Shasta County, California Genealogy
Guide to Shasta County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Shasta County, California | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of California, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of California in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | February, 1850 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Redding |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Shasta County Courthouse 1643 Market Street PO Box 990880 Redding, CA 96099 Phone: 530.225.5730 Shasta 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
- 6 Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Shasta County, California Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1873 | 1852 | 1873 | 1880 | 1852 | 1880 | 1850 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Clerk has divorce, probate and court records from 1880
County Recorder has birth, marriage and death records[2]
www.co.shasta.ca.us/
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
18 February 1850: Shasta County was created as an original county. County seat: Redding [3]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named after Mount Shasta; the name "Shasta" is derived from the English equivalent for the name of an Indian tribe that once lived in the area. The county seat Redding and the county was created 1850. The County is located in the north 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]
14 June 1853: All records were destroyed in the great fire of June 14th, 1853
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 | ||
Indian Reservations or Rancherias[edit | edit source]
The Big Bend Indian Rancheria is located in this county.
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
- Shasta County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to Shasta County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
- Index to Biographies of Pioneers in Shasta County, CA (CAGenWeb Project)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web sites may have additional information on Shasta County cemeteries.
- Interment.net California cemetery records by County.
- 1850 - 1960 - California Cemetery Transcriptions, 1850-1960 at FamilySearch — index and images
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 378 | — |
| 1860 | 4,360 | 1053.4% |
| 1870 | 4,173 | −4.3% |
| 1880 | 9,492 | 127.5% |
| 1890 | 12,133 | 27.8% |
| 1900 | 17,318 | 42.7% |
| 1910 | 18,920 | 9.3% |
| 1920 | 13,361 | −29.4% |
| 1930 | 13,927 | 4.2% |
| 1940 | 28,800 | 106.8% |
| 1950 | 36,413 | 26.4% |
| 1960 | 59,468 | 63.3% |
| 1970 | 77,640 | 30.6% |
| 1980 | 115,715 | 49.0% |
| 2000 | 163,256 | 41.1% |
| 2010 | 177,223 | 8.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Shasta 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
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Redding
- Shasta
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 Shasta 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.
- Shasta County History Records (Genealogy Trails)
- 1891 - Shasta County 1891 (USGenWeb Archives)
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.
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]
Early migration routes to and from Shasta County, California Genealogy for emigrant settlers included:[6][7]
- California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
- The Lassen Cutoff 1848 was established by gold rushers from Oregon going to California. It branched off the Applegate Trail at Davis Creek, went through Devil's Garden to the Pit River passing east of Mt. Lassen, and turning west to Lassen Rancho, California, and from there to Sacramento. In some years as much as 1/3 of emigrants mistakenly took the Applegate Trail-Lassen Cutoff, a much longer and more difficult trail than the Truckee or Carson routes.
- Nobles Road 1851 from the Applegate Trail at Rabbithole Springs in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada to Shasta City, California
Online Records
- 1929-1954 - California, Pioneer Migration Index, Compiled 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — index
Military History and Records[edit | edit source]
- 1883 - Shasta County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Service men in Shasta 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 Shasta County, California Genealogy:
- - 4th Regiment, California Infantry (Union), Company C
- 1886 - Civil War Veterans Rosters, G.A.R. Posts, Shasta County, California (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]
- Index to Shasta County World War II Army Enlistees (USGenWeb Archives)
- Shasta County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Shasta County, California Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Shasta 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]
- Index to Obituaries for the Shasta County Area - Click on the alphabet letter to go to the Index for that letter. (CAGenWeb Project)
- Early Shasta County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
- Index to Shasta County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
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 - Shasta - 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, 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
- Anderson California Family History Center
- Fall River California Family History Center
- Redding California Family History Center
Societies[edit | edit source]
Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Shasta Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 493431
Redding, CA 96049-3431
Website
Shasta County Historical Society
1449 Market Street
Redding, CA 96001
Phone: 530-243-3720
Website
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 [http://www.genealogyinc.com/california/ca-vital-records/ 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
- 1905 - 1995 - California Birth Index, 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — index
- Local Registrar's Record of Births (A - K) (CAGenWeb Project)
- Local Registrar's Record of births (L - Z) (CAGenWeb Project)
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
- 1850 - 1860 - Shasta County Marriages (Genealogy Trails)
- 1854 - 1885 - Western States Marriage Index.
- 1854 - 1930 - Marriage Records Index 1854 - 1930 (CAGenWeb Project)
- 1960 - 1985 - California Marriage Index, 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — index and images
- Marriages 'in the news' for the Shasta County area (CAGenWeb Project)
- Early Shasta 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 imageshttps://shastagen.org/
- 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 ($)
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Shasta County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Shasta County CAGenWeb
- Linkpendium
- USGenWeb Archives
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Shasta County, California Genealogy Trails
- Shasta County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Shasta 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), Shasta County, California. Page 87At 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, “Shasta County, California Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/cal/shasta/ 05/08/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Shasta County, California," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shasta_County,_California, accessed 24 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).
