Lassen County, California Genealogy
Guide to Lassen County, California ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Lassen County, California | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of California, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of California in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | April 1, 1864 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Susanville |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Lassen Superior Court Hall of Justice 2610 Riverside Drive Susanville, CA 96130 Lassen County Website |
Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 County Courthouse
- 3 Historical Facts
- 4 Places/Localities
- 5 Resources
- 5.1 Bible Records
- 5.2 Biography
- 5.3 Cemeteries
- 5.4 Census
- 5.5 Church History and Records
- 5.6 Court Records
- 5.7 Crime and Criminals
- 5.8 Directories
- 5.9 Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups
- 5.10 Gazetteers
- 5.11 Genealogy
- 5.12 History
- 5.13 Land and Property
- 5.14 Maps
- 5.15 Migration
- 5.16 Military History and Records
- 5.17 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 5.18 Newspapers
- 5.19 Obituaries
- 5.20 Periodicals
- 5.21 Probate Records
- 5.22 Repositories
- 5.23 Societies
- 5.24 Taxation
- 5.25 Vital Records
- 5.26 Voting Registers
- 6 Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Lassen County, California Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1907 | 1864 | 1907 | 1864 | 1857 | 1864 | 1850 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
The new Lassen Superior Court Hall of Justice opened at their new location on Riverside Drive in May of 2012.
The County Clerk and Recorder's Office is in the old courthouse located at 220 S. Lassen Street, Susanville, CA 96130 (phone 530.251.8216). The County Clerk has divorce, probate court and naturalization records from 1864. The County Recorder has marriage records from 1864, land records from 1857, birth and death records from 1907, some prior to 1907 but incomplete before 1929.[2]
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Parent Counties[edit | edit source]
1 April 1864: Lassen County was created from Plumas and Shasta Counties.
County seat: Susanville [3]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named from Mount Lassen which was named for Peter Lassen, one of General John C. Fremont's guides and a famous trapper, frontiersman and Indian fighter. He was murdered under mysterious circumstances near the Black Rock Desert in 1859. The County Seat is Susanville and was founded 1864. It is located in the northeastern area of the state.[4]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating California county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation California County Boundary Maps" (1850-1925) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Records Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places/Localities[edit | edit source]
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:[5]
| Cities | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Native American communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
- Surname Index to Lassen County Biographies (USGenWeb Archives)
- Lassen County Biographies (Genealogy Trails)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web site may have additional information on Lassen County cemeteries.
- Interment.net California cemetery records by County.
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1870 | 1,327 | — |
| 1880 | 3,340 | 151.7% |
| 1890 | 4,239 | 26.9% |
| 1900 | 4,511 | 6.4% |
| 1910 | 4,802 | 6.5% |
| 1920 | 8,507 | 77.2% |
| 1930 | 12,589 | 48.0% |
| 1940 | 14,479 | 15.0% |
| 1950 | 18,474 | 27.6% |
| 1960 | 13,597 | −26.4% |
| 1970 | 14,960 | 10.0% |
| 1980 | 21,661 | 44.8% |
| 1990 | 27,598 | 27.4% |
| 2000 | 33,828 | 22.6% |
| 2010 | 34,895 | 3.2% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Lassen County, California Genealogy census records online, see: California Census.
- 1870, 1920 - Lassen County Census Records (USGenWeb Archives)
Church History and Records[edit | edit source]
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 general information about California denominations, view the California Church Records wiki page.
- 1864-1985 - California, Church Records, 1864-1985 at FamilySearch — index
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Susanville
- Westwood
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- Lassen Superior Court Defendant Index (Tim Purdy Presents Exploring Lassen County's Past and more)
Crime and Criminals[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Lassen County, California 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 California Local Histories.
- Index to Lassen County Historical Records (USGenWeb Archives)
- Lassen County History (CAGenWeb Project)
- Fairfield's Pioneer History of Lassen County, California by Asa Merrill Fairfield, 1916
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
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 California Land and Property for additional information about early California land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
- Lassen County Index to Federal Land Patents (USGenWeb Archives)
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of California (1850-1925)
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Early migration routes to and from Lassen County, California Genealogy for emigrant settlers included:[6][7]
- California Trail 1844 to 1869 from western Missouri to northern California
- 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.
