Local Sites

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California Genealogical Society

The California Genealogical Society is very active in California based genealogy. It is located in the Breuner Building at 2201 Broadway, Oakland. The library is free and open to the public throughout the month of October. Membership plans are available in a variety of levels including Individual $35, Family $50.00.

California State Library System- Sutro Branch

The California State Library has a large collection of genealogy and history information at the San Francisco Public Library Sutro Branch (not to mention even more about California in the main branch in Sacramento).

Sutro Library in San Francisco offers customers: The most extensive genealogy collection west of Salt Lake City. A comprehensive United States local history collection. Adolph Sutro's rare book and manuscript collections. Genealogical, family and local history catalogs. Special indexes, guides, and bibliographies. Sutro Library materials can be accessed through the California State Library Main Catalog and Sutro staff is available to assist in-house customers with the resources. Sutro items may be borrowed by requesting an interlibrary loan through your local public library.

The California History Room Collection in Sacramento covers all aspects of life in the State from prehistoric times to the present. In addition to the books and periodicals listed in the Main Catalog, there are many other materials available such as Newspapers, Maps, and Ephemera. Items such as photographs, prints, vertical file materials, telephone books, some maps, city directories, and special indexes are not listed in the Main Catalog. However, the California State Library Picture Catalogs lists some of the Library's graphic materials, including some photographs and prints. Manuscript collections of the California State Library are described in the Online Archive of California. Staff is available in the History Room to provide assistance in using the online catalogs and the many special materials and files. Staff also provides access to the Rare book collection.

Family History Center

1725 Peterson Lane
Santa Rosa, CA    707-525-0399
Open Tuesday 1-5; Wednesday 1-8; Thursday, 1-5; and Saturday 9-1.

They are closed the 1st Saturday in April and October; Memorial and Labor Day weekends; July 4 week; Thanksgiving week; and December 18 through January 1.

The Family History Center at the Santa Rosa Regional Branch library is a genealogy library associated with the LDS Church. The exact hours do change, so it would be wise to call before you go. What the LDS Library involves is extensive computer and internet based genealogical information, with volunteers who can provide newbie's with a lot of help. There are 5 computers available for use free of charge. Also, you can order microfilms from the main Family History Center in Salt Lake City. There is a charge for the microfilms, but if you can target something of real value (specific church or tax records, for example) they may be well worth it. Microfiche is available and can be researched at the Family History Center. They also have some books on local history. See Family Search below for information on the Internet Site.

The Oakland Regional Family History Center joined the California Genealogical Society in presenting a series of beginning and intermediate genealogy classes. They will be taught both in the Regional FHC and in the CGS library located at 2201 Broadway, Suite LL2, Oakland.

National Archives

1000 Commodore Drive
San Bruno, CA 94066-2350
National Archives (NARA) Pacific Region in San Francisco has more than 48,000 cubic feet of archival holdings dating from about l850 to the l980s, including textual documents, photographs, maps, and architectural drawings. These archival holdings were created or received by the Federal courts and more than 100 Federal agencies in northern California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada (except Clark County), American Samoa, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Federal law requires that agencies transfer permanently valuable, non-current records to NARA.

Santa Rosa Library Annex

Open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM Santa Rosa, CA The Santa Rosa Library Annex has an excellent History and Genealogy library. It is located in an Annex behind the Main Library on 3rd Street downtown. It is. The library itself is particularly good for local (Santa Rosa and Sonoma County) history. They have an extensive collection of books. On Wednesday afternoons from 1 PM to 3 PM there is someone in the Annex who can help you personally. The library also provides free access to two important (and expensive) internet websites for genealogy research. The most important website, Ancestry.com, can be accessed inside the library itself at no cost. The other website, Heritagequestonline.com, can be accessed from your home using your library card for your user ID. See the individual websites on this page for a descriptions and search information. Alternate URL

Sonoma County Genealogical Society

The Sonoma County Genealogical Society is an active local genealogy society. The society meets the fourth Saturday of each month (except July, August, and December). See their website for more information.

Sonoma State University Library

Sonoma State University Library in Rohnert Park has newspaper archives which can be accessed by the general public.