Del Norte County was created on March 2, 1857 from Klamath County. Territory which at one time was in Del Norte County is now in Humboldt County and Siskiyou County. The County has had three Boundary Changes:
Territory in Trinity County from 1850 to 1851, was in Klamath County from 1851 to 1857 when it was moved to Del Norte County.
Territory in Trinity County from 1850 to 1851, in Klamath County from 1851 to 1875, was in Humboldt County from 1875 to 1901 when it was added to Del Norte County.
Territory in Trinity County from 1850 to 1851, in Klamath County from 1851 to 1875, was in Siskiyou County from 1875 to 1887 when it was added to Del Norte County.
The County name signifies "the north," and the county derived its name from its geographical position in the extreme northwest corner of the state. The County Seat is Crescent City . See also County History for more historical details.
Counties adjacent to Del Norte County are Humboldt County (south), Siskiyou County (east), Josephine County, Oregon (northeast), Curry County, Oregon (north).
Del Norte County Cities Include Crescent City. CDPs(A census-designated place (CDP) is a type of place or area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes)Include Bertsch-Oceanview, Crescent City North, Klamath. Unincorporated Communities Include Gasquet, Smith River.
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.
The courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1948. Some early records were destroyed.
Del Norte County Clerk-Recorder's Officehas Birth Records from 1873, Marriage Records from 1853, Death Records from 1873 and Land Records from 1873. 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.
Del Norte County Clerk of Superior Court has Probate Records from 1848 and Court Records from 1848. 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 Del Norte County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Del Norte 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 Del Norte County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Del Norte 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 Del Norte County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Del Norte 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 Del Norte County Maps. Email us with websites containing Del Norte 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 Del Norte County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Del Norte 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 Del Norte County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Del Norte 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 Del Norte County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Del Norte County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Del Norte County Historical Society,
577 "H" Street,
Crescent City, CA 95531;
Phone: (707) 464-3922
Del Norte County Library District,
190 Price Mall,
Crescent City, CA 95531;
Phone: (707) 464-9793
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 Del Norte County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Del Norte 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 Del Norte County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Del Norte 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.
Crescent City was named the county seat when Del Norte was created from the now-defunct Klamath County in 1857. Years later, in the 1883 election, residents approved bonds for a courthouse in a vote of 176 for, 84 against. Local historians say that it was here in the 1930s and 1940s that the unsuccessful movement to create the State of Jefferson, with a local judge as its first governor, was organized. The courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1948, and a new courthouse was built across the street from the original location.
The history of Del Norte County is the history of California, the founding of the West and the story of the United States of America.
For centuries before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, the Yurok and Tolowa peoples lived in harmony with the landscapes and animals of the Redwood Coast. Legendary explorer Jedediah Smith is credited with being the first non-native to enter the Del Norte region. In early 1828, Smith and a band of men began the first-ever overland passage of the rugged northern California coast. It took the men more than a month to struggle through the heavily wooded landscape of what would later become Del Norte County. Over the next 20 years only the hardiest of souls ventured into the primitive country. The gold strike at Sutter's Fort in 1849 brought thousands to the California territory. And it wasn't long before gold strikes on the Klamath and Smith Rivers began the settlement of the county.
Del Norte
The first timber mill was brought by ship to Crescent City in 1853. It produced lumber for local buildings and planks used to construct the county's first wagon roads. For the next 100 years, the mills of Del Norte produced a seemingly endless supply of redwood lumber.
Shipping was also an important industry for the county, but it was not without its perils. More than 50 ships have met their doom along the Del Norte coast. The most tragic wreck occurred on July 30, 1865, when the Brother Jonathan ran aground along St. George Reef. More than 200 people died in what is still California's worst-ever maritime disaster.
Del Norte County is no stranger to Mother Nature's wrath. On March 28, 1964, a giant tsunami struck Crescent City and a 20-foot wall of water destroyed downtown. In December of that same year, a 1,000-year storm flooded the rest of the county, destroying four bridges and hundreds of homes.
The Yurok and Tolowa peoples have called this region home for thousands of years. Today, Native American people play a vital role in the life of Del Norte County. The Yurok people have lived near the Klamath River for centuries. They tell a story of its creation and the abundance of salmon placed here by the Creator. And they tell how when his task was done he went to the rock Oregos to watch the river and take care of it. The legend says as long as this rock stands there will always be a Yurok people. Today the Yurok tribe is the largest in California. With a recently adopted constitution and an elected tribal council, the Yuroks are embarking on a new period in their proud tribal history. When native people were the only residents of this region, there were three distinct Tolowa communities in the region: the He-nag-gi, living along the lower Smith River; the Tolí-o-wa, living around Lake Earl; and the Ta-ta-ten, living in the Crescent City area along Pebble Beach and Point St. George. Today the Tolowa people manage the Smith River Racheria and the Elk Valley Racheria, providing jobs and homes and continuing their tradition of a strong tribal community.
Del Norte
In Del Norte County there are communities where you can live, work, play and enjoy a lifestyle that fulfills your dreams.
Gasquet, located along scenic byway U.S. Highway 199, is the eastern gateway to the wild and scenic Smith River National Recreation Area. Hiouchi is also on Highway 199, at the crossroads of the Smith River National Recreation Area, Redwood National Park and the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Klamath, located in the southern part of the county, is home to the mighty Klamath River.
