California Trails
Welcome to the Genealogy Trails website for the state of California.
Our goal is to help you track your ancestors through time by transcribing genealogical and historical data and placing it online for the free use of all researchers.

Website updated with new data March 2008
 

This State is "Available for Adoption." 

We're looking for folks who share our dedication to putting data online and are interested in helping this project be successful.
 If you are interested in joining our group, view our Volunteer Page for further information and then contact Kim
If you're interested in contributing your data to our group first read this then contact us.
 

California is a state spanning the southern half of the United States west coast.

The area was inhabited by Native Americans before European explorers started to make sporadic visitations during the 16th Century.
Starting in 1769 Spain colonized the coastal areas of the territory, before it temporarily became part of Mexico after the Mexican War of Independence (1810-21).
The California Republic, was an independent state which was short-lived, during 1846, and was effectively ended by the Mexican-American War. 
At the outset of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), the state was captured by 500 American soldiers and sailors.
Following the war, the area was bought by the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
The California Gold Rush of 1848-49 brought about 90,000 additional American immigrants into the state.
California became the 31st state of the United States in 1850.
 

If you would like to be kept informed of our state and county website updates,
subscribe to our mailing lists.  If you have any comments, questions or contributions please contact me, Shauna Williams
 

California Counties
 

County Overviews
Established Date, Parent County, Name Changes
 

CA State Insignias
State animals, flowers, mottos, nicknames

Research Help
Addresses and off-site links.
 

Site search Web search

powered by FreeFind

Biographies

Books
About history, pioneers etc.
 

Census
 

Death Listings/Notices

Government
 

Japanese
Interment

Military Data

Newspaper Data

Timeline of California
 

Walker Expedition

      California borders the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and Mexico.


You are welcome to browse the information on these pages and at the many links provided to garner the data needed to continue your research into your family history. However, Please remember that this information, in many cases, represents years of painstaking research on the part of myself, or the many generous volunteers who have donated their information to this site. You can show your respect for these efforts by not taking things to use on other websites and/or to claim as your own. I thank you in advance for your consideration.

Recent Updates:

April 27, 2008

California State

Thanks to Peggy Thompson we have the World War 2 Honor list of the dead and missing Army and Army Air Forces for the following counties:

Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tulare & Ventura

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/military.html

Colusa

April Hennes donated the following death notices:

Linda Benjamin & Linza Foster
http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/colusa/index.html

Contra Costa

Miscellaneous newspaper articles

23 death notices

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/costa/index.html

Del Norte

4 pages of the 1870 Crescent City census

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/delnorte/

Fresno

Miscellaneous newspaper articles

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/fresno/

Glenn                              

Death notice for Dita Glenn & Lucy Glenn

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/glenn/

Humboldt

Thanks to Mary Wilson the following things have been put online:

A History of the Mattole Valley

Biography for Albert Lafferty

Marriage records for Louise Lafferty/James Slater & Frances Lafferty/Lemuel Steeves

Article about Lem Steeves

Death notice/certificate for Lemuel Steeves & Albert Lafferty

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/humboldt/

San Francisco

News article thanks to Debbie Gibson!

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/sfranc/

Sutter

1 newspaper article thanks to Debbie Gibson!

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/sutter/

March/April 2008

California State Updates:

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/

*Death notice for Louisa Langhurst submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer
http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/deaths.html

* WWII Honor List (for most counties) from Peggy Thompson
* Korean War Casualties thanks to Don Tharp
http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/military.html

* Biography for Myrtle Bell Seals & Frank Shadrack Jones from Leslie Riney
* Biography of Ignatius Few thanks to Dena Whitesell
http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/bios.html

* Governors Page thanks to Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/government.html

* Chapter 2 from Kennebec to California; reminiscences of a California pioneer thanks to   Kim Torp
http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/books.html

* Tons of Japanese Interment Information thanks to Sandie Cummins

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/japaninter.html

*Information and names of the Walker Expedition submitted by Jo Ann Boyd Scott
http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/walker.html

* Newspaper article listing the earliest marriages in California from Barbara Ziegenmeyer
*Newspaper article about the murder of Foster & Smith
http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/newspaperitems.html

Alameda

*Alameda 1905 Births thanks to Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*1930 Merchant seaman census for Alameda County Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*Cole/Pelleir & Husted/Crossman  Marriage notices thanks to Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*Obit of Berry Kesterson thanks to Christine Walters

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/alameda/index.html

Alpine

* Births 1905-1920 thanks to Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/alpine/index.html

Amador

* Births 1905-1910 thanks to Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/amador/index.html

Butte

*1905 Births submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/butte/

Calaveras

*1905 Births from Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/calaveras/index.html

Colusa

*1905-1906 Births submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*Marriages 1853-1860 thanks to Kim Torp

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/colusa/index.html

Del Norte

*1905-1910 Births from Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*1860 Census thanks to Marla Snow

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/delnorte/

El Dorado

*1905-1908 Birth records thanks to Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/eldorado/

Fresno

*1905 Births submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/fresno/

Glenn

*1905-1910 Births from Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/glenn/

Humboldt

*1905-1907 Births thanks to Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/humboldt/

