Lincoln County, Nevada Genealogy

United States

Nevada

Lincoln County

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

Nevada Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Pioche Organized: February 26, 1866 Parent County(s): Nye Neighboring Counties Clark • Nye • White Pine • Beaver (UT) • Iron (UT) • Millard (UT) • Washington (UT) • Mohave (AZ) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Lincoln County was created February 26, 1866 and was named for Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. Its county seat is Pioche. It is located in the southeastern area of the state.

County Courthouse

Lincoln County Courthouse
181 Main Street
Pioche, NV 89043
Phone: 775-962-5390
Lincoln County Website

County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1873.

Lincoln County, Nevada 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
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1887	1873	1887	1873	1873	1873	1850
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1911. General compliance year is unknown.

Record Loss

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

Boundary Changes

Parent County: created 26 February 1866 from Nye County Seat: Pioche Nevada Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Nevada Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Nevada 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:

Cities
Caliente
Unincorporated communities
Ash Springs Barclay Carp	Coyote Springs Crestline	Etna Pony Springs
Census-designated places
Alamo Beaverdam Bennett Springs Dry Valley	Hiko Mount Wilson Panaca	Pioche (county seat) Rachel Ursine
Ghost towns
Crystal Springs Elgin	Fay	Logan

Planned development

• Coyote Springs — a proposed community for 240,000 people.

Ghost Towns

List of Ghost Towns in Nevada

A selected list, previously posted on this page:

Acoma Angle City Atlanta Big Trees Boyd Bristol Well Brown Bullionville Caselton Cold Spring Crossroads Delmar Eberhardt

Eccles Flat Nose Galt Groom Lake Helene Horseshoe Bend Hoya Indian Cove Islen Jackrabbit Joseco Kyle

Logan City Mendha Mud Springs Ninemile Rocks Pony Springs Prince Rose Valley Rox Stine Strawberry Hill Sundown Tempiute

History Timeline

• Until 1821 - New Spain controlled land that later would become Nevada. Some records of early settlers may have been sent to an archives in Seville, Spain, or to archives in Mexico City.
• In 1821 - Mexico obtained jurisdiction over the land that later would become Nevada. Records of this period may have been sent to archives in Mexico City.
• 18 Aug 1846 - During the war with Mexico, the US took control of Santa Fe and proclaimed sovereignty over land that later became the Nevada Territory. Look for records in the National Archives and Records Administration, the Mexico Archives and the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.
• 4 July 1848 - In the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, Mexico ceded land that later became present day Nevada. Look for records in the National Archives and Records Administration, the Mexico Archives and the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.
• 9 Jan 1852 - New Mexico redefined the boundaries of previous counties and created new ones to cover all the land within its territory. The New Mexico counties of Taos, San Juan (1861-1862 only), Rio Arriba, Santa Ana, Bernalillo, Valencia, and Socorro counties covered land that would later become the southern part of Lincoln county. Look for records in Dona Ana County, Socorro County, Bernalillo, Rio Arriba, Taos, and Valencia counties.
• 24 Feb 1863 - The US created the Arizona Territory from the western half of New Mexico Territory. This territory contained land that would later become the southern part of Lincoln county. Look for records in the Arizona State Library and New Mexico State Records Center and Archives
• 10 Nov 1864 - Mohave County was created as one of the four original counties in Arizona. This county included land that would later become the southern part of Lincoln county. Look for records in Mohave County.
• 22 December 1865 - Pah-Ute County was created by Arizona out of the north part of Mohave County. This county included land that would later become the southern part of Lincoln county. Look for records in Mohave County.
• 18 January 1867 - A large portion of Pah-Ute County and a smaller portion of Mohave County was given to Nevada by the US government. Nevada used the land to increase Lincoln and Nye counties. Utah opposed this transfer of land by creating Rio Virgin County which extended out of Utah, covering a large portion of southern Lincoln and Nye counties. Arizona opposed loosing this land, twice petitioned Congress for repeal of the law. Up thru 1868, representatives from Pah-Ute county attended the Arizona legislature. Look for records in Mohave County AZ, Washington County UT, Nye County NV and Lincoln County NV.
• 18 February 1871 - Arizona discontinued Pah-Ute County, finally accepting the loss after exhausting all legal remedies. The remainder of Pah-Ute County AZ was restored to Mohave County AZ. Look for records in Mohave County AZ
• 16 February 1872 - Utah discontinued Rio Virgin County, finally accepting the transfer after exhausting all legal remedies. The tiny bit of Rio Virgin County actually in Utah was restored to Washington County.

