United States 
Arizona Yavapai County
Guide to Yavapai County Arizona genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Yavapai County, Arizona | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Arizona | |
 Location of Arizona in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | December 21, 1864 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Prescott |
| Courthouse | |
| Address | 120 South Cortez Street, Prescott, AZ 86303 |
County Courthouse
Yavapai County Arizona
1015 Fair Street
Prescott, Az 86301
Phone: 520-639-8110
Clerk Superio Court has marriage, divorce probate and court records
County Recorder has land records [1]
History
Yavapai County was one of four original counties created by Arizona Territory. It originally covered over 65,000 square miles in size and is believed to be the largest county ever created in the lower 48 States.
Yavapai County came to be known as the “Mother of Counties” because Apache, Coconino, Gila, and Navajo counties were carved from it, plus parts of Greenlee, Graham, Mohave, Maricopa, and Pinal. Today, Yavapai County is 8,125 square miles in size – approximately the same size as the state of Massachusetts!
Yavapai County was also home to Arizona’s first territorial capital, with the provisional seat of the territorial government being established in the Chino Valley area in 1864 and then several months later moved to Prescott. In 1867, the territorial capital was moved to Tucson and ten years later returned to Prescott. In 1889 the capital was moved to Phoenix, where it remains to this day.
Parent County
- Until 1821 - New Spain controlled land that later would become Arizona. 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 Arizona. 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 the land that later became the New Mexico Territory.[2] 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 part of present day Arizona, including all of present day Yavapai County.[3] 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. Land in present day Yavapai County was then part of Socorro County, Bernalillo, Santa Ana (extinct), and Valencia counties.[4] [5] Look for records in Socorro County, Bernalillo, and Valencia counties.
- 24 Feb 1863 - The US created the Arizona Territory from the western half of New Mexico Territory.[6] All previous counties were discontinued for this new territory. Look for records in the Arizona State Library and New Mexico State Records Center and Archives
21 December 1864 - Yavapai County was created as an original county of Arizona.[7] County seat: Prescott [8] It is named for the Yavapai Indians. Look for records in Yavapai County.
Boundary Changes
- 14 Feb 1871 - Arizona created Maricopa County from land in Yavapai County.[9] This county named for the Maricopa Indians. Look for records in Maricopa and Yavapai counties.
- 14 Feb 1879 - Arizona created Apache County from land in Yavapai County.[10] This county named for the Apache Indians. Look for records in Apache and Yavapai counties.
- 19 Feb 1891 - Arizona created Coconino County from land in Yavapai County.[11] This county named for the Coconino Indians. Look for records in Coconino and Yavapai counties.
See Previous Jurisdictions to land in Arizona showing dates the jurisdictions were created and maps. This will help in determining what jurisdiction your ancestor lived in and where the records are now located.
Record Loss
Places/Localities
Populated Places
| Abra | Congress | Glen Oaks | Minnehaha | South Fort |
| Arcosanti | Congress Junction | Goodwin | Mint | Spring Valley |
| Ash Fork | Copperopolis | Grand View | Nelson | Stanton |
| Audley | Cordes | Granite Dells | Oak Creek | Stringfield |
| Aultman | Cordes Junction | Granite Siding | Oak Knoll Village | Sycamore |
| Bagdad | Cordes Lakes | Groom Creek | Ocotillo | Tapco |
| Big Park | Cornville | Hawkins | Octave | Tres Rios |
| Big Reef Mill | Cottonwood | Hecla | Packer | Tutt |
| Black Canyon City | Crookton | Highland Park | Page Springs | Venezia |
| Blue Hills Farms | Crown King | Hillside | Paulden | Verde Village |
| Bradshaw City | Dandrea | Hooper | Peeples Valley | Wagoner |
| Bridgeport | Date | Humboldt | Perkinsville | Walker |
| Briggs | Del Rio | Humbug | Pica | Walnut Grove |
| Bumble Bee | Dewey | Iron Springs | Piedmont | West Sedona |
| Burro John | Dewey-Humboldt | Jerome | Pinaveta | Whipple |
| Camp Verde | Diamond Valley | Jordan Meadows | Poland Junction | Wilhoit |
| Casa Rosa | Drake | Juniper Heights | Ponderosa Park | Williamson |
| Castle Canyon | Dugas | Kirkland | Potato Patch | Willow Spring |
| Mesa | East Fort | Kirkland Junction | Prescott | Wood Trap |
| Castle Hot Springs | Entro | Lake Montezuma | Prescott Valley | Yampai |
| Cedar Mill | Flores | Lancaster | Red Rock | Yarnell |
| Chino Valley | Flower Pot | Lapham | Rimrock | Yava |
| Clarkdale | Forbing Park | Lehman Mill | Rock Springs | Yavapai Hills |
| Clear Creek | Fort Misery | Mayer | Sand Mill | |
| Cleator | Fort Whipple | McGuireville | Seligman | |
| Clemenceau | Gillette | Middle Verde | Skull Valley | |
| Columbia | Glen Ilah | Miller Valley | Smelter city |
Neighboring Counties
Resources
Cemeteries
Arizona Cemetery Transcription and Photo Project
The Yavapai County Cemetery Database is an accumulation of a cemetery project which began in 1989 by the Northern Arizona Genealogy Society and housed on the Sharlot Hall Museum Archives website at: http://sharlot.org/archives/gene/cemetery/index.html
Prescott National Cemetery: 3,195 Veterans Administration burial records are included. Does not include all burials in the cemetery, only those provided by the VA.
