Imperial County was formed in August 6, 1907 from the eastern part of San Diego County. Imperial County was the last formed, the 58th of the existing 58 counties. It later gained territory from no other county and transferred territory to no other county. The County derived its name from the Imperial Valley and is the "youngest" of California's counties. The valley was named for the Imperial Land Company, a subsidiary of the California Development Company, which at the turn of the century had reclaimed the southern portion of the Colorado desert for agriculture. The County Seat is El Centro . See also County History for more historical details.
Counties adjacent to Imperial County are Riverside County (north), Yuma County, Arizona (southeast), La Paz County, Arizona (northeast), San Diego County (west)
Imperial County Cities Include Brawley, Calexico, Calipatria, El Centro, Holtville, Imperial, Westmorland. CDPs(A census-designated place (CDP) is a type of place or area identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes)Include Bombay Beach, Desert Shores, Heber, Niland, Ocotillo, Palo Verde, Salton City, Salton Sea Beach, Seeley, Winterhaven. Unincorporated Communities Include Mount Signal, Ogilby, Plaster City
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.
Imperial County Clerk-Recorder's Officehas Birth Records from 1900, Marriage Records from 1900, Death Records from 1900 and , Land Records from 1900. 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.
Imperial County Clerk of Superior Court has Probate Records from 1900 and Court Records from 1900. 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 Imperial County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Imperial 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 Imperial County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Imperial 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...
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Imperial County, California are 1910, 1920 and 1930.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 Imperial County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Imperial 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 Imperial County Maps. Email us with websites containing Imperial 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 Imperial County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Imperial 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 Imperial County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Imperial 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 Imperial County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Imperial 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 Imperial County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Imperial 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 Imperial County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Imperial 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.
Formed in 1907 from the eastern part of San Diego County, Imperial is the youngest of California's 58 counties. Despite claims by government surveyors that the surrounding desert "was so desolate, barren, and hot that human habitation would never be possible within its confines," Imperial County residents in the 1920s pressed on in establishing a county government. The courts occupied these offices on the second floor of a bank building until 1924, when the county built a new courthouse on donated land in El Centro. The county, which has since grown into one of the state's richest agricultural regions, still occupies the El Centro building
The name California seems to have been derived from a Spanish romance published in 1510. The author there speaks of the "Great Island of California, where a great abundance of gold and precious stones are found." This story attained considerable popularity about the time when the Cortez exploring expedition reached the undiscovered country. It is thought that some of the officers of that party who had read this romance were especially pleased with this name. It was euphonious and descriptive, as they had expected to find an Eldorado in that new region any way, because the early Spanish discoverers had so promised.
But at that time this name was applied only to the lower Pacific coast and the adjacent territory. And it is interesting to note here that this San Diego section was on the border line of Mexico, being then a part of that nation. It was not until some years later that the name California was applied to the upper part of that country, and it gradually extended northward, with no very definite limits. These Spanish Americans divided the whole territory into upper and lower California, as it has since been known. The lower coast was first discovered in 1534 by an expedition sent out by Cortez, who later found the Gulf of California. It was not until some six years later that the mouth of the Colorado River was discovered there. And it was not until 1602 that the Bay of San Diego was located.
As a matter of fact the physical geography of a very large portion of this great country was very imperfectly known. Few of the residents were even qualified to make any scientific study of its topography and very little attention was given to the subject, especially that portion lying on the immediate coast between San Diego on the south and Fort Ross on the north, a narrow strip of land forty or fifty miles in width. In fact the entire California region was a very indefinite quantity for many years, and the eastern boundary was not fully located or determined. And this condition remained until 1850 when it passed into the ownership of the United States and became one of the states of the Union.
But this work is devoted to the southernmost point of the state known as Imperial County, which is the youngest and newest county of the great Pacific Commonwealth, having been formed in 1907 from the eastern portion of San Diego County.
This Imperial Valley lies between the coast range of mountains and the Colorado River, a section long known as the Colorado Desert, and for ages considered worthless and irreclaimable. North of this great desert is the eastern extension of the San Bernardino mountain range, dry, barren and worthless. On the west the Coast range rises to a height of from 3000 to 5000 feet, which, on the desert side, is also dry and barren. Through the eastern part of this desert is a range of sand-dunes which extends down across the international boundary line, terminating just below. Between these sand-dunes on the east and the Coast range on the west, there is a vast, level plain which, before its reclamation, was as dry and barren as the hills and sand-dunes themselves. Most of the plain is below sea level, and was originally an extension of the California Gulf.
Some sixty miles south of this Mexican boundary line the great Colorado River tumbles finally into the gulf. It is a very muddy stream which has poured into this gulf for untold ages. When the gulf reached the present site of Indio Station, the river poured into it about 150 miles southeast of that place. This gulf was then some 50 miles wide opposite the ancient mouth of the river. Gradually the Colorado formed a bar across the gulf. After a time this bar was raised several feet above high-water mark, and this cutoff the upper portion of the gulf from the main body of water and formed an inland sea some 40 miles in width by 125 miles in length. It will be seen, therefore, that the flow of this river for ages has been in both directions, into the gulf and into this inland sea. In this way large masses of sediment were deposited in both places not only, but a separating bar was raised 35 to 80 feet above sea level, an increase of about 60 miles in width from south to north.
Sometime after this the Colorado began to pour its regular flow into the gulf, and only in times of flood, during June and July, was the surplus water sent into the inland sea. Then finally, when the permanent flow northward ceased, this inland sea gradually dried up, leaving what is known as the "Salton Basin," a tract 100 miles long and from 20 to 50 miles wide. And this vast area was all below the level of the sea. The bottom was a salt marsh 5 x 25 miles in extent, and 265 feet below the sea, while the surrounding land sloped gradually toward this depression.
Here in this sink the Salton Sea was formed in 1891 as a result of the continued flood of the Colorado stream. It began with heavy rains in February and was afterward augmented by the regular annual flood in June and July, because of the melting snows at the headwaters of the stream in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado. About 150 square miles of this Salton Sea was so level that the water did not exceed 10 feet in depth at any point. All around this sea were a million acres of land below sea level, half of which is arable, irrigable, and especially fertile. In addition to this, there is a vast expanse of country south of the international boundary line which extends to the Gulf of California on the east. Most of this is the most fertile and productive land in the world, and it covers about 800,000 acres. Of this vast tract, 300,000 acres are irrigable. A similar acreage is subject to the annual flood overflow and some 100,000 acres are of little value from other causes.
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