Santa Barbara County, California
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records | Church & Cemetery |
Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Genealogy Related Sites |

Santa Barbara County is one of the original 27 counties Created on February 18, 1850. Territory which at one time was in Santa Barbara County is now in Los Angeles County, San Luis Obispo County, and Ventura County. The County has had four Boundary Changes:

  1. Most of Santa Barbara County has been in the county since 1850.
  2. Territory in Santa Barbara County from 1850 to 1851, was in San Luis Obispo County 1851 from 1851 to 1852 when it was returned to Santa Barbara County.
  3. Territory in Santa Barbara County from 1850 to 1854, was in San Luis Obispo County from 1854 to 1872 when it was returned to Santa Barbara County.
  4. Territory was in San Luis Obispo County from 1850 to 1872 when it was added to Santa Barbara County.

The County received its name from Sebastian Vizcaino when he sailed over the channel waters in 1602. In 1782, Padre Junipero Serra dedicated a site near the channel for a presidio and on Dec. 4, 1786, he founded the nearby Mission Santa Barbara (Saint Barbara). The county derives its name from the mission. The County Seat is Santa Barbara . See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Santa Barbara County are San Luis Obispo County (north), Kern County (northeast), Ventura County (east).

Santa Barbara County Cities Include Buellton, Carpinteria, Goleta, Guadalupe, Lompoc, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Solvang. CDPs (A census-designated place (CDP) is a type of place or area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes) Include Isla Vista, Los Alamos, Mission Canyon, Mission Hills, Montecito, Orcutt, Santa Ynez, Summerland, Toro Canyon, Vandenberg AFB, Vandenberg Village. Unincorporated Communities Include Ballard, Casmalia, Cuyama, Garey, Gaviota, Hope Ranch, Los Olivos, New Cuyama, Sisquoc, Ventucopa

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County Court Courthouse Records

See Also California Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. All Departments below can be contacted by clicking the link. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder's Office has Birth Records from 1873, Marriage Records from 1850, Death Records from 1888 and , Land Records from 1850.

The County Recorder-Clerk is responsible for examination and recording of all documents presented for recording that deal with establishing ownership of land in the County or as required by statute; administers the real property transfer tax law and maintains a permanent record and indexes of all documents for public viewing plus providing certified copies requested by the public; recording of all lawful documents such as deeds, deeds of trust, judgments, liens, affidavits, Uniform Commercial Code Financial Statements, etc; and the filing of Births, Deaths, and Marriages.

Santa Barbara County Clerk of Superior Court has Probate Records from 1850 and Court Records from 1850.

The county Superior Court clerk has probate books and files from the county's superior court, civil court records, and naturalizations. Divorces may be here or in the Recorders Office, depending on how it was filed.

 Some early court records from the various courts may have been sent to the California State Archives. Besides court minutes and judgements, these records include tax lists, wills, deeds, estate inventories, and marriage bonds. The California State Archives has microfilm of selected county records, 1850–1919.

Below is a list of online resources for Santa Barbara County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Santa Barbara County Court Records by clicking the link below:

  • Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • Santa Barbara County, California Court Books at Amazon.com
  • California Voter Registrations, 1900-1968: This database contains indexes to voter registration lists from various counties in California from 1900-1968. Information listed in these records includes: name of voter, age, address, occupation, and political affiliation.
  • Naturalization Petitions for the Southern District Of California, 1887-1940icon (The National Archives): NARA M1524. Naturalization Petitions for the Southern District Of California, 1887-1949.
  • California Passenger and Crew Lists, 1893-1957: This database is an index to passenger and crew lists of ships and some airplanes arriving at Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Pedro, and Ventura in the U.S. state of California, between 1893 and 1957. Information contained in the index includes name of passenger, their age, gender, ethnicity, nationality or last country of permanent residence, arrival date, port of arrival, port of departure, and ship name. If a name of a friend or relative whom the passenger was going to join with, or place of nativity was provided, that information is included as well.
  • San Francisco Ship Passenger Lists Vol. I [1850-1864]: The volume offered here is a reprint of the first volume in a series dealing with passenger arrivals at the port of San Francisco between 1850 and 1875, though this first volume contains a selection of passenger lists extending only though 1864.
  • San Francisco Ship Passenger Lists Vol. II [1850-1851]: Volume II is based on completely different sources than the first volume in the series, which covered the years 1850-1864, and it encompasses an additional 16,500 passenger arrivals at San Francisco Bay during the 20-month period from April 1850 to November 1851.
  • San Francisco Ship Passenger Lists. Vol. III: November 7, 1851 to June 17, 1852: Volume III covers a seven-month period during which approximately 25,000 persons arrived at the port of San Francisco--nearly 50% more than the number of arrivals for the preceding 18-month period covered in Volume II. The year 1852 witnessed a surge in migration to California, and this volume reflects the initial thrust of that surge.
  • Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
  • Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
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County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in California