BillionGraves:
- Ferguson-Morrell Cemetery, Prescott
- Humboldt Cemetery, Dewey-Humboldt
- Rolling Hills Cemetery, Prescott
Census
For tips on accessing Yavapai County, Arizona Genealogy census records online, see: Arizona Census.
Church
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 more about Arizona denominations, see Arizona Church Records. LDS Ward and Branch Records
- Bagdad
Court
Land
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 Arizona Land and Property for additional information about early Arizona land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Yavapai County, Arizona 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 Arizona Local Histories.
Maps
Military
Newspapers
- Arizona Daily Journal-Miner - full-text digital issues in Google News Archive; covers 1900-1902
- Arizona Journal-Miner - Google News Archive; covers 1903-1912
- Arizona Miner - Google News Archive; covers 1866-1871
- Arizona Weekly Journal-Miner - Google News Archive; covers 1893-1900
- Arizona Weekly Miner - Google News Archive; covers 1877
Finding More Arizona Newspapers
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Yavapai County, Arizona Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- Arizona Historical Digital Newspapers at Arizona Memory Project
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Yavapai County, Arizona Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Probate
From 1850 to 1864, probate records of Arizona were kept by the probate courts of New Mexico. From 1864 to 1912, the records were handled by county probate courts. 1912 to present, records such as wills, claims, administrations, case files, and calendars are kept in the custody of the clerk of the superior court in the county courthouse.
Taxation
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 original records can be purchased from the Arizona Department of Health Services or the county clerk's office of the county where the event occurred.
4,374 marriages are listed on the Western States Marriage Index.
Societies and Libraries
Northern Arizona Genealogical Society- Our Society is a general genealogical society covering the counties of Yavapai and Coconino Arizona. Prescott is the county seat for Yavapai County and Flagstaff is the county seat for Coconino County.
Camp Verde Historical Society
435 South Main
Camp Verde, AZ 86322
Telephone 928-567-9560
Hours 11-3 Sat. & Tues
Verde Historical Society
One N. Willard St.
Cottonwood, AZ 86326
Telephone 928-634-2868
Hours 9-12 Wed.; Fri.-Sun. 11-3
Jerome Historical Society
200 Main Street
Jerome, Arizona 86331
(928) 634-5477
Hours 9-4:30 daily
Family History Centers
Introduction to Family History Centers
Bagdad Arizona
Community Dr
Bagdad, Yavapai, Arizona, United States
Telephone: 928-633-2073
Cottonwood Arizona
1377 Hombre Dr
Cottonwood, Yavapai, Arizona, United States
Telephone: 928-649-0116
Prescott Arizona
1001 Ruth St
Prescott, Yavapai, Arizona, United States
Telephone: 928-778-2311
Spring Valley Arizona
HWY 69 (2 mi from Dordis Jct)
Spring Valley, Yavapai, Arizona, United States
Telephone: 928-632-7168
These are not mailing addresses. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.
Web Sites
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Family History Library Catalog
- Yavapai County, Arizona Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
References
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Yavapai County, Arizona p. 57. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Williams 108-110
- ↑ U.S. Stat., vol. 9, pp. 922-943; Parry, 102: 29-59; Van Zandt, 11, 28-29; Walker and Bufkin, 19, 20A
- ↑ N.M. Terr. Laws 1851, 1st assy., 1st sess./p. 119; N.M. Terr. Laws 1851, 1st assy., 2d sess. /pp. 266, 292
- ↑ N.M. Terr. Laws 1851, 1st assy., 2d sess. /p. 292
- ↑ U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 56[1863]/pp. 664-665; Ariz. Terr. Laws 1864, 1st assy./ pp. vii-viii; Van Zandt, 162
- ↑ Howell Code, Ariz. Terr. Laws 1864, 1st assy., ch. 2/ pp. 24-25
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Ariz. Terr. Laws 1871, 6th assy./ pp. 53-54
- ↑ Ariz. Terr. Laws 1879, 10th assy./ pp. 96-97
- ↑ Ariz. Terr. Laws 1891, 16th assy./ pp. 26-34