Local Resources for Sonoma County Genealogy
**Please note that this page is under construction.
Each topic is going to eventually have its own page, since there are so many great resources for all of them.
Archives & Libraries of Sonoma County
A list of topics and collections that can be found at the Archives and Libraries based within Sonoma County, can be found by clicking on the Archives & Libraries link.
Birth records in Sonoma County started to be recorded in 1858. The Birth & Adoption link will take you to a list of places where you can search for or obtain Sonoma County birth and adoption records.
Books & Biographies
There are many books that cover either the history of the county or biographies of its people. Continue on to the Books & Biographies link to see a sampling of books dealing with Sonoma County History or its People. Looking for a specific Sonoma County Individual? A collection of local individual biographies collected for CAGenWeb can be found on The Peoples page.
To search through databases for local death or burial records, just follow the Burials, Deaths & Graves link to see what resources I have found that relate to Sonoma County. I have also included information on how to obtain a Sonoma County death certificate if you wish to have an original. A list of Sonoma County cemeteries, past and present, can be found on the Cemeteries List page.
Cemeteries
A list of Sonoma County cemeteries, past and present, can be found, listed by Towns on the Cemeteries List page.
Or you can look at them Alphabetically, if your not sure what town it is in. Please check both pages for links, I try to put all inks on both pages, but sometimes the link your looking for is only on one or the other page.
On the Census homepage you will find census resources organized by year. If at all possible, links to transcriptions will be provided.
I have not been able to find too many Church Records or Histories online so far. One project I hope to take on is a study of Sonoma County Churches and their Histories. If you come across anything that should be added to this section, please send me a link or the information in text format. Or if you can put me in touch with someone who knows a church's history or how they keep their records, please let me know.
Court records in Sonoma County began to be recorded in 1850. On the Court Records page you will find everything to do with Sonoma County courts, the City Clerks of each city, Land Records, District Court Records, and much more. Wills and Probates have their own link.
California has numerous cultures within its population, both past and present. Follow the Cultures link to discover history or databases that deal with specific cultures.
Directories, Great Registers & Voting Lists
Under the Directories heading you will find city directories, voter registrations, and many other directories relating to Sonoma County.
Genealogical & Historical Societies
California as a state may be young compared to Europe and Asia, but we are proud of our history and its people.
There are numerous historical societies and a growing number of genealogical societies.
The Societies page attempts to list current genealogical and historical groups within Sonoma County.
Historical Insights & References
On the Historical Insights page, you will find information about historical events or lists of types of events (i.e. movies, fires, earthquakes, etc.) that took place or affected Sonoma County.
Immigration & Naturalization Records
Everything Immigration, Emigration or Naturalization related for Sonoma County.
Here you will find lists & lists of Historical Landmarks, Buildings, and special places. Many of these lists have the same places, I may try to condense and make a condensed list.
On the Maps Homepage links have been organized by City. There are several collections with numerous maps of Sonoma County. I will link to some, but my lists will not be an exhausted list by any means.
Marriage records in Sonoma County started to be recorded in 1846. The state of California began recording marriage records in 1905. Continue on to the Marriages page to search for Marriage records in Sonoma County.
Military Records and Histories
Military records range from draft notices to enlistment or discharge papers, or medals and awards given to burial or veterans gravestone requests and can be found on the Military page. I added collections if I got more than one hit while searching for Sonoma County or by town names. Keep your eyes open, I might start indexing these for Sonoma County specific records to make things easier.
Museums
Sonoma County has been blessed with a rich history and many memorable people. Look to the Museums page to see where you can find out more about the museums in Sonoma County that celebrate these people and places.
So many newspapers!! I have listed as many as I can find by town on the Newspapers Homepage. I have also listed the major sites where you can go researching for newspapers from other counties and towns. Keep your eye on this page, for I might start a "Special Edition" page with news articles that I think stand out from the rest. Also, I bet you didn't realize how often Sonoma County is mentioned in old time newspapers outside of our County or State? Well, there might just be a page listing some of these news articles as well, on the News Out Of Town page.
The USGenWeb project has an archive of Obituaries, I have added the names found in that archive to my list of Obits by Name to make it easier to find them.
Probate & Estate Records, Wills
You guessed it, everything Estate, Probate or Will related can be found on the Probate & Wills page.
School Directories, Histories & Yearbooks
I have listed all of the schools from Elementary to High Schools here. The statistics that go along with each school are from the 2008-2009 academic year, and are just to give you an idea of the size of the school. I have as of yet to add Junior colleges and Colleges, but I should eventually get those.
~ U.S. Yearbooks, 1890-1979 (FREE) [MyHeritage]: 32,867,332 pages in 253,429 yearbooks . . . Link
~ U.S. Yearbooks Name Index, 1890-1979 (FREE) [MyHeritage]: 255,383,607 records in 253,429 yearbooks . . .Link
Tax Records
Internal Revenue Assessment Lists 1862-1874 [FamilySearch] . . . Link https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2075263
Timelines
Miscellaneous
Books on RootsWeb, Sonoma County . . . Link
California, U.S., State Hospital Records, 1856-1923 [Ancestry] . . . Link
CD: Sonoma County [CA] Records, Volume 1 . . . Link ($)
HeritageBooks.com, Sonoma County Books . . . Link
Sonoma County, California: School Records and Histories . . . Link
Sonoma County, California: Transportation and Industry . . . Link
Wiki: Sonoma County, California Wiki [RootsWeb] . . . Link
A Look Inside the History of Sonoma County California . . . Link
State or Other Out of County Resources
Archives
Historical Societies
California Historical Society . . . Link
California Historical Societies and Museums (List) . . . Link
California History . . . Link
California Pioneer Project . . . Link
Historical References
Records
Court Reference.com . . . Link
Online California Death Records & Indexes . . . Link
Research Forms
CAGenWeb Resources
The CAGenWeb Project Homepage
CAGenWeb Project Brochure (PDF)
CAGenWeb Archives
CAGenWeb Special Projects
USGenWeb Resources
The USGenWeb Project
USGenWeb Special Projects
The WorldGenWeb Project