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! A certified copy fee must accompany all requests for copies of vital records. Requests received without the appropriate fee will be returned to the sender. Make your check or money order payable to the Office of Vital Records. Checks must be drawn on a United States bank. Money orders must be drawn on a United States bank or issued by the United States Postal Service. Do not send cash. If no record is found, they will issue a Certificate of No Public Record and retain the fee for the search according to State law. Before submitting your application to the Office of Vital Records, please view the processing times to make sure they are acceptable for your needs. 

California Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records, MS 5103, P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410; (916) 445-2684. They have the following records:

  • Birth & Death Certificates: The state of California began issuing certificates for births and Deaths in July 1905. Birth and death records for current year events and one year prior are available from the county health department; records for all years are maintained by the county recorder. If not, you should submit your request to the County Recorder’s Office in the county where the birth or death took place or order the birth / death certificate online through VitalChek.
    • Cost: $14.00 per birth certificate & $12.00 per death certificate.
    • Processing Time: 12-14 weeks when ordered by mail (Application for Birth or Death Certificate) or 2-5 Days when you Order Online.
  • Marriage Certificates: The state of California began issuing certificates for marriages since July 1905, except for 1987 to 1995 (The state does not have indexes for the years 1987-1995 so you must request these from the county). Certified copies of public marriage records are available from both the California Office of Vital Records and the County Recorder’s Office in the county where the public marriage license was issued. However, the Office of Vital Records is limited in its ability to search the records, and it can take up to 2-3 years to obtain a certified copy from thier office. Therefore, we recommend that certified copies of public marriage records be requested directly from the County Recorder’s Office or online.
    • Cost: $13.00 per certificate.
    • Processing Time: 2-3 years when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you Order Online.
  • Divorce Certificates: Certified copies are not available from State Health Department. Certified copies of actual divorce decrees are only available from the Superior Court in the county where the divorce was filed. The Office of Vital Records issues a Certificate of Record that includes only the names of the parties to the divorce, the county where the divorce was filed, and the court case number – it is not a certified copy of the divorce decree and does not indicate whether the divorce was ever finalized in court. The Office of Vital Records only has information for divorces that were filed with the court between 1962 and June 1984, and our processing times can take up to 2-3 years or Online with VitalChek.
    • Cost: $12.00 per certificate. Fee is for search and identification of county where certified copy can be obtained.
    • Processing Time: 2-3 years when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you Order Online.

Below is a list of online resources for Santa Barbara County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Santa Barbara County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

  • VitalChek Express Certificate Service. - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
  • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREEicon - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
  • Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical California newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
  • California Birth Index, 1905-1995: This database is an index to over 24.5 million births occurring in California between 1905 and 1995.
  • California Death Index, 1940-1997: his database is an index to the death records in State of California, USA, from 1940 through 1997. The database provides such valuable information as first, last and middle names of the descendants, birth dates, mother's maiden name, father's last name, sex, birth place, death place, residence at time of death, death date, social security number (when available), and the age of the individual when they died.
  • California Divorce Index, 1966-1984: This database is an index to over 3.5 million divorces that were filed in California (U.S.A.) from 1966-1984. Information that may be found in this database includes spouses' names, divorce date, and divorce county or city.
  • California Marriage Index, 1960-1985: This database contains a statewide index to over 4.8 million marriages that were performed in California between 1960 and 1985. Information that may be found in this database includes the bride's and groom's names, their ages, the marriage county, and the marriage date.
  • California Marriages, 1850-1877: This database contains information on individuals who were married in select areas of California between 1850 and 1960. Note that not all counties are included in this index and within the counties that are included not all years within the date range...
  • California Death Index 1940-1997
  • Santa Barbara County, California Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
  • Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.
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County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for California

