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Trinity County, California Genealogy


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

County Facts
County seat: Weaverville
Organized: 09 Jun 1851
Parent County(s): Original
Neighboring Counties
Humboldt • Mendocino • Shasta • Siskiyou • Tehama
See County Maps
Courthouse
California, Trinity County Courthouse.png
Location Map
California Trinity Map.png

County Information

Description

Trinity County was created 18 Feb 1850[1] and was named for the Trinity River. Its county seat is Weaverville. It is located in the northwestern area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Trinity County Courthouse
11 Court St
Weaverville, CA 96093
Phone: 530-623-1208
Trinity County Website

County Recorder has birth and death records indexes 1873-1905, birth and death records from 1905, marriage record indexes 1857-1905, marriage records from 1905 and naturalization 1850-1940.
Court Services has divorce and court from 1881, probate records from 1887 and land records.[3]

Trinity 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
1873 1857 1873 1881 1855 1887 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:[5]

Unincorporated communities
American Indian Communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Trinity, 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. %±
1850 1,635 —
1860 5,125 213.5%
1870 3,213 −37.3%
1880 4,999 55.6%
1890 3,719 −25.6%
1900 4,383 17.9%
1910 3,301 −24.7%
1920 2,551 −22.7%
1930 2,809 10.1%
1940 3,970 41.3%
1950 5,087 28.1%
1960 9,706 90.8%
1970 7,615 −21.5%
1980 11,858 55.7%
1990 13,063 10.2%
2000 13,022 −0.3%
2010 13,786 5.9%
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 Trinity 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

Siskiyou CountyHumboldt CountyShasta CountyTehama CountyMendocino CountyCA TRINITY.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

Civil War

Regiments. Civil War service men in Trinity County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in this county:

- 1st Battalion Mountaineers, California Infantry (Union), Company C

World War I

World War II

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

Obituaries

Other Records

Voting Records

California county clerks were to keep voting registers every other year from 1866 and well into the 20th century. These large books, called Great Registers, listed the men who registered to vote in that county. Besides name and age, the record may show place of birth, address, occupation, naturalization date and sometimes even a physical description.

These records are at the California State Library (1866-1944), and microfilmed copies are available through FamilySearch Centers (1866-1910). Ancestry ($) has a searchable database of Trinity Great Registers from 1867-1896.

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 Trinity 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 Trinity County. For state-wide library facilities, see California Archives and Libraries.

Museums

Societies

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

Trinity County Historical Society
P.O. Box 333
Weaverville, CA 96093
Phone: 530-623-5211
Website

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Individual County Chronologies, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/CA_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Trinity County, California" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_County,_California 05/09/2017.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 88. 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), Trinity 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. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Trinity County, California," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_County,_California#Communities, accessed 25 September 2019.
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