Finding Information About People
The Doris Foley Library for Historical Research has many sources available that are useful in
researching people who may have lived in Nevada County or elsewhere in California. These
include:
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An extensive personal names catalog.
Local newspapers on microfilm, dating from the 1850s to the present.
Clipping files.
Public internet access to Ancestry.com.
Other resources at the Library that you may find helpful:
1. Census, citizenship and voter records
Date From Date To
Title
Author
Call no.
1850
1850
California 1850 Census Index
Jackson, Ronald Vern 929.3 JAC
1852
1852
California State Census 1852 (Nevada
929.3 CAL
County portion) with alphabetical index
Location
Genealogy collection
Genealogy collection
1856
1951
Index to Declarations of Intention
Staff assistance
1856
1955
Index to Naturalizations
Staff assistance
1860
1868
1860
1868
1860 California census index
Nevada City Poll List
1870
1870
1870
1920
California 1870 federal census index, Jackson, Ronald Vern 929.3 JAC
except the city of San Francisco
Orphans in Nevada County Census
1877
1877
1902
Supplement to the Great Register of
the County of Nevada
1882
Great Register of Voters, Nevada
County
1890
The California 1890 great register of
voters index
1892
Great Register of Voters, Nevada
County
1898
Great Register of Voters, Nevada
County
1928, 1930– Great Register of Voters, Nevada
1944
County
1981
Precinct Registers, Nevada County
1905
1906
1882
1890
1892
1898
1900
929.3 DIL
Genealogy collection
Voting records
collection
Genealogy collection
Index collection
Microfilm
Voting records
collection
Voting records
collection
Voting records
collection
Voting records
collection
Voting records
collection
Drawer 3
929.3 KEL
Voting records
collection
Main collection
California State
929.373 CAL
Genealogical Alliance
Census of non–reservation California Kelsey, C. E.
Indians, 1905–1906
Naturalizations index
D:\106738261.doc
Dilts, Bryan Lee
Card catalog
12/31/2007
2. Court records
Date From Date To
Title
1856
1990
Nevada County Probate Index
Author
Call no.
Microfiche
Location
Staff assistance
1856
1880
Probate Court Proceedings
Microfilm
Drawer 7
1879
1956
Superior Court Probate Proceedings
Microfilm
Drawers 7 – 8
1883
1979
Microfilm
Drawer 7
1939
1949
Nevada County Clerk Probate
Records (not indexed on fiche)
Old Probate Court Records (not
indexed on fiche)
Microfilm
Drawer 7
Nevada County Courts Probate Case Chesnut, Pat
Index (2 vols.)
Index collection
3. Directories
Date From Date To
Title
1856
1856
Brown & Dallison’s Directory of
Nevada, Grass Valley & Rough and
Ready
Author
Call no.
Microfilm
Location
Drawer 3
1856
1856
Brown & Dallison’s Nevada, Grass
Brower, Maria
Valley & Rough and Ready Directory (transcription)
(reprinted)
650.025 BRO
Directory collection
1856
1856
Parker, Nathan C.
929.3 PAR
Main collection
1861
1861
Thompson, Hugh B.
1865
1865
650.025 THO
also Microfilm
650.025 BYR
Directory collection
Microfilm Drawer 3
Directory collection
1867
1867
1867
1867
650.025 BEA
also Microfilm
650.025 LAN
Directory collection
Microfilm Drawer 3
Directory collection
1871
1872
650.025 NEV
Directory collection
1878
1878
Personal name index to the 1856 city
directories of California
Directory of the City of Nevada and
Grass Valley
Directory of Grass Valley Township for
1865
Bean’s History and Directory of
Nevada County, California (2 vols.)
Pacific Coast Business Directory,
Nevada County portion
Nevada County Directory for 1871–72
(2 vols.)
Marysville Appeal Directory of
Northern California for 1878 (Nevada
and Placer Counties)
650.025 MAR
also Microfilm
Directory collection
Microfilm Drawer 3
1882
1882
Edwards, W. F.