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

  Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Santa Barbara County, California are 1850 ,1860 ,1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930.Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Santa Barbara County, California are Industry and Agriculture Schedules available for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

Below is a list of online resources for Santa Barbara County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Santa Barbara County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Census Online - California Census Records
  • California Census, 1790-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1790 Census Substitute; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1870 Federal Census Index (excluding San Francisco County); 1870 San Francisco County Census Index; 1834 Census Index of Santa Barbara; 1890 Veterans Schedule; 1890 Naval Veterans Schedule.
  • Santa Barbara County, California Census Books at Amazon.com
  • Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.
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County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

California Antique Maps & Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for California and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for California showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for California showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps.

Below is a list of online resources for Santa Barbara County Maps. Email us with websites containing Santa Barbara County Maps by clicking the link below:

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County Military Records

See Also Military Records in California

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.

Below is a list of online resources for Santa Barbara County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Santa Barbara County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service Assessment List for California, 1862–66, is available on thirty-three microfilm rolls at the California State Library in Sacramento. The lists include names, location and description of business, and tax rate for individuals taxed.

Similar to tax records in their yearly listing of residents are the “Great Register” of California, which are miscellaneous county voting registers that exist from the mid-nineteenth century. The registers were compiled and printed about every two years. Before 1900, they show name, address, and age (but the age may remain the same after a man's first entry). From about the mid-1800s, physical descriptions are included, but after the 1898 register, only the name, address, party affiliation, and sometimes occupation are listed.

Before 1892, the lists are county-wide, but usually alphabetical only by first letter or surname. They are particularly valuable for foreign-born voters, as the date and court of naturalization are listed. Copies of the "Great Registers," (1866–1944) are at the California State Library, which also has alphabetical card file abstracts for some of the earlier registers for San Francisco. Records from 1946 are with the individual county registrars of voters.

Below is a list of online resources for Santa Barbara County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Santa Barbara County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

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County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other California Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Santa Barbara County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Santa Barbara County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society, 316 Castillo Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
    Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1303, Goleta, CA 93116-1303
  • California Genealogical Society, 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland, CA 94612-3031; 510-663-1358 fax: 510-663-1596
  • The California Historical Society, 678 Mission Street, San Francisco, California 94105; 415-357-1848 — voice; 415-357-1850 — fax; info@calhist.org — e-mail
  • California State Genealogical Alliance, 19765 Grand Avenue, Lake Elsinore, CA 92330
    One way to access many local and county genealogical and historical societies is through the Alliance, which publishes its own newsletter.
  • California State Archives, Office of Secretary of State, 1020 O Street, Room 130, Sacramento, CA 95814; Reference Desk: (916) 653-2246; General Information: (916) 653-7715; FAX: (916) 653-7363; E-Mail:ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov
  • California State Library, 914 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814
  • The National Archives-Pacific Region
  • California Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
  • Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
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County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in California

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Santa Barbara County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Santa Barbara County Tombstone Transcription Project.

There are no centralized repositories dealing with church records in California. Scattered records can be found in genealogical publications, the DAR compilations, and on microfilm. The Spanish missions have played a central role in California's religious history.

   Printed secondary sources of transcribed cemeteries exist for most California counties. The California State Society of the DAR has collected hundreds of such records. Transcripts are housed both at the national DAR and with some local chapters and libraries.

Below is a list of online resources for Santa Barbara County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Santa Barbara County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Santa Barbara County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Santa Barbara County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

 


Image of historic Santa Barbara County courthouse - click to enlarge
Santa Barbara Co Courthouse
Completed 1872

Once the pride of Victorian Santa Barbara, by the 1920s the Greek Revival courthouse was overwhelmed by the growth of the county and out of step with the region's Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial architectural movements. A 1925 earthquake settled the question of what to do with the old courthouse, and by 1929 Santa Barbara had a new Spanish-style courthouse that is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Above the entrance to the current courthouse is the inscription "God Gave Us the Country, the Skill of Man Hath Built the Town.

The Spanish-Mexican Period

From a genealogical perspective, the useful history of the Santa Barbara County area begins with the Presidio period, even though there is evidence that as many as 150 tribes occupied the area for the previous ten centuries.