Resources

Bible Records

Listed below are resources for Bible records specific to Lincoln County. To find more resources, go to the Nevada Bible Records page.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Lincoln County, Nevada online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com NVGenWeb NVGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project BillionGraves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com BillionGraves Nevada Cemetery Records FamilySearch Places
See Nevada Cemeteries for more information

The following web site has additional information on Lincoln county cemeteries.

• Interment.net Nevada cemetery records by county.

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	2,985	—
1880	2,637	−11.7%
1890	2,466	−6.5%
1900	3,284	33.2%
1910	3,489	6.2%
1920	2,287	−34.5%
1930	3,601	57.5%
1940	4,130	14.7%
1950	3,837	−7.1%
1960	2,431	−36.6%
1970	2,557	5.2%
1980	3,732	46.0%
1990	3,775	1.2%
2000	4,165	10.3%
2010	5,345	28.3%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

The first enumeration for Nevada before it was a state in 1864, was in the 1850 Census in both New Mexico and Utah Territories, but the area had not been divided into counties. Those living there may be in the Utah 1851 Census. For 1860, Nevada was again enumerated in New Mexico and Utah Territories. A partial state census exists for Nevada in 1862 and 1863 and a full state census exists for 1875. See links listed below.

State and Territory Census Records

• 1850 United States Census, 1850 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index & images; Nevada was included in both the 1850 New Mexico and Utah Territory Censuses. - How to Use this Collection
• 1860 United States Census, 1860 at FamilySearch Historical Records — index & images; Nevada was included in both the 1860 New Mexico and Utah Territory Censuses. - How to Use this Collection
• 1860 Nevada, Compiled Census Index, 1860-1910 at Ancestry ($), index
• 1862-1863 1862-1863 Nevada Territory Tax List - Index
• 1875 Nevada State Census, 1875 at Ancestry ($), index

Federal Census Records

Federal Censuses were taken for the state of Nevada starting in 1870. Although, those living in south-eastern Nevada in 1870 may be enumerated in Utah or Arizona because of disputed boundaries with Nevada. For links to Federal Census indexes, see Nevada Census.

Transcriptions of many Lincoln County federal census records are available online as part of The USGenWeb Project. Click on the links below to search a particular census.

1870 Census | 1880 Census | 1880 Mortality Schedules | 1890 Special Census | 1900 Census | 1900 Indian Census

Church Records

Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Nevada Church Records.

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• Alamo
• Caliente
• Panaca
• Pioche

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Court Records

• 1933-1937 Nevada, Lincoln, Judgement Docket, 1933-1937(*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

• 1868-1869 Nevada Directory 1868-1869 at Ancestry ($), index only, includes settlers of Nevada
  
• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Emigration and Immigration

• Nevada Emigration and Immigration

Land and Property Records

The county recorder's office keeps land records once the land was transferred to private ownership. Abstracts and indexes for these records are generally available at the county courthouse.

In the FamilySearch Catalog, land records for Nevada are listed in the Place Search under: NEVADA, Lincoln – LAND AND PROPERTY

Lincoln County Recorder's Office

Record Highlights: Real estate deeds, mortgages, mining deeds and notices, maps, and early vital records (births, marriages, and deaths). Note, only births and deaths prior to 1911 are accessible to the public. Researchers can also access bound volumes of early Lincoln County newspapers, such as the Pioche Daily Record, 1872-1876.

On-site researchers can obtain photocopies of documents from the recorder's office. Researchers are also allowed to take digital photographs of documents. Check with the office for current fees.

• 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
  
• 1863-1908 U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
• Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

For more information see Nevada Land and Property

Local Histories

County histories may include biographies of early settlers and residents, church and school information, and local military regiments at the time of publication.