1890
1890
Tourists’ Guide and Directory of the
Truckee Basin
California State Gazetteer and
Business Directory--copy of sections
containing Nevada County locations
1892
1894
D:\106738261.doc
Byrne, William S.
Bean, Edwin F.
Langley, Henry G.
A Directory of Placer, Nevada, Yuba, Rentschler, G. W.
Sutter, Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Tehama,
and Shasta Counties
12/31/2007
979.437 EDW Main collection
650.025 CAL
Directory collection
also Microfilm
Directory collection
Microfilm Drawer 3
1895
1895
1899
present,
incomplete
1910
City Directory, Grass Valley and
Nevada City
1929
Merchants, Tradesmen and
Manufacturers Financial Condition, for
Sierra, Plumas & Nevada Counties
1910
1929
Nevada County Mining and Business Poingdestre, John E. 650.025 POI
Directory
also Microfilm
Local telephone directories
1948
1948
The Union Centennial Business
Directory for Grass Valley and Nevada
City
1949
1949
1953
1953
Grass Valley – Nevada City District
Directory
The Union Classified Map Directory
1965
1965
1965
1853
1890
Grass Valley, Nevada City 1965
Business and Historical Directory
1988,
Polk's Grass Valley & Nevada City
incomplete Directories
1854, 1863, Personal and business names (from
1867, 1888 newspapers)
1890
California State Gazetteer and
Business Directory
Addresses database
650.025 CIT
Directory collection
Microfilm Drawer 3
Staff assistance
Directory collection
Directory collection
650.025 UNI
Directory collection
Directory collection
Directory collection
650.025 GRA
Directory collection
Staff assistance
Directory collection
650.025 CAL
Ghidotti case
Staff assistance
Businesses card file
Staff assistance
4. Histories and biographies
Date From Date To
Title
Author
1542
1848
California pioneer register and index, Bancroft, Hubert Howe
1542–1848
1822
1888
My Playhouse was a Concord Coach Boggs, Mae Helene
Bacon
1849
1852
California wagon train lists
Rasmussen, Louis J.
1880
1880
History of Nevada County, California Wells, Harry Laurenz
(Thompson & West) with separate
index
Call no.
920 BAN
Location
Main collection
979 BOG
Ghidotti case
929.3 RAS
979.437 WEL
Main collection
Main collection
1900
1902
920 MEN
Ghidotti case
1976
1990, 1995, Who's Who in California
incomplete
A History of the New California
Irvine, Leigh H.
A Memorial and Biographical History
of Northern California
A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy
of Representative Citizens of Northern
California
920 ARM
Main collection (1976)
side shelf (1990, 1995)
Ghidotti case
Ghidotti case
Microfilm Drawer 3
Ghidotti case
D:\106738261.doc
Men of California
12/31/2007
979.4 IRV
979.4 MEM
also Microfilm
929.1 VOL
Cornish Mining Families of Grass
Valley California
Highly Respectable Families: The
Cornish of Grass Valley
History of Placer and Nevada
Counties, California
Mormon Gold
Ewart, Shirley
979.437 EWA Main collection
Ewart, Shirley
979.437 EWA Main collection
Lardner, W. B. and M. 979.43 LAR
J. Brock
also Microfilm
Davies, J. Kenneth
979.4 DAV
Main collection
Microfilm Drawer 3
Main collection
Nevada County Historical Society
Bulletins
The French Connection
NCHS
Index collection
Janicot, Michel
979.437 JAN
Main collection
Call no.
