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A Brief History of California

    FACT: Genealogy is the STORY of our ancestors, our FAMILY. It is NOT simply a series of names and dates. In order to better uncover the story of our ancestors lives, sometimes it helps to understand the history of what was going on where they lived. It may explain WHY they moved to that place, or why they moved away from it. Knowing the history of our ancestors lives helps to bring their story to life, and provides clues to help us find MORE information about them.

    Not being historians ourselves, we compile a selection of history, using a variety of online and print sources, such as Encyclopaedia Britannica, Compton's Encyclopedia, and Wikipedia. We hope these historical compiliations are helpful in providing research clues and understanding of how your ancestors lived.

GenealogyForum.com - A Brief History of California




The Political Divisions of California
CountyDate FormedParent CountyCounty Seat
AlamedaMarch 25, 1853Contra Costa and Santa Clara CountiesOakland (1873-present)
AlpineMarch 16, 1864Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mono and Tuolumne CountiesMarkleeville - Census Designated Place
AmadorMay 1, 1854Calaveras and El Dorado CountiesJackson
Branciforte1850ORIGINAL NAME of Santa Cruz County, an original county
Buena VistaOrganization failed 1855 - 1859Tulare CountyOrganization failed - Predecessor of Kern County
ButteFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyOroville
CalaverasFebruary 18, 1850Original CountySan Andreas
ColusaFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyColusa
Contra CostaFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyMartinez
CosoOrganization failed 1864Tulare and Mono CountiesBend City
Del NorteMarch 2, 1857Klamath CountyCrescent City
El DoradoFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyPlacerville
Fresno1856Mariposa, Merced and Tulare countiesFresno
Glenn1891Colusa CountyWillows
HumboldtMay 12, 1853Trinity and Klamath CountiesEureka
Imperial1907 - last county formedSan Diego CountyEl Centro
InyoMarch 22, 1866unorganized Coso County and parts of Mono, Kern and San Bernadino countiesIndependence
Kern1866Tulare, Los Angeles and San Bernadino CountiesBakersfield, originally Havilah
KingsMarch 22, 1893Tulare and Fresno countiesHanford
Klamath1851 - 1874
(ABOLISHED 1874)		Trinity CountyTrinidad, moved to Crescent City 1854, moved to Orleans 1856, abolished 1874
LakeMay 20, 1861Napa and Mendocino countiesLakeport
LassenApril 1, 1864Plumas and Shasta countiesSusanville
Los AngelesFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyLos Angeles
MaderaMay 16, 1893Fresno CountyMadera
MarinFebruary 18, 1850Original CountySan Rafael
MariposaFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyMariposa
MendocinoFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyUkiah
MercedApril 19, 1855Mariposa CountyMerced
ModocFebruary 17, 1874Siskiyou CountyAlturas, previously Lake City and Centerville
Mono1861Calaveras, Fresno and MariposaBridgeport
MontereyFebruary 18, 1850Original CountySalinas
NapaFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyNapa
NevadaApril 25, 1851Yuba CountyNevada City
OrangeAugust 1, 1889Los Angeles CountySanta Ana
Pautah1852 unorganized - 1859 abolishedTerritory anticipated to be ceded to CA, but never was... Became part of Nevada insteadAbolished 1859
PlacerApril 25, 1851Sutter and Yuba countiesAuburn
Plumas1854Butte CountyQuincy
RiversideMay 9, 1893San Bernadino and San Diego CountiesRiverside
SacramentoFebruary 18, 1850Original CountySacramento
San Benito1874MontereyHollister
San BernadinoApril 26, 1853Los Angeles CountySan Bernadino
San DiegoFebruary 18, 1850Original CountySan Diego
San FranciscoFebruary 18, 1850Original County, formed as consolidated City-County on April 19, 1856San Francisco
San JoaquinFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyStockton
San Luis ObispoFebruary 18, 1850Original CountySan Luis Obispo
San MateoApril 18, 1857San Francisco County, and part of Santa Cruz CountyRedwood City
Santa ClaraFebruary 18, 1850Original CountySan Jose
Santa CruzFebruary 18, 1850Original CountySanta Cruz
ShastaFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyRedding
Sierra1852Yuba CountyDownieville
SiskiyouMarch 22, 1852Shasta and Klamath CountiesYreka
SolanoFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyFairfield
SonomaFebruary 18, 1850Original CountySanta Rosa
StanislausApril 1, 1854Tuolumne CountyAdamsville (April, 1854 - November, 1854), Empire (November, 1854 - December, 1854), La Grange (December, 1854 - 1862), Knights Ferry (1862 - 1871), Modesto (1871 - present)
SutterFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyYuba City
Tehama1856Butte, Colusa, Shasta CountiesRed Bluff
TrinityFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyWeaverville
Tulare1852Mariposa CountyVisalia
TuolumneFebruary 18, 1850Original County, sometimes referred to as Oro County prior to official organizationSonora
VenturaJanuary 1, 1873Santa BarbaraVentura
YoloFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyWoodland
YubaFebruary 18, 1850Original CountyMarysville

Online Sources for Genealogical Research in California
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