Colusa County was first named Colusi County and occasionally called Coluse County. By 1855 the name was established as Colusa County. It is one of the original 27 countiescreated on February 18, 1850 but was administered by Butte County until 1851. The Colusa County location almost completely changed over the years. There remains in the present county only about a six mile wide strip from the original county. That strip is at the northern boundary of the present Colusa County (the southern part of the original Colusa County). In 1850 Colusa territory corresponded to what is now roughly Glenn County. Its southern boundary was several miles north of the City of Colusa. Territory which at one time was in Colusa County is now in Butte County, Glenn County, Lake County, and Tehama County. The present Colusa County has territory with six different Boundary Changes:
A small portion of its present territory has been in Colusa County since 1850.
Territory was in Colusa County from 1850 to 1891 when the territory was moved to Glenn County at the time of its formation, then returned to Colusa County in 1893.
Territory was in Butte County from 1850 to 1856 when it was added to Colusa County.
Territory in Sutter County from 1850 to 1851, was in Butte County from 1851 when it was added to Colusa County.
Territory was in Sutter County from 1850 to 1856 when it was added to Colusa County.
Most of present Colusa County was in Yolo County from 1850 to 1851 when the teritory was added to Colusa County.
The County was named after two Mexican land grants; Coluses (1844) and Colus (1845). The name of the county in the original state legislative act was spelled Colusi, and often in newspapers was spelled Coluse. The word is derived from the name of an Indian tribe living on the west side of the Sacramento River. The County Seat is Colusa . See also County History for more historical details.
Colusa County Cities Include Colusa, Williams. CDPs(A census-designated place (CDP) is a type of place or area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes)Include Arbuckle. Unincorporated Communities Include College City, Grimes, Maxwell, Princeton, Sites, Stonyford
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.
Colusa County was attached to Butte County for administration until it was organized in 1851, Search Butte County for earlier records.
Colusa County Clerk-Recorder's Officehas Birth Records from 1873, Marriage Records from 1853, Death Records from 1879 and , Land Records from 1853. 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.
Colusa County Clerk of Superior Court has Probate Records from 1853 and Court Records from 1853. 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 Colusa County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Colusa County Court Records by clicking the link below:
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.
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.
Click Here to Search California Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
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
PLEASE READ!! 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.
Order On-Line: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek
Below is a list of online resources for Colusa County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Colusa County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
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...
Below is a list of online resources for Colusa County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Colusa County Census Records by clicking the link below:
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.
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 Colusa County Maps. Email us with websites containing Colusa County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search California Military Records! - 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. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Colusa County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Colusa County Military Records by clicking the link below:
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 Colusa County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Colusa County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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 Colusa County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Colusa County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
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 Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search California Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. 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 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 Colusa County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Colusa County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Califonia Family Tree Records! - 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 Colusa County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Colusa County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
California Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
California Pioneer Project - The California Pioneer List (CPL) is a list of settlers to California who migrated to or were born in California prior to 1880 (included in the 1880 California Census) and obtained from those sent (e-mailed) directly from individuals doing genealogical research.
Colusa's courthouse has served continuously as the seat of justice and government in the county since 1861 and is one of California's oldest working courthouses. Five of the six lots for the courthouse site were donated by Colonel Charles D. Semple, who erroneously expected that county supervisors would forgive his tax bill in exchange for the gift. In the entrance hall of the Classical Revival building stands a statue of George Washington, a gift to the county recognizing the donations of local citizens to the construction fund for the Washington Monument in the nation's capital.
"Colusa County was established in 1850 as one of the original 27 counties created by the first state Legislature. It once encompassed all of what is now Glenn County and a portion of Tehama County. In 1891 the counties of Glenn and Colusa were split. Records prior to 1891 are still maintained in Colusa County and those pertaining to Glenn County after the split can be found at the Glenn County Recorder's Office.
Colusa is centrally located approximately 70 miles north of Sacramento. Interstate 5 offers a north/south route through the county. We are approximately 1 hour from downtown Sacramento, 2 hours from San Francisco, 3 hours from the Fort Bragg-Mendocino coastline and 2 1/2 hours from Lake Tahoe.
Colusa County's economy is based on agriculture and agricultural related businesses. As you travel throughout the basin floor, you'll see a variety of crops such as pistachios, asian pears, almonds, prunes, walnuts, wine grapes, tomatoes, rice, corn, cotton, safflower, wheat, beans, sunflowers, melons, alfalfa, pumpkins, onions, etc. Our country roads are lined with various waterways, natural and man-made, where you'll see an abundance of wildlife, including, but not limited to: blue herons, cranes, pheasants, hawks, ducks, geese, swans, raccoons, possums, fox and deer.
Colusa County", Justus H. Rogers, Orland, CA, 1891
THE history of one's own county bears a proportionate importance to that of the history of the nation. The leading events in the progress of a locality are generally not so well known and preserved by its residents as are those of the nation; yet the interest taken in the former is greater than in the latter.
A complete understanding of the history of the pioneer days of a California county, with their explorations, hardships, adventures, pleasures and successes in a new land, followed by an appreciative knowledge of subsequent developments from immature and tentative conditions to that of the permanent domestic, agricultural and mercantile life, naturally leads up to a more intelligent conception of the history of the State as a whole or of the nation as an entirety. It tends, also, to create more of a local pride and interest in the advancement and upbuilding thereof, which adds to the welfare of not only the locality, but of the nation as well.
In presenting this work to the public, the author has looked closely to accuracy. In all matters treated it has been the endeavor to be fair and impartial, and to record facts only. If errors have crept in, it is because they have been unavoidable to the most patient and equitable inquiry, and will be of themselves an insuperable reason why this book should be prepared at the present time, seeing that they may yet be corrected by men who were actors or contemporaries of actors in the events here detailed; and who have a natural pride in the accuracy of their local annals.
Considerable space is devoted to biography, but since history is the fruit and synthesis of biography, the lives of many prominent individuals of an early or present time naturally find an appropriate place here.
Tribes and Tribal Relations.—Traditions of a Flood.—Their Modes of Living.—Manners and Customs.—Religious Polity.—Circulatir g Medium.—Effects of Their Intercourse with Civilization.—Their Rapid Decline.—Chief Sioc —27-36
CHAPTER III. EARLIEST EXPLORATIONS OF COLUSA COUNTY.
"Indian Killers."—A Chase after Stolen Horses.—Adventures with Bears.—An Experience with Indians Who Had Never Seen a White Man.—Mapping of the Larkin Grant.—Making of Grindstones.—The First Settlers 37-54
Derivation of the Name.—County Created.—Election on Organization.—Firs. Officers of Election.- County Seat Imbroglio.—Financial and Legal Difficulties.
First County Officers Elected.—Migratory Character of its Early Population.― County Seat Removed from Monroeville to Colusa 55-70
Population in 1850.—Assessment Roll of 1851-52.—The First Jury.—First Legal Execution.—Residents in 1852.—Lines of Settlement.—A Steady Growth of Settlement 71-88
Standard of Eminence Obtained by the Public Schools.—Private Schools.—Teachers of the County.—District School Libraries.—Expenditures of Money in Support of Schools 294-303
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