Imperial

*1905 -1910 Birth Index submitted by: Barb Ziegenmeyer

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/imperial/

Inyo

*1905-1910 Births from Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/inyo/

Kern

*Birth Listings for 1905 and 1906 contributed by: Barb Ziegenmeyer

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/kern/

Kings

*1905-1910 Births submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/kings/

Klamath

*1919 Guide to the County Archives of California from Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*Dillins 1860 Census from Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/klamath/

Lake

* Births 1905 -1910 submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/lake/

Lassen

* Miscellaneous newspaper articles

*Marriage notices for Blake/Long & Jones/Reeves

*Death notices for Holden Dick, Robert Martin, Son of W.R. Miller & Vincente Olivas *Daughter of Mrs. L. Parry, Mrs. L.F. Spencer & Thomas Watson

*Doyle Cemetery page with some burials

*Janesville Cemetery page with some burials

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/lassen/

Los Angeles

*1930 Census Merchant Seaman from Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*New Cities and Neighborhoods listing thanks to  Candi Horton

*Information on Chinatown, Hollywood, Pasadena, South Pasadena thanks to Candi H.

*City of Artesia information on the first constable submitted by  Barb Ziegenmeyer

*Events- 1933 long Beach Earthquake thanks to Barb Ziegenmeyer

*7 new obituaries - contributed by: Sara Hemp, Anna Newell & Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*1905 Birth Listing, A - Z Surnames contributed by: Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*New Biographies  contributed by: Anna Newell, Barbara Ziegenmeyer and Chris Walters

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/la/index.html

Marin

*30 obituaries thanks to Amanda Jowers

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/marin/

Mendocino

* Marriages 1859-1860  thanks to Kim Torp

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/mendo/

Nevada

* Post Office Data thanks to Don Tharp

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/nv/

Orange

* Births for 1905 submitted by: Barb Ziegenmeyer

*Marriage Notice submitted by: Barb Ziegenmeyer

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/orange/index.html

Riverside

* News Articles Contributed by: Barb Ziegenmeyer

*Complete death listing for year of 1940 thanks to BarbZiegenmeyer

*Birth Listing for 1905 submitted by: Barb Ziegenmeyer

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/riverside/

Sacramento

* Death notice for William Freeman submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*Death notice for REINNOLDT, Carolyn thanks to Don Tharp

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/sac/

San Bernardino

*1905 Births thanks to Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*Obit for Meiba Bryan thanks to Don Tharp

http://genealogytrails.com/cal/sbernard/

San Francisco

* Thomas Haven Death notice from Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*Mark Herr obit from Debbie Lee
*Cemeteries page, towns page & Church page

*Updated Misc. newspaper articles
*Death notices for: Biggy, Spreckels & Chief Dennis Sullivan
*1906 Earthquake page
*List of causalities from the 1906 Earthquake/fires

*Photo of food line from earthquake thanks to  Robyn Greenlund
*2 pages from the 1st District San Francisco 1930 census
*Marriage notices for: Eagan/Scudder, McFarland/Neilson, Blumquist/Cahoon, Ingram/Sturgeon, & Himrod/Blake
*Passport Applications for Olaf Benneche, Harry Wayne Abbott & Lorena Barbier
http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/sfranc/

Santa Barbara

*1905 Birth index- submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/sbarbara/

Santa Clara

* Obit for Geo. Bentley thanks to Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*Marriage notices for: Mccaustland/Wood, Forward/Edwards, Ecton/Carl, Bryant/Bradshaw, Rock/Thompson, Alvaraz/Warburton, Burke/Daly & Linne/Lucas thanks to Barbara Ziegenmeyer
*Post office History thanks to Christina Anthony

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/sclara/

Shasta

* Marriages 1852-1860 submitted by Kim Torp

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/shasta/

Siskiyou

* Marriages 1852-1860 submitted by Kim Torp

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/sisk/

Solano

* Marriages 1850-1858 thanks to Kim Torp

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/solano/

Sonoma

*1860 LaPorte census thanks to Janice Rice

*1844-1860 Marriages thanks to Kim Torp

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/sonoma/

Tehama

* Marriages 1854-1860 submitted by Kim Torp

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/tehama/

Trinity

* Marriages 1857-1860 thanks to  Kim Torp

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/trinity/

Tulare

* Obit for Ralph Lee Seals thanks to Leslie Riney

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/tulare/

Tuolumne

* Military Personnel Who Died as a Result of Hostilities During the Korean War thanks to Debbie Personette

*1905-1910 Births submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer

*Partial Death Index Submitted by Debbie Personette

*Korean War Casualty File, 2/13/1950 - 12/31/1953  Records on Korean War Dead and Wounded Army Casualties, created 1950 - 1970, documenting the period 2/13/1950 - 12/31/1953 thanks to Debbie Personette

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/tuol/index.html

Ventura

Birth Listings for 1905, 1906, 1907 and 1908 Submitted by Barb Ziegenmeyer

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/ventura/

Yolo

Marriages 1850-1860 thanks to Kim Torp

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/yolo/

Yuba

1905-1910 Births thanks to Barbara Ziegenmeyer

http://www.genealogytrails.com/cal/yuba/