Contra Costa County, California Genealogy
Guide to Contra Costa County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Contra Costa County, California | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of California | |
 Location of California in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | 1850, February 18 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Martinez |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Contra Costa County 730 Las Juntas St; PO Box 350; Martinez, CA 94553; Phone. 925.646.2360 Contra Costa County Website |
Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 County Courthouse
- 3 Historical Facts
- 4 Places/Localities
- 5 Resources
- 5.1 Bible Records
- 5.2 Biography
- 5.3 Cemeteries
- 5.4 Census
- 5.5 Church History and Records
- 5.6 Public Records
- 5.7 Court Records
- 5.8 Crime and Criminals
- 5.9 Directories
- 5.10 Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups
- 5.11 Gazetteers
- 5.12 Genealogy
- 5.13 History
- 5.14 Land and Property & Maps
- 5.15 Maps
- 5.16 Migration
- 5.17 Military History and Records
- 5.18 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 5.19 Newspapers and Indexes
- 5.20 Obituaries
- 5.21 Periodicals
- 5.22 Probate Records
- 5.23 Repositories
- 5.24 Societies
- 5.25 Taxation
- 5.26 Vital Records
- 5.27 Voting Registers
- 6 Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Contra Costa County, California Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1850 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Recorder has birth and death records; County Clerk
has marriage, divorce, probate and court records[2]
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Contra Costa County began in 1850 as one of the original counties in the new state of California. Located in the East Bay area, San Pablo Bay and Suisun Bay partially surround the land area of the county and have contributed to the economy since the gold rush.
Parent County[edit | edit source]
18 February 1850: Contra Costa County was created as an original county. County seat: Martinez [3]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named Contra Costa which means in the Spanish language opposite coast, on account of it's location opposite of San Francisco, in an easterly direction, on the San Francisco Bay. The county seat Martinez and the county was created 1850. [4]The County is located in the west central corner of the state.[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 | ||
| Historic communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
- Index to Contra Costa County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
- Contra Costa County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
Books[edit | edit source]
- History of Contra Costa County, California : including its geography, geology, topography, climatography and description; together with a record of the Mexican grants ... also, incidents of pioneer life and biographical sketches of early and prominent settlers and representative men
- History of Contra Costa 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
- The morning side of Mount Diablo : an illustrated account of Morgan Territory road
- Rose Hill : a comprehensive history of the pioneer cemetery in the Mount Diablo coal field, Contra Costa County, California
Indexes[edit | edit source]
- Index to Hulaniski's history of Contra Costa County, by F. J. Hulaniski, 1917
- Index to the history of Contra Costa County, by Mae Fisher Purcell, 1940
- A somewhat tardy index to the History of Contra Costa County by Slocum & Co., 1986
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web site may have additional information on Contra Costa County cemeteries.
- Interment.net California cemetery records by County.
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1860 | 5,328 | — |
| 1870 | 8,461 | 58.8% |
| 1880 | 12,525 | 48.0% |
| 1890 | 13,515 | 7.9% |
| 1900 | 18,046 | 33.5% |
| 1910 | 31,674 | 75.5% |
| 1920 | 53,889 | 70.1% |
| 1930 | 78,608 | 45.9% |
| 1940 | 100,450 | 27.8% |
| 1950 | 298,984 | 197.6% |
| 1960 | 409,030 | 36.8% |
| 1970 | 558,389 | 36.5% |
| 1980 | 656,380 | 17.5% |
| 1990 | 803,732 | 22.4% |
| 2000 | 948,816 | 18.1% |
| 2010 | 1,049,025 | 10.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- For tips on accessing Contra Costa County, California Genealogy census records online, see: California Census.
- Contra Costa County, California state census, 1852 : including 2/3 present day Alameda County
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- How to Use this Collection
- A short history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the San Francisco Bay Area
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Public Records[edit | edit source]
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Crime and Criminals[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
- Oakland (California) city directories
- Pittsburg - Antioch (Contra Costa County, Calif.) city directory : including West Pittsburg and Shore Acres, also a buyers' guide and a complete classified business directory
- Richmond (California) city directories
Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
A wiki article describing an online collecion is found at: California, Genealogical Collections at the California Genealogical Society (FamilySearch Historical Records)
Indexes[edit | edit source]
Peroidicals[edit | edit source]
Contra Costa Genealogical Society directory & Periodical[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Contra Costa 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.
Indexes[edit | edit source]
- Index to Hulaniski's history of Contra Costa County, by F. J. Hulaniski, 1917
- Index to the history of Contra Costa County, by Mae Fisher Purcell, 1940
- A somewhat tardy index to the History of Contra Costa County by Slocum & Co., 1986
Histories[edit | edit source]
- Antioch centennial almanac
- The history of Contra Costa County, California
- History of Contra Costa County, California : including its geography, geology, topography, climatography and description; together with a record of the Mexican grants ... also, incidents of pioneer life and biographical sketches of early and prominent settlers and representative men
- History of Contra Costa 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
- History of the greater San Francisco Bay region
- History of the San Francisco Bay region
- Illustrations of Contra Costa Co., California, with historical sketch
- The morning side of Mount Diablo : an illustrated account of Morgan Territory road
- Rose Hill : a comprehensive history of the pioneer cemetery in the Mount Diablo coal field, Contra Costa County, California
- Ygnacio Valley, 1834-1970
Land and Property & Maps[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.
