Exhibitor Profile: Yolo County Archives

Old Hall of Records, Woodland, CA

It's a pleasure to welcome the Yolo County Archives as an exhibitor at Family History Day.

The Yolo County Archives facility is 2,525 square feet. It contains a public reading room, a workroom and a secure storage area containing 15 ft. metal shelving. The collection consists of more than 4,300 volumes and 1,880 boxes. The Archives is the official repository of the historical records of the county from 1850 forward. The Archives also houses private collections relating to the history of the county and we are the only historical institution in the county that accepts records created after 1950.

The official records of the County of Yolo consist of department records in ledger, deed book and oversize formats, boxed folders and files, as well as blueprints, maps, drawings, and photographs. There is also a small amount of tapes, both audio and visual, and some microfiche. Private collections include a newspaper collection, approximately 6000 photographs, negatives and slides. Ephemera, scrap books, school year books, business ledgers, and posters make up the rest of the collection. We have a small reference library as well as a collection of over 33,000 alphabetized obituaries. There is a Guide to the Archives and we are embarking on a project to catalog our holdings.

On February 18, 1850, Yolo became one of the first 27 counties of California. The Archives houses the complete records of the minutes of the governing body of the county from its very first meeting on June 6, 1850 through 2000. This very significant series of records documenting the governance of the county and its impact on the people who live here is supported by other Board of Supervisors and County Clerk series such as Articles of Agreement 1854-1867; Articles of Incorporation 1853-1979; Bills of Sale 1852-1923; Board of Equalization Records 1872-1979; Cemetery Deeds 1909-1932; Chattel & Crop Mortgages 1857-1928; Coroner’s Reports 1860-1967 [some gaps];Grand Jury Reports 1869-2008; Mining Claims 1850-1929; Powers of Attorney 1852-1934; School records; Treasurer Reports. Our court records are quite complete and all the records all start in 1850, with a few probates documenting deaths from 1849. The probates go through to the mid 1980’s and the collection is used extensively especially by genealogists.

We accept family records which usually consist of photographs, some biographical information, family bibles, and service records. Many local residents are descendants of Pioneer families like the Snowball family, whose manuscript collection documents the lives of the descendants of William Knight on the female side.

Stop by our exhibit at Family History Day and let's talk about how we can help with your family history research needs.

Yolo County Archives

226 Buckeye Street
Woodland, CA 95695
Phone (530) 666-8010 
Fax (530) 666-8006

email archives@yolocounty.org

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posted by Denise H. Richmond