Inyo County, California Genealogy
Guide to Inyo County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Inyo County, California | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of California, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of California in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | March 22, 1866 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Independence |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Inyo County Courthouse] 168 N Edwards St PO Box F Independence, CA 93526 Phone 760.878.0218 Inyo 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 Court Records
- 5.7 Crime and Criminals
- 5.8 Directories
- 5.9 Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups
- 5.10 Gazetteers
- 5.11 Genealogy
- 5.12 History
- 5.13 Land and Property
- 5.14 Maps
- 5.15 Migration
- 5.16 Military History and Records
- 5.17 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 5.18 Newspapers
- 5.19 Obituaries
- 5.20 Periodicals
- 5.21 Probate Records
- 5.22 Repositories
- 5.23 Societies
- 5.24 Taxation
- 5.25 Vital Records
- 5.26 Voting Registers
- 6 Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Inyo County, California Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1904 | 1866 | 1904 | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 | 1850 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1904
marriage and land records from 1866 and
mining records from 1872[2]
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Parent Counties[edit | edit source]
22 March 1866: Inyo County was created 22 March 1866 from Mono and Tulare Counties.
County seat: Independence [3]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named from the Native American name for the mountains in its area. The meaning of the word inyo is "dwelling place of the great spirit." wikipedia. The County Seat is Independence and was founded 1866. 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]
Inyo Co. Courthouse was destroyed by an earthquake March 26, 1872. On June 30, 1886 a fire broke out in a vacant building in Independence and destroyed thirty-eight buildings. Although the county records and most of the furniture were saved, the courthouse was one of the buildings destroyed.
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 | ||
| Native American communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
- Clark County, Nevada
- Esmeralda County, Nevada
- Fresno
- Kern
- Mono
- Nye County, Nevada
- San Bernardino
- Tulare
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
- Index to Inyo County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)
- Index to Inyo County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
- Inyo County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web site may have additional information on Inyo County cemeteries.
- Interment.net California cemetery records by County.
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1870 | 1,956 | — |
| 1880 | 2,928 | 49.7% |
| 1890 | 3,544 | 21.0% |
| 1900 | 4,377 | 23.5% |
| 1910 | 6,974 | 59.3% |
| 1920 | 7,031 | 0.8% |
| 1930 | 6,555 | −6.8% |
| 1940 | 7,625 | 16.3% |
| 1950 | 11,658 | 52.9% |
| 1960 | 11,684 | 0.2% |
| 1970 | 15,571 | 33.3% |
| 1980 | 17,895 | 14.9% |
| 1990 | 18,281 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | 17,945 | −1.8% |
| 2010 | 18,546 | 3.3% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Inyo County, California Genealogy census records online, see: California Census.
- 1870 - Inyo County Census Files (USGenWeb Archives)
- 1880 - Inyo County 1880 Mortality Schedule (Genealogy Trails)
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
- Churches in Inyo County, California (Genealogy Trails)
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Bishop
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Crime and Criminals[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Germans[edit | edit source]
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Inyo 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.
- Index to Inyo County Land Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- 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
Military History and Records[edit | edit source]
- 1883 - Inyo County List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
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]
- Inyo County WWII Army Enlistments, Surnames A-G (USGenWeb Archives)
- Inyo County WWII Army Enlistments, Surnames H-M (USGenWeb Archives)
- Inyo County WWII Army Enlistments, Surnames N-V (USGenWeb Archives)
- Inyo County WWII Army Enlistments, Surnames W-Z (USGenWeb Archives)
- Honor List of Dead and Missing WWII, Inyo County, California (Genealogy Trails)
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Inyo County, California Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Inyo 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 Places Search).
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Inyo County Vital Records and Obituaries (CAGenWeb Project)
- Inyo 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 - Inyo - 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]
- Inyo County Libraries (Genealogy Trails)
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
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
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
- Inyo County Vital Records and Obituaries (CAGenWeb Project)
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
- 1905 - 1995 - California Birth Index, 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — index
- 1905 - 1810 - Inyo County Birth Index (Genealogy Trails)
- Inyo 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
- 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
- Inyo County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1966 - 1984 - California Divorce Index, 1966-1984 at FamilySearch — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1776 - 2000 - California Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000 at FamilySearch — index, some images
- 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]
- 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Bishop Museum & Historical Society
P.O. Box 363
Bishop, CA 93514,
Phone: (760) 873-5950
Website
Friends of the Eastern California Museum
P.O. Box 206
155 Grant Street
Independence, CA 93526
Phone:760-878-364 or 760-878-0259-8
Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert
P.O. Box 2001
230 W Ridgecrest Blvd.
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
Phone: 760-675-8465
Website
Searles Valley Historical Society
P.O. Box 630
Trona, CA 93592
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Inyo County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Inyo County CAGenWeb
- Linkpendium
- USGenWeb Archives
- Inyo County Genealogy Trails
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Inyo County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Inyo 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), Inyo County, California. Page 85 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, “Inyo County, California Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/cal/inyo/ 5/03/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Inyo County, California," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inyo_County,_California#Communities, accessed 14 September 2019.
