El Dorado County, California Genealogy
Guide to El Dorado County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
El Dorado County, California | |
Map | |
![]() Location in the state of California | |
![]() Location of California in the U.S. | |
Facts | |
Founded | February 18, 1850 |
---|---|
County Seat | Placerville |
Courthouse | |
Address | El Dorado County Courthouse ; 360 Fair Ln; Placerville, CA 95667; Phone 530.621.5490 El Dorado County Website |
Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 County Courthouse
- 3 Places/Localities
- 4 Resources
- 4.1 Bible Records
- 4.2 Biography
- 4.3 Cemeteries
- 4.4 Census
- 4.5 Church History and Records
- 4.6 Court Records
- 4.7 Crime and Criminals
- 4.8 Directories
- 4.9 Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups
- 4.10 Gazetteers
- 4.11 Genealogy
- 4.12 History
- 4.13 Land and Property
- 4.14 Maps
- 4.15 Migration
- 4.16 Military History and Records
- 4.17 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 4.18 Newspapers
- 4.19 Obituaries
- 4.20 Periodicals
- 4.21 Probate Records
- 4.22 Repositories
- 4.23 Societies
- 4.24 Taxation
- 4.25 Vital Records
- 4.26 Voting Registers
- 5 Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
- 6 Websites
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
El Dorado County, California Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1878 | 1851 | 1907 | 1850 | 1851 | 1850 | 1850 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records
County Recorder has birth, marriage, death burial, land and military records Historical Facts[2]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
18 February 1850: El Dorado County was created ;as an original county. County seat: Placerville [3]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named is derived from the Spanish meaning "the gilded/golden". The County Seat is Placerville and was founded February 18, 1850. It is located in the East Central area of the state. [4]
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]
Fires in 1910 and 1920 destroyed most courthouse records.
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:[5]
Cities | ||
Unincorporated communities | ||
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Native American communities | ||
Census-designated places | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Alpine | Amador | Placer | Sacramento | Douglas County, Nevada | Carson City (Independent City), Nevada
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
- El Dorado County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to El Dorado County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)
- Historical Souvenir of El Dorado County, Ca: with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men & pioneers (Genealogy Trails)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web site may have additional information on El Dorado County cemeteries.
- Interment.net California cemetery records by County.
Census[edit | edit source]
For tips on accessing El Dorado 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.
- 1864-1985 - California, Church Records, 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — index
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 El Dorado 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.
- 1891 - El Dorado County 1891 (USGenWeb Archives)
- El Dorado County History Records (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to El Dorado History Records (CAGenWeb Project)
- Tales of El Dorado County (CAGenWeb Project)
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.
- Index to Federal Land Records, El Dorado County (USGenWeb Archives)
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
Migration[edit | edit source]
|
Early migration routes to and from El Dorado County, California Genealogy for emigrant settlers included:[6][7]
- California Trail 1844 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
- Carson (River) Trail 1848 (aka Mormon Emigrant Trail) crossed the Forty Mile Desert past the west side of the Carson Sink to pick up the Carson River near Fallon, Nevada up to Hope Valley and Red Lake. The Devil's Ladder then climbed 700 feet (210 m) in half a mile so ropes, chains, and pulleys were required to lift the wagons. Carson Pass was followed by the relatively easy West Pass (Kirkwood, California) and then on to Pollock Pines, Placerville, and Sutter's Fort, California
- Johnson's Cutoff 1850-1851 (aka Placerville Route, Lake Tahoe Route and Day's Route) from Carson City, Nevada past the south end of Lake Tahoe going south and then west to Placerville, California and Sacramento
- Daggett Pass 1850 (aka Georgetown Pack Trail) Carson Valley, Nevada to Johnson's Cutoff near South Lake Tahoe, California
- Grizzly Flat Road 1852 an extension of Carson Trail down the middle fork of the Consumnes River to Grizzly Flat and Placerville, California
- Volcano Road 1852 from Coral Flat (Pioneer) on the Carson Trail to Volcano, California
- Luther Pass Trail 1854 connected the Carson Trail and Johnson's Cutoff and allowed travelers to avoid Lake Tahoe. It became one of the routes to the Comstock Lode in Nevada
- 1906-1935 - California, Pioneer Migration Index, Compiled 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — index
Military History and Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Service men in El Dorado 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 El Dorado County, California Genealogy:
- - 1st Battalion, California Native Cavalry (Union), Company B
- - 4th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company F
- - 5th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company G
- - 5th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company H
- - 7th Regiment, California Infantry (Union) , Company G
- - 8th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company K
- 1883 - List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883, El Dorado County (Genealogy Trails)
- 1886 - Placerville Post No. 108, G. A. R. 1886 (USGenWeb Archives)
Spanish American War[edit | edit source]
- Spanish American War Veterans, El Dorado County (Genealogy Trails)
World War I[edit | edit source]
- World War I Honor List, El Dorado County (Genealogy Trails)
World War II[edit | edit source]
- El Dorado County Enlistees, World War II, Names A-F (USGenWeb Archives)
- El Dorado County Enlistees, World War II, Names G-O (USGenWeb Archives)
- El Dorado County Enlistees, World War II, Names P-Z (USGenWeb Archives)
- El Dorado County Casualties, World War II (USGenWeb Archives)
Korean War[edit | edit source]
- El Dorado County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
Vietnam War[edit | edit source]
- El Dorado County Casualties, Vietnam War (Genealogy Trails)
Iraqi War[edit | edit source]
- El Dorado County Casualties, Iraqi War (Genealogy Trails)
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1831-1985 - California County Naturalizations, 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as El Dorado County, California Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a El Dorado 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[edit | edit source]
- Index to Genealogy Trails Obituaries
- Index to USGenWeb Archives Obituaries
- Index to CAGenWeb Project Obituaries
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 - El Dorado - 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[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.
- For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map
- Introduction to Family History Centers
- El Dorado California Family History Center
- Pacerville, California
- South Lake Tahoe California Family History Center
- South Lake Tahoe, California
Societies[edit | edit source]
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]
- 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
- 1860 - 1934 - El Dorado County Birth Notices (Genealogy Trails)
- 1905 - 1930 - Index to Birth Index by year (Genealogy Trails)
- 1905 - 1995 - California Birth Index, 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 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
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1966 - 1984 - California Divorce Index, 1966-1984 at FamilySearch — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 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
Voting Registers[edit | edit source]
Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]
El Dorado County Historical Society
Fountain & Tallman Museum
524 Main Street
Placerville, California 95667
email:[1]
Phone: 530-626-0773
Website
El Dorado County Historical Society
100 Placerville Drive
Placerville,CA 95667
El Dorado Research Society
PO Box 56
El Dorado,CA 95623
Heritage Association of El Dorado County
PO Box 62
Placerville, CA 95667
Lake Tahoe Historical Society
PO Box 404 South Lake Tahoe,CA 95705
Website
Mother Lode Colony of the Society of Mayflower Descendants
3580 Four Springs Drive
Rescue, CA 95672-9530
Roots Gold Dust Genealogical Society
PO Box 1354
Diamond Springs, CA 95619-1354
Websites[edit | edit source]
- El Dorado County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- California Genealogy Network Community on Google+
- California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- El Dorado County CAGenWeb
- Linkpendium
- USGenWeb Archives
- FamilySearch Catalog
- El Dorado County, California Genealogy Trails
- El Dorado County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), El Dorado 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.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), El Dorado County, California. Page 84 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "El Dorado County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Dorado_County,_California 4/11/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "El Dorado County, California," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Dorado_County,_California, accessed 12 September 2019.
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ 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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