- Alameda and Contra Costa County, California land ownership map, 1894
- Brands and marks, 1850-1917
- Contra Costa County land claims, 1852-1925
- Estray records, 1851-1888
- Mechanics liens, 1850-1871
- Mechanics liens, 1850-1871
- Squirrel Inspection District liens, 1876-1877
- Wives property book, 1851-1916
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Alameda and Contra Costa County, California land ownership map, 1894
- Maps of California (1850-1925)
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
- 1906-1935 - California, Pioneer Migration Index, Compiled 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
Military History and Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- Contra Costa County, Gen. Canby Post No. 77, G. A. R. 1886, Civil War - Rosters (USGenWeb Archives)
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1914-1918 - California, Geographical and Name Index of Californians who served in WWI, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — index and images
World War II[edit | edit source]
- Alphabetical Index to Contra Costa County Enlistments (USGenWeb Archives)
- World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnell from Contra Costa County, California, 1946 (Genealogy Trails)
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1852-1989 - California, Northern U.S. District Court Naturalization Index, 1852-1989 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
Newspapers and Indexes[edit | edit source]
- 1995 vital statistics, Contra Costa Times, Concord Transcript, Antioch Daily Ledger, and West County Times
- Index to 1993 vital statistics, Contra Costa Times, Concord Transcript and Antioch Daily Ledger/Post Dispatch
- Index to 1994 vital statistics, Contra Costa Times, Concord Transcript, and Antioch Daily Ledger/Post Dispatch
- Index to 1995 vital statistics, Contra Costa Times, Concord Transcript, Antioch Daily Ledger and West County Times
- Vital records from the Antioch Ledger : 2 Apr 1870-17, Mar 1877
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Contra Costa County, California Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Contra Costa 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).
- California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 1995 vital statistics, Contra Costa Times, Concord Transcript, Antioch Daily Ledger, and West County Times
- Death notices 1860-1899, Contra Costa County, California
- Contra Costa County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
- Contra Costa County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
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 - Contra Costa - Probate records.
Online Probate Indexes and 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- How to Use this Collection
Repositories[edit | edit source]
Archives, Libraries and Museums[edit | edit source]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Introduction to Family History Centers
- Antioch California Family History Center (Brentwood)
- Concord California Family History Center
- Danville California Family History Center
Societies[edit | edit source]
San Ramon Valley Genealogical Society serves local genealogy enthusiasts. Monthly meetings are held at the Danville Family History Center in Alamo, California on the 3rd Tuesday at 10am.
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
- Vital records from the Contra Costa Gazette, 1864-1899
- Vital statistics taken from The Independent, Contra Costa County's complete home newspaper
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1812 - 1988 - California Births and Christenings, 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
- 1905 - 1995 - California Birth Index, 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
- Contra Costa County Birth Notices (Genealogy Trails)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1800 - 2007 - California, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1850 - 1945 - California Marriages, 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
- 1850 - 1952 - California, County Marriages, 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
- 1851 - 1941 - Index to marriages (men), 1851-1941 (surnames A-M)}} at FamilySearch
- 1854 - 1885 - Western States Marriage Index.
- 1960 - 1985 - California Marriage Index, 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — index and images- How to Use this Collection
- Contra Costa County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1966 - 1984 - California Divorce Index, 1966-1984 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1776 - 2000 - California Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000 at FamilySearch — index, some images- How to Use this Collection
- 1873 - 1921 - Death records, 1873-1921
- 1880 - Persons who died during the year ending May 31, 1880, in the County of Costa, State of California (Genealogy Trails)
- 1905 - 1939 - California Death Index, 1905-1939 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
- 1940 - 1997 - California Death Index, 1940-1997 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
- Contra Costa County maintains records of death certificates from 1905 to present. You can obtain an informational copy for a fee by mailing the county clerk's website with your payment. As with other counties, you only need to get the form notarized if you want a certified copy.
Voting Registers[edit | edit source]
- Great registers, 1867-1898
- 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Contra Costa County Genealogical Society
Concord/Walnut Creek Family History Center
3700 Concord Blvd
Concord, CA 94519-1808
Phone:925-686-1766
Website
Contra Costa County Historical Society
610 Main Street
Martinez, California 94553
Phone: 925-229-1042
Website
El Cerito Historical Society
PO Box 304
El Cerrito, CA 94530
Phone:510-526-7507
Website
Lafayette Historical Society
Lafayette Library Learning Center
3491 Mount Diablo Boulevard
Lafayette, CA 94549
Phone: 925-283-1848
Website
Martinez Historical Society
P.O. Box 14
Martinez, CA 94553
Phone: 925-228-8160
E-mail:[1]
Website
Moraga Historical Society
Post Office Box 103
1500 St. Mary's Rd.
Moraga, CA 94556-2099;
Phone: ( 925 ) 377-8734
Website
Point Richmond History Association
139 1/2 Washington Avenue
Point Richmond, CA
Phone: 510-234-5334 or 510-235-1336
website
Richmond Museum of History
P.O. Box 1267
400 Nevin Avenue
Richmond, California 94802
Phone: (510) 235-7387
website
San Ramon Valley Genealogy Society
P.O. Box 305
Diablo, CA 94528-0305
Website
Walnut Creek Historical Society
2660 Ygnacio Valley Road
Walnut Creek, California
Phone: (925) 935-7871
Website
List of California Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical & Genealogical Societies
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Antioch California Family History Center
- Concord California Family History Center
- Danville California Family History Center
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Contra Costa County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Contra Costa County CAGenWeb
- Linkpendium
- USGenWeb Archives
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Contra Costa County, California Genealogy Trails
- Contra Costa County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
- Contra Costa County Research, California State Genealogical Association
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Contra Costa 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), Contra Costa 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).
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Contra Costa County, Florida Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/cal/costa/#.WQORYzEzqM8 04/28/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Contra Costa County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_Costa_County,_California 04/28/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Colusa County, California," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_Costa_County,_California#Communities, accessed 1 March 2021.