Crescent City is the county seat. The city has a large harbor, a downtown area, highway frontage and several shopping districts.
They say there is more living matter per square foot in a redwood forest than anywhere else in the world. But the amazing natural diversity of Del Norte County is not just limited to the forests. There are also rivers, seashores, botanical and wilderness areas.
Roosevelt elk are among the largest members of the deer family. Del Norte County has one of the largest bear populations in California. In spring and fall, there are dozens of bear sightings each day. The symbol of our country's strength and freedom, bald eagles, can be seen in several areas of the county. The spotted owl has become a symbol of the struggle to balance the needs of man against the survival of a species. This rare and endangered bird depends on old-growth redwood forests for its survival. The most abundant sea mammals inhabiting the Del Norte Coast are seals and sea lions. Twice a year, pods of gray whales, the massive giants of the sea, travel along the Del Norte coastline. In the spring, they migrate north to live and mate in the waters of Canada and Alaska and in the fall, they head south to feed and give birth in the warm waters of Baja California. Dall porpoise can often be spotted off the coast of Del Norte. Also a local resident is the Pacific white-sided dolphin, the most populous dolphin along the California coast. There are more than four dozen species of seabirds inhabiting Del Norte County. Besides common gulls, killdeer and black oystercatcher, there are also rare and endangered species like the marbled murrelet and brown pelican. The rocky islands of the Del Norte coastline offer nesting zones, feeding habitat and sanctuary to huge flocks of birds that often take wing in dynamic, geometric patterns.
Del Norte's immense and ageless redwoods soar to heights that are unimaginable. John Steinbeck called them "Ambassadors from another time." The old-growth redwood groves of Redwood National and State Parks are so removed from the present that to explore them is to explore the same forests that have existed here for eons. The Redwood National and State Parks are composed of national park land and three state parks: Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park; Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. This joint ownership has created a working partnership between the state and federal park agencies, ensuring a strong and enduring park for visitors to enjoy for generations to come.
A Memorial and Biographical History of DEL NORTE COUNTY - Chicago, Lewis Publ. Co., 1891
This is a small section in the extreme northwestern corner of the State, which was set off from Klamath County (now extinct) March 2, 1858. The name literally signifies "to the north." Efforts were made in the Legislature to give it the names of Buchanan, Alta, Altissima and Rincon. James Buchanan was then President of the United States, but it was claimed that the plan was to give all the counties names of local significance. "Alta" means upper, and "altissima" uppermost.
The first settlement in this county was made in 1851, when a party of prospectors, consisting of Captain S. R. Tompkins, Robert S. Williams, Captain McDermott, Charles Moore, Thomas J. Roach, Charles Wilson, Charles Southard, two brothers named Swain, Mr. Taggart, George Wood, W. T. Stevens, B. Ray, William Rumley, W. A. J. Moore, Jerry Lane, John Cox, J. W. Burke, James Buck and a Mr. Penny, and several others, located in this part of the State. The Indians treacherously undertook to persuade them to move further up the river than where they first located. Three of the young men went up, and two of them were murdered outright and one mortally wounded. The rest of the party then went up the river, found the village of the Indians and put a majority of them to death. Two or three weeks after this the pioneers moved from Wingate's Bar to a camp higher up the stream, to which place they gave the name of Happy Camp.
The next settlements were made at Trinidad and at the mouth of the Klamath, and the town of Crescent City on the south side of Point St. George was located. The year 1852 was the date of the earliest permanent settlement, although several vessels, including the Paragon, Cameo, and the Laura Virginia had anchored in the roadstead in 1850.
Crescent City had a peculiar and romantic origin. An old story had been set afloat in 1849–'50 that a solitary prospector crossed the Coast Range and "struck it rich;" that he accumulated a fabulous sum, hid it, and that the Indians assaulted him and left him for dead; that he recovered his consciousness, but not his reason, and he wandered out of the forest into the confines of civilization, and finally found his friends in the East. This story of course excited the cupidity of some miners, who in the spring of 1851, under Captain McDermott, began a search and first found a magnificent harbor. Another party then started in search of that harbor and they found and named Paragon Bay. They dispatched a messenger to San Francisco, who organized another expedition to this bay, with the schooner Pomona, some time in the fall of 1852. The next spring the town site was selected. During the winter of 1852'53 A. M. Rosborough purchased a land warrant in J. F. Wendell's name for 320 acres, on which Crescent City now stands. The place was so named on account of the crescent shape of the roadstead. Smith's River Valley, the only other settlement of importance in that district, was settled in 1853.
In 1858-'59 there was a war with the Mintoon Indians on the Upper Mad River, resulting in a surrender of the savages, under General Kibbe. In February, 1860, there occurred a great massacre of the redskins on Indian Island.
The Assemblymen from Del Norte County have been: R. H. Campbell, 1887; L. F. Cooper, 1880; W. B. Hamilton, 1883; R. P. Hirst, 1858, 1863–'64; W. B. Mason, 1881; James E. Murphy, 1869–'70, 1873–'78, and others from adjoining counties, which see.
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