Northern California Genealogy

Research Checklist

Name:

Alternate Spellings:
Location:
Time Period:
Parents:
Spouse:
Children:
BEGIN
____ Family Members ____ International Genealogical Index (IGI) (web) ____ sfgenealogy.com (web)
____ Family Bibles ____ Rootsweb World Connect (web) ____ google.com (web)
____ Family Photograph Albums ____ Ancestry.com (web)

PRE-GOLD RUSH (1849)
Spain/Mexico Padrones (Census)
____1770s ____1780s ____1790s ____1800s ____1810s
____1820s ____1830s ____1840s ____California Pioneer Index

CENSUS
____1852 (California) ____1860 ____1870 ____1880
____1900 ____1910 ____1920 ____1930
____Mortality
Schedule		 ____Special
Censuses		 ____1890 Veterans
Schedule		 ____Orphanages

INDEXES
____Birth ____Marriage ____Divorce ____Death ____Cemetery
____Newspaper ____Voter Registration

RECORDS
BIRTH
_____ Birth Records 
(certificate, delayed, amended)
_____ Church Records (baptism)

MARRIAGE
_____ Marriage Records (license, certificate)
_____ Church Records (marriage)
_____ Divorce Records

DEATH
_____ Death Certificate
_____ Death Records 
(medical examiner/coroner inquest)
_____ Probate Records (will)
_____ Probate Records (estate sales)
_____ Probate Records (inventory)
_____ Probate Records (guardianship)
_____ Mortuary/Crematorium
_____ Cemetery Records
_____ Tombstone
_____ Newspapers/Obituaries
_____ Social Security Death Records
_____ Railroad Pensions

NATURALIZATION
_____ Petitions
_____ Naturalization Records
_____ Great Registers

 MILITARY
_____ Branch of Service
_____ Dates of Enlistment
_____ Wars Fought
_____ Veterans Pension
_____ Widows Pension

TRAVEL
_____ Passenger Lists
_____ Passport
_____ Hotel Guests (newspapers)

ORPHANS/ADOPTIONS
_____ Adoptions
_____ Orphanages
_____ Orphan Records

DIRECTORIES
_____ City Directories
_____ Social Directories
_____ Telephone Directories

SCHOOL
_____ Enrollment Records
_____ Yearbooks
_____ Alumni Directories

 PROPERTY
_____ Deeds and Abstracts
_____ Grantor/Grantee
_____ Land Grants
_____ Land Records
_____ Block Maps
_____ Fire Insurance Maps

COURTS
_____ Civil Court
_____ County Superior Court
_____ State Supreme Court
_____ U.S. District Court
_____ U.S. Supreme Court

MISCELLANEOUS
_____ Business Licenses
_____ Church Records (other)
_____ Family History/Genealogy Published
_____ Fraternal Organizations
_____ Great Registers (voting)
_____ Gun/Fishing/Hunting Permits
_____ History Books
_____ Lineage Societies
_____ Newspaper General Articles
_____ Prison/Internment Camp
_____ Tax Records
DOCUMENTS
  Source
(include author/agency, location, and any other information you need if you want to go back to it, which you probably will eventually.)		 Type Date
1.      
2.      
3.      
4.      
5.      
6.      
7.      

Courtesy of SFgenealogy (11/2005)