• A History of Lincoln County, Nevada, 1776-1874. c1959. By Richard E. Gillies. Salt Lake city, Utah: University of Utah. Downloadable PDF at J. Willard Marriott Digital Library at the University of Utah; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• An Overview of the History of Lincoln County. c1978. By Ralph Joseph Roske. Las Vegas, Nevada: University of Nevada. At various libraries (WorldCat).
• Delamar, Nevada. c1992. By Donald Thomas Clark. Lake Grove, Or. : The Depot. FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• Lincoln County, Nevada, 1864-1909: History of a Mining Region. c1971. By James W. Hulse. Reno, Nevada: University of Nevada Press. At various libraries (WorldCat).
• Treasures of Tempiute. c1967. By Eva Hyde Koyen. Sparks, Nevada : Western Print & Pub. Co. At various libraries (WorldCat).

Online County Histories

• Lincoln County: Land of Many Frontiers. c1981. By James W. Hulse. N.p: n.p. Online at: University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada Historical Society Quarterly; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• Settlement of Lincoln County and White Pine County, Nevada, by Utah Pioneers. c2006. By Mary N. Porte Harris. Salt Lake City, Utah : Daughters of Utah Pioneers. Online at: Family Search Catalog; At various libraries (WorldCat).

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
• Interactive Formation Boundary Map of Nevada - shows boundary changes for Nevada Counties
• Historical Maps and Atlases of Nevada - maps and atlases of Nevada

Migration

Early migration routes to and from Lincoln County, Nevada Genealogy for emigrant settlers included:

The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.

• Mormon Trail 1846 to 1869 from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City, Utah
• Mormon Trail to Southern California 1847 from Salt Lake City, Utah to Los Angeles, California
• Union Pacific Railroad 1869 Ogden, Utah (among others) to Omaha, Nebraska

Military Records

Online Collections

These collections are unique to Nevada. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and Nevada Military Records.

Civil War

• 1861-1865 Nevada, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index- How to Use this Collection
  
• 1863-1866 Nevada Civil War Volunteers, 1863-1866 ($) at Ancestry — index
  

World War I

• World War I Draft Registrations
• Nevada - Soldiers of the Great War
  

World War II

• Nevada Casualties of World War II
  
• 1940-1945 Nevada, World War II Draft Registration Cards,1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index & images- How to Use this Collection

Korea War

• Nevada Military Killed in Action in Korea
  
• U.S. Military Fatal Casualties of the Korean War for Nevada
  

Vietnam War

• Nevada Military Killed in Action in Vietnam
  
• The Vietnam Veterans Memorial - Nevada
  
• Vietnam Conflict Casualty Lists - Nevada
  

Other Conflicts

• Nevadans Killed in Action - Operation Enduring Freedom & Operation Iraqi Freedom

For further information see Nevada Military Records.

Naturalization and Citizenship

Please see the Nevada Naturalization and Citizenship page for state-wide information.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

• 1956-1991 Nevada, Naturalization Petitions, 1956-1991 at Ancestry($), index
  

Newspapers

For more information, see Nevada Newspapers.

• The Lincoln County Record is the official newspaper of Lincoln County. It is published weekly every Thursday. The paper's roots trace back to the early 1870s. Over the course of its history, the paper has been known by several titles: The Ely Record,1870-1872; Pioche Daily Record, 1872-1876; Pioche Weekly Record, 1877-1900; Lincoln County Record, 1900-1905; Pioche Weekly Record, 1906-1908; Pioche Daily Record, 1908-1925; Lincoln County Record, 1925-1932; Pioche Record, 1932-1968; and since 1968, the newspaper has been titled the Lincoln County Record.

• 1875-1932 Nevada Newspapers at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
• 1800s-Current Nevada, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
• Chronicling America, contains images of some Nevada newspapers;

searching tips 

• GenealogyBank ($), contains images of Nevada newspapers
• Newspaper Archive ($), contains images of Nevada newspapers
• U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper

Probate Records

Probate records may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. They may include the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, etc. See Nevada Probate Records for additional information.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1905-1954 Nevada, Lincoln County, Wills, 1905-1954(*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records

Nevada tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records. Most tax records can be obtained from the county treasurer or assessor. For more information, see the wiki page Nevada Taxation. The FamilySearch Library does not have copies of Nevada tax records (as of June 2013).