979.437 NEV
Location
Main collection
929.1 PAR
Main collection
979.4 CLO
Main collection
Index to California Historical Society
Quarterly
Index to Gold Rush Theatre in Nevada Bronson, Orval
City, California (thesis by Mabel
Celeste Ashley, 979 ASH in main
collection)
979.4 CAL
Periodical collection
Index to roster of California pioneers
979.4 NAT
Main collection
979.437 NAM
Main collection
5. Indexes
Date From Date To
Title
Author
1851
1951
Name index to One Hundred Years of Nevada City Nugget
Nevada County
An index to the biographees in 19th
Parker, J. Carlyle
century California county histories
California surname index
Close, Barbara Ross
Names index: citations to selected
articles from The Union pertaining to
people connected with mining and the
Empire Mine
Names Reference Guide, Nevada
County History (mining industry)
Nevada County Historical Society
Bulletin Index
Nevada County Mining Industry
Reference Guide
The Argonauts of California (names
index section only)
The Zamorano Index to History of
California by Hubert Howe Bancroft
D:\106738261.doc
12/31/2007
Native Daughters of
the Golden West
The Union
Index collection
Index collection
NCHS
Index collection
Chesnut, Pat
Index collection
Haskins, C. W.
979.4 NAM
Main collection
979.4 ZAM
H. H. Bancroft collection
6. Military service lists
Date From Date To
Title
1846
1848
The New York Volunteers in California
Author
Call no.
Location
973.624 NEW Main collection
1861
1867
A personal name index to Orton’s
Parker, J. Carlyle
“Records of California men in the War
of Rebellion, 1861–1867
929.4 PAR
Main collection
1866
1867
Nevada County Militia
Index collection
1917
1918
Draft Registrations, Civilian, Nevada
County
Nevada County Veterans Honor Roll
Index collection
Index collection
7. Obituaries, mortuary and cemetery records
Date From
Date To
Title
Forgotten Pioneers of the Gold
Country
Graves (by cemetery name)
Author
Patterson, Loni
Call no.
979.437 PAT
Location
Main collection
Card catalog
Mortuary books
Genealogy collection
New Obituary Index
Chesnut, Pat
Index collection
Obituary database
Staff assistance
8. Property and tax records
Date From Date To
Title
1856
1928
Deeds, County Recorder’s Official
Records Roll
1856
1922
Kitts’ Index (Nevada County
Recorder’s Records)
1862
1874
Internal Revenue Assessment Lists
1862
1970s
D:\106738261.doc
Nevada County Tax Assessor’s
records
12/31/2007
Author
Call no.
Microfilm
Location
Drawer 9
Microfiche
Staff assistance
Microfilm
Drawer 3
Staff assistance
9. Vital statistics
Date From Date To
Title
Author
1850
1876
Nevada County vital statistics, 1850– Comstock, David A.
1869, and up to 1876 for divorces
1856
1998
1856
1998
1859
1935
1873
Call no.
Location
979.437 COM Main collection
Staff assistance
1994
Nevada County Marriage Index, by
Bride’s Name
Nevada County Marriage Index, by
Groom’s Name
Nevada County Hospital Death
Records
Nevada County Birth Records Index
1873
1998
Nevada County Death Records Index
Staff assistance
1905
1939
California State Death Index
1918
1950
Jones Hospital Births
1940
1987
California State Death Index
Microfiche
Staff assistance
1960
1985
Microfiche
Staff assistance
1960
1985
California State Marriage Index, bride
index
California State Marriage Index, groom
index
Microfiche
Staff assistance
Call no.
929.3 CAR
Location
Main collection
929.3 RAS
Main collection
Microfilm
Drawer 3
Staff assistance
Index collection
Staff assistance
Microfilm
Norris, Mary
Drawer 5
Index collection
10. Miscellaneous records
Date From Date To
Title
Author
1850
1851
San Francisco passenger departure Carr, Peter E.
lists (3 vols.)
1850
1853
San Francisco ship passenger lists (4 Rasmussen, Louis J.
vols.)
1855
1942
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Grass
Valley records
1904
1912
Index to Records of Orphans on State
Aid
1907
1908
Washington Store receipt book
1920
1978,
Medical Certificates
incomplete
D:\106738261.doc
Index collection
650 LED
Ghidotti case
Index collection
12/31/2007