- Beckwourth Trail 1850 left the Truckee Trail near present-day Sparks, Nevada going to Oroville and Marysville, California
- Nobles Road 1851 from the Applegate Trail at Rabbithole Springs in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada to Shasta City, California
- 1906-1935 - California, Pioneer Migration Index, Compiled 1906-1935 at FamilySearch — index
Military History and Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- 1883 - Lassen County List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883 (Genealogy Trails)
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1914-1918 - California, Geographical and Name Index of Californians who served in WWI, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — index and images
- Lassen County World War I Era Honor Roll (Genealogy Trails)
World War II[edit | edit source]
- Lassen County, Index to World War II Army Enlistees (USGenWeb Archives)
- Lassen County World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel (Genealogy Trails)
- Lassen County World War II Era Honor Roll (Genealogy Trails)
Korean War[edit | edit source]
- Lassen County Korean War Veterans Honor Roll (Genealogy Trails)
Vietnam War[edit | edit source]
- Lassen County Vietnam War Honor Roll (Genealogy Trails)
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1831-1985 - California County Naturalizations, 1831-1985 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Lassen County, California Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Lassen County, California Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog. Do NOT use the word County. (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Lassen County Obituary Index (Tim Purdy Presents Exploring Lassen County's Past and more)
- Index to Lassen County Obituaries (Genealogy Trails)
- Lassen County Obituaries (USGenWeb Archives)
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
The county clerk is usually the custodian of probate records. The records include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets.
Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
You can obtain copies of the original probate records (such as wills and estate files) by writing to the county clerk at the county courthouse.
The FamilySearch Catalog lists films of probate records. To find the records for this county, use the Place Search for California - Lassen - Probate records.
Online Probate Records
- 1782 - 1999 - California Wills and Probate Records 1782-1999 at Ancestry.com - index and images $
- 1891 - 1955 - Lassen County California list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills - free
- 1833 - 1991 - California Probate Estate Files 1833-1991 at FamilySearch — images
- Index to Lassen County Probate Records (Tim I. Purdy Presents Exploring Lassen County's Past and more . . .)
Repositories[edit | edit source]
Archives, Libraries and Museums[edit | edit source]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History 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 family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Societies[edit | edit source]
Taxation[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 the wiki page California Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. See the CDC Where to Write website for information on acquiring copies of these records. The State office has records since July 1905. For earlier records, contact the County Recorder. See also How to order California Vital Records
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1800 - 1994 - California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1812 - 1988 - California Births and Christenings, 1812-1988 at FamilySearch — index
- 1870 - 1940 - Lassen County Birth Notices (Genealogy Trails)
- 1905 - 1995 - California Birth Index, 1905-1995 at FamilySearch — index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1800 - 2007 - California, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1850 - 1945 - California Marriages, 1850-1945 at FamilySearch — index
- 1850 - 1952 - California, County Marriages, 1850-1952 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1854 - 1885 - Western States Marriage Index
- 1889 - 1940 - Lassen County Marriage Notices (Genealogy Trails)
- 1960 - 1985 - California Marriage Index, 1960-1985 at FamilySearch — index and images
Divorce[edit | edit source]
- 1966 - 1984 - California Divorce Index, 1966-1984 at FamilySearch — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1776 - 2000 - California Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000 at FamilySearch — index, some images
- 1800 - 1994 - California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1905 - 1939 - California Death Index, 1905-1939 at FamilySearch — index
- 1931 - 1988 - California, Lassen County, State Board of Health, Burial Permits, 1931-1988 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1940 - 1997 - California Death Index, 1940-1997 at FamilySearch — index
Voting Registers[edit | edit source]
- 1866-1898 California, U.S., Voter Registers, 1866-1898 at Ancestry.com - index ($)
Genealogy Societies, Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Lassen County Historical Society
P.O. Box 321
Susanville 96130
Phone:530-257-2996
Lassen Historical Museum
105 N. Weatherlow Street
P.O. Box 321
Susanville, CA 96130
Phone (530) 257-4584
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Lassen County, CA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- California Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Lassen County CAGenWeb
- Linkpendium
- USGenWeb Archives
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Lassen County, California Genealogy Trails
- Lassen County CA Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Lassen County, California. Page 84-88 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL 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.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Lassen County, California. Page 85 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Lassen County, California Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/cal/lassen/ 5/03/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Lassen County, California," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lassen_County,_California#Communities, accessed 15 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).
