Modoc County, California Genealogy
Guide to Modoc County, California ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1894 | 1874 | 1882 | 1874 | 1874 | 1874 | 1850 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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 | ||
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| American Indian Communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Modoc County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
- Modoc County Biographies (CAGenWeb Project)
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
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". | ||
- Modoc County Census Records (CAGenWeb Project)
Church Records[edit | edit source]
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.
- 1864-1985 California, Church Records, 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
List of Churches and Church Parishes
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
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Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
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
- Modoc County Land and Tax Records (CAGenWeb Project)
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of California (1850-1925)
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Early migration routes to and from Modoc County for emigrant settlers included:[8][9]
- California Trail 1846 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
- Applegate Trail since 1846 (avoided the Forty Mile Desert) by leaving the Humboldt River in Nevada early at present-day Rye Reservoir, Nevada and passing through the Black Rock Desert to Fandango Pass past Goose Lake on to the Lost River and eventually the Willamette Valley in Oregon
- The Lassen Cutoff 1848 was established by gold rushers from Oregon going to California. It branched off the Applegate Trail at Davis Creek, went through Devil's Garden to the Pit River passing east of Mt. Lassen, and turning west to Lassen Rancho, California, and from there to Sacramento. In some years as much as 1/3 of emigrants mistakenly took the Applegate Trail-Lassen Cutoff, a much longer and more difficult trail than the Truckee or Carson routes.
- 1906-1935 California, Pioneer Migration Index, Compiled 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War
- 1883 Modoc County – List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
- Modoc County Civil War Veterans (USGenWeb Archives)
World War I
- 1914-1918 California, Geographical and Name Index of Californians who served in WWI, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- Index to Modoc County World War I Draft Registrations (USGenWeb Archives)
World War II
- Index to Modoc County World War II Army Enlistees (USGenWeb Archives)
- Modoc County Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)
Korean War
- Modoc County Korean War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
Vietnam War
- Modoc County Vietnam War Casualties (Genealogy Trails)
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- California Digital Newspaper Collection at UCR Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research
- California, U.S., Newspapers.com Stories and Events Index at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Modoc County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
- Modoc County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Voting Records[edit | edit source]
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 ($) has a searchable database of Modoc Great Registers from 1875-1898.
The Modoc records for 1874 are available on the RootsWeb site, by clicking here.
- 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry - index ($)
- 1866-1910 California, Great Registers, 1866-1910 at MyHeritage - index($)
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate records include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. They may give the decedent's date of death, names and residences of spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, and others. For online records and more information, see California Probate Records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1782-1999 California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 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
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
- 1812-1988 California Births and Christenings, 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1905-1995 California Birth Index, 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
- Modoc County Birth Notices (Genealogy Trails)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1800-2007 California, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- 1960-1985 California Marriage Index, 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
- Western States Marriage Index at BYU-Idaho
- Modoc County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1776-2000 California Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1905-1939 California Death Index, 1905-1939 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1940-1997 California Death Index, 1940-1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at: MyHeritage($)
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1966-1984 California Divorce Index, 1966-1984 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Modoc County. For state-wide facilities, see California Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Modoc County. For state-wide library facilities, see California Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Modoc County Historical Society Museum
600 South Main Street
Alturas, California 96101
Phone: (530) 233-2944
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
- Modoc County CAGenWeb
- USGenWeb Archives
- Linkpendium
- Modoc County, California Genealogy Trails
- Modoc County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
- 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[edit | edit source]
- Modoc Research Guide at California State Library
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Individual County Chronologies, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/CA_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Merced County, California" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modoc_County,_California 05/04/2017.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/CA_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#MODOC
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Modoc County, California," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modoc_County,_California, accessed 17 September 2019.
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "California Trail" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Trail (accessed 5 August 2012).