Vital Records

Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents.

A copy or an extract of most Nevada original records can be purchased from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. See also Nevada Vital Records. For information about restrictions and costs for certificates, see the CDC Where to Write for Vital Records site.

Birth

• 1871-1992 Nevada County Birth and Death Records, 1871-1992 at FamilySearch — index & images- How to Use this Collection
• 1975-2012 Nevada Birth Index 1975-2012 at Ancestry ($)

Marriage

• 1809-2011 Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2011 - Index, incomplete, list of counties included
• 1862-1992 Nevada County Marriages, 1862-1993 at FamilySearch — index & images- How to Use this Collection
• 1956-2005 Nevada Marriage Index 1956-2005 at Ancestry ($)

Death

• 1871-1992 Nevada County Birth and Death Records, 1871-1992 at FamilySearch — index & images- How to Use this Collection

Divorce

• 1968-2015 Nevada Divorce Records 1968-2015 at Ancestry ($)

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Lincoln County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Nevada 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

*Alamo-Hiko Nevada FamilySearch Center

*Beatty Nevada FamilySearch Center

*Gabbs Nevada FamilySearch Center

*Hawthorne Nevada FamilySearch Center

*Logandale Nevada FamilySearch Center

*Mesquite Nevada FamilySearch Center

*Panaca Nevada FamilySearch Center

*Smoky Valley Nevada FamilySearch Center

*Tonopah Nevada FamilySearch Center

Libraries

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

Lincoln County Library in Pioche

Alamo Branch Library
100 South First West
PO Box 239
Alamo, NV 89001-0239
Phone: 775-725-3343
Website

Caliente Branch Library
100 Depot Avenue
PO BOX 306
Caliente, NV 89008
Phone: 775-962-5244
Website

Lincoln County Library
63 Main Street
PO Box 330
Pioche, NV 89043-0330
Phone: 775-962-5244

Museums

Lincoln County Historical Museum

Lincoln County Historical Museum
69 Main Street
Pioche, NV 89043
Phone: 775-962-5207

Million Dollar Courthouse

Million Dollar Courthouse
25 Lacour Street
Pioche, NV 89043
Phone: 775-962-5182
Website

Record highlights: The museum houses several early original record volumes including tax records, license books, school ledgers, deed indexes, and more. Of particular interest is the grantor/grantee index to Lincoln County Deeds, 1871-1873. These records, for whatever reason, are not included in the master deed index found at the Lincoln County Courthouse.

For a brief history of the "Million Dollar Courthouse," see the Lincoln County Courthouse entry found in the Online Nevada Encyclopedia.

Societies

Listed below are societies in Lincoln County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Nevada Societies.

Clark County Nevada Genealogy Society
280 S Green Valley Pkwy
PO Box 1929
Henderson, NV 89012
Website

Lincoln County Historical Society
63 Main St
PO Box 515
Pioche, NV 89043

Lincoln County Museum
716 Main St
Pioche, NV 89043
775-962-5182
Website

Nevada Historical Society
1650 North Virginia Street
Reno, NV 89503
Phone: 775-688-1190
Email: shayeszorn@nevadaculture.org
Website

Nevada State Genealogical Society
4751 Neil Road
Reno, NV 89515-0666
Website

Tri-State Genealogical Society
For Arizona, California, Nevada
PO Box 21902
Bullhead City, AZ 86439
Website

Websites

• Lincoln County at Cyndi's List — a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
• Lincoln County at Genealogy Trails — volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
• Lincoln County at Nevada USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
• Lincoln County at Nevada USGenWeb Archives - free online data for genealogical research
• Lincoln County, Nevada at Linkpendium - genealogy and family history
• Lincoln County, Nevada Genealogy at LDSGenealogy.com - collection of links by state, county, city, and record type
• 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.