When Sebastian Viscaino sailed into the Channel of Santa Barbara on December 4, 1602, he gave it that name because the 4th day of December is sacred to the memory of Saint Barbara, virgin and martyr. Of course, the names of the city and county followed at the appropriate times.

Father Junipero Serra founded the Santa Barbara Presidio in 1782, adding the Mission four years later. For maps on California Missions, see Mission Maps. The Presidios were military garrisons for the protection of missionaries, established in San Diego, Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Francisco. Their twelve-foot high adobe walls enclosed barracks, store houses, a church and the residence of the commandant. For more history on the Presidio.

The Pueblo was the village around each Presidio, initially housing retired soldiers and their usually Indian wives and families on small plots the first of which was granted in 1797. Many of the old adobes are presently the homes of descendants of those soldiers.

In 1822 the citizens of Santa Barbara swore allegiance to the Empire of Mexico ending Spanish rule in California. That year's Mission records show 4288 Indians baptized and 947 settled Indian families.

The American Period

In 1848 Mexico signed a treaty ceding California to the United States. The territory became a state in 1850 when the population exploded to nearly 100,000 with the discovery of gold. While California was still a territory, county boundaries were formed. The present county of Ventura was originally included within Santa Barbara County until 1873 when the Legislature separated the area into the present Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

The first major earthquake, recorded in Santa Barbara County in 1812 which tumbled the La Purisima Mission in Lompoc while services were being held, did little to slow growth. The following year another quake so ravaged the Santa Barbara Mission that a new one was build rather than attempt repairs. The new mission survived a series of quakes over a century until it was damaged and again restored in 1952. For more about Santa Barbara County earthquakes, see Earthquakes.

Santa Barbara County "boomed" in the late 1800's. Streets were paved and public sewers laid. By 1901 the railroad connected Santa Barbara with San Francisco replacing the Wells Fargo Stage Coach line. By 1910 Santa Barbara City population had increased 100% and the County by 50%. Even during the 1915-17 depression, Santa Barbara County forged ahead attracting tourists and wealthy residents from the East.

Carpinteria

The city of Carpinteria is approximately 15 miles east along the coast from Santa Barbara. The first American families came in the 1840's, although the town-site was not laid out until 1887. The Carpinteria Valley's rich crops of lima beans and walnuts have since given way to development, although large avocado and citrus orchards and commercial flower gardens abound still.

Summerland

In 1888 H. L. Williams subdivided part of his Ortega ranch into 25' by 60' lots. In an effort to attract the "Spiritualist" faith, he named the community Summerland after a Spiritualist book of that title and sold prospective residents lots for $25 each. The new mission survived a series of quakes over a century until it was damaged and again restored in 1952. In a short time 500 Spiritualists inhabited the slopes. When oil was discovered, the $25 lots went for a premium. Oil production petered out and the population dropped, but after WWII, the vacant cottages, the sun and the surf again attracted a new breed of residents often referred to as "hippies." More recently a newer breed often referred to as "yuppies" has replaced the "hippies".

Montecito

Originally Montecito was part of the Pueblo lands granted to discharged soldiers and to new settlers from Spain and Mexico. Today, Montecito is an affluent residential suburb of Santa Barbara and the home of many in the entertainment industries.

Goleta

Goleta is the largest unincorporated area contiguous to Santa Barbara and is substantially middle class residential. This area was originally a 4400-acre ranch granted by the Mexican government in 1846 to Daniel Hill. The name "Goleta" is Spanish for schooner. The village was laid out in 1875, and within two years contained a church, store, lumber yard, blacksmith shop, schoolhouse, post office and a wharf.

Lompoc

The 1837 Lompoc Rancho land grant was a huge 38,335 acres granted to Jose Antonio Carrillo. With great publicity the town was formed in 1874 by a company offering five- to eighty-acre tracts of "first class land at auction prices." Within sixty days eighty families were already settled into new homes, the first successful tract development in California.

Santa Maria

The city of Santa Maria was laid out as Central City in 1875, but changed to Santa Maria in the early 1880's to conform to the name of the valley. The area mysteriously escaped being included in the adjoining Mexican land grants.

SEE ALSO

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