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Fresno County, California Genealogy

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Guide to Fresno County, California ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Fresno
Organized: April 19, 1856
Parent County(s): Mariposa, Merced, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Tulare
Variant Spellings: Frezno
Neighboring Counties
Inyo • Kings • Madera • Merced • Mono • Monterey • San Benito • Tulare
See County Maps
Courthouse
California, Fresno County Courthouse.png
Location Map
California Fresno Map.png

County Information

Description

Fresno County (originally spelled Frezno) was created 19 Apr 1856[1] and was named for Fresno Creek. Fresno in Spanish means "ash tree", reflecting the abundance of mountain ash in the area. Fresno is the county seat. It is located in the central area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Fresno County Courthouse
1100 Van Ness Ave
Fresno, CA 93724
Phone: 559-457-2000
Fresno County Website

County Recorder has birth, marriage, and death records from 1855[3]

Fresno County, California Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1855 1855 1855 1856 1856 1880 1850
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1905. General compliance by 1920.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Populated Places

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
Unincorporated communities
American Indian Communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Fresno, California online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See California Cemeteries for more information


Census Records

For online censuses (state and federal) and for more information, see California Census.

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1860 4,605 —
1870 6,336 37.6%
1880 9,478 49.6%
1890 32,026 237.9%
1900 37,862 18.2%
1910 75,657 99.8%
1920 128,779 70.2%
1930 144,379 12.1%
1940 178,565 23.7%
1950 276,515 54.9%
1960 365,945 32.3%
1970 413,053 12.9%
1980 514,621 24.6%
1990 667,490 29.7%
2000 799,407 19.8%
2010 930,450 16.4%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records

Church records vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. Usually listed on the town level, they may contain ages, dates (baptism, christening, birth, marriage, death), maiden names, and more. See also California Church Records.

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

Land and property records provide exact location of land, often reveal family relationships, and give names of witnesses and neighbors. They include deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents. See California Land and Property for online resources, including early land grants.

Online Land Indexes and Records


Local Histories

Local histories are available for Fresno County. Histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see California Local Histories.

Maps and Gazetteers

Monterey CountySan Benito CountyMerced CountyMono CountyInyo CountyTulare CountyKings CountyMadera CountyCA FRESNO.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

World War I

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Newspapers

Obituaries

Other Records

Voting Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

Probate records include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. They may give the decedent's date of death, names and residences of spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, and others. For online records and more information, see California Probate Records.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

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 California Taxation.

Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. The state has records since July 1905, although county records may start earlier. See California Vital Records for more information.

Birth

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Fresno County. For state-wide facilities, see California Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Fresno County. For state-wide library facilities, see California Archives and Libraries.

Fresno County Public Library
Heritage Center
2420 Mariposa Street
Fresno, CA 93721
Phone: 559-600-6230
Website

Museums

Societies

Listed below are societies in Fresno County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see California Societies.

American Historical Society of Germans from Russia
3233 N. West Avenue
Fresno, CA 93705-3402
Website

California Mennonite Historical Society
4824 E. Butler
Fresno, CA 93727
Website

Eastern Fresno County Historical Society
Physical Address:
33280 Lodge Rd
Tollhouse, CA 93667
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 201
Prather, CA 93651
Phone: 59-855-6552
Email: efchs123@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Fresno County Historical Society
7160 West Kearney Boulevard
Fresno, CA 93706
Phone: 559-441-0862
Website
Facebook
The Society Archives has Central Valley early farmers index, biographies, manuscripts, photos, oral histories, newspaper clippings, and school yearbooks.

Fresno County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 1429
Fresno, CA 93716-1429
Website

Websites

  • FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Individual County Chronologies, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/CA_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Fresno County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresno_County,_California 4/11/2017.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Fresno County, California. Page 84 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Fresno County, California. Page 84-88 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library 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.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Fresno County, California," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresno_County,_California, accessed 13 September 2019.
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