical Society
P.O. Box 643
Willows 95988
Website

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

Websites

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