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Modoc County, California Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Alturas
Organized: February 17, 1874
Parent County(s): Siskiyou
Neighboring Counties
Klamath (OR) • Lake (OR) • Lassen • Shasta • Siskiyou • Washoe (NV)
See County Maps
Courthouse
California, Modoc County Courthouse.png
Location Map
California Modoc Map.png

County Information

Description

Modoc County was created 17 February 1874[1] and was named for the Modoc people who lived in what is now northern California, near Lost River and Tule Lake. Its county seat is Alturas. It is located in the northeast area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Modoc County Courthouse
205 S East Street
Alturas, CA 96101-0131
Phone: 530-233-6516
Modoc County Website

County Clerk has divorce, probate, court and voter registration records from 1874.
County Recorder has birth, marriage and death records. [3]

Modoc 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
1894 1874 1882 1874 1874 1874 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:[7]

Cities
Unincorporated communities
  • Stronghold
American Indian Communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Modoc, 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. %±
1880 4,399 —
1890 4,986 13.3%
1900 5,076 1.8%
1910 6,191 22.0%
1920 5,425 −12.4%
1930 8,038 48.2%
1940 8,713 8.4%
1950 9,678 11.1%
1960 8,308 −14.2%
1970 7,469 −10.1%
1980 8,610 15.3%
1990 9,678 12.4%
2000 9,449 −2.4%
2010 9,686 2.5%
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 Modoc 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

Klamath CountyLake CountyWashoe CountySiskiyou CountyShasta CountyLassen CountyCA MODOC.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Early migration routes to and from Modoc County for emigrant settlers included:[8][9]

Military Records

Civil War

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War

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 Modoc Great Registers from 1875-1898.

The Modoc records for 1874 are available on the RootsWeb site, by clicking here.

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

Museums

Modoc County Historical Society Museum
600 South Main Street
Alturas, California 96101
Phone: (530) 233-2944
Website

Societies

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

Modoc County Historical Society Museum
600 South Main Street
Alturas, California 96101
Phone: (530) 233-2944
Website

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Individual County Chronologies, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/CA_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Merced County, California" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modoc_County,_California 05/04/2017.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Modoc County, California. Page 85 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), Modoc 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. ↑ https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/CA_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#MODOC
  6. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  7. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Modoc County, California," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modoc_County,_California, accessed 17 September 2019.
  8. ↑ 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).
  9. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "California Trail" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Trail (accessed 5 August 2012).
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