• General Links Relating to Yolo County
• List of Books, Maps, Newspapers, and Other Research Resources Relating to Yolo County
• Maps
• Searchable Index to Biographical Sketches in Local Histories, presented on the California Pioneer Project hosted by Steve Williams.
• Transcriptions of Yolo County Material
• Web Pages of Yolo County Researchers
• The Western Shore Gazetteer and Commercial Directory, For the State of California…, Yolo County, compiled and published annually by C. P. Sprague & H. W. Atwell, Woodland, Yolo County, 1870. (transcription)
• "Woodland, Yolo County," article from Out West: A Magazine of The Old Pacific and the New, Vol. XVII, No. 1, July, 1902, Out West Company, Los Angeles, California, pp. 120-135.
• "Yolo County," by H. S. Maddox, from Sacramento Valley and Foothill Counties of California: An Illustrated Description of all the Counties Embraced in this Richly productive Geographical Subdivision of the Golden State, compiled and edited by Emmett Phillips and John H. Miller, Published under the direction of The Sacramento Valley Exposition, J. A. Filcher, Director-in Chief, January, 1915, pp. 88-91. (This is located on the web site Stone Quarries and Beyond.)
• Yolo County Memories & Articles

• The Western Shore Gazetteer and Commercial Directory, For the State of California…, Yolo County, compiled and published annually by C. P. Sprague & H. W. Atwell, Woodland, Yolo County, 1870. Transcribed by Peggy B. Perazzo.
  • Title Page
  • Preface
  • General Index
  • Advertisement
  • History of Yolo County
  • Yolo County (Description)
  • Sale of Town Lots
  • Sales of Land
  • Marriages in Yolo County (1850 through 1870)
  • Morals – Arrests and Convictions
  • Prospective Review (of Yolo County)
  • Residents and Occupations
  • General Tables - Business Directory
  • California State Government
  • United States Government
    

General Links Relating to Yolo County

• 1850 Yolo County Census Images are online in the USGenWeb Archives
• Pre-1905 Yolo County Deaths – a part of the Pre-1905 CA Death Index Project. (From the web site: Territory which at one time was in Yolo County is now in Colusa and Lake Counties.) This is a privately funded project, and the transcriptions were done by volunteers.
  • Yolo County Pre-1905 California Death Index
• Facts on Yolo County Agriculture
• Gibson House Museum - AKA Yolo County Historical Museum
• "Notaries Public 1891-1909" (Searchable Database-All California
  Counties) on the Golden Nugget Library web site, presented by Nancy Pratt Melton.
• Yolo County Archives Contact Information
• Yolo County Buildings, Structures, & Architects on the Philadelphia Architects & Buildings Project (PAB) web site. You can search the database for buildings, structures, and architects either as a visitor or you can register free. You cannot search for specific cities, but you can search for county locations. There are no photographs presented, but the location and/or address and the name of the architect are included if known; and the historic registration information is also included.
• Yolo County Farm Bureau
• Yolo County Health Department – Use this web site to obtain detailed information for ordering birth and death certificates including online order forms. This site also presents links to the Yolo County Recorder’s Office for other information, such as marriage certificates.
• Yolo County Historical Museum - the Gibson House Museum
• Yolo County Historical Society
• Yolo County Landmarks
• Yolo County Newspapers
• Yolo County Newspaper Abstracts, Jerry Havnar, Coordinator. This web site is a part of United States Newspaper Abstracts.
• Yolo County Obituaries (on this website) from Woodland Daily Democrat, the Davis Enterprise, and the Winters Express and others
• Yolo County Obituaries on the Yolo County RootsWeb Message Board – You can search this site for obituaries by placing the person's name in the "Search" box, to the right of the Search box, click on "Yolo Board." In the View Message Type: drop-down box, choose "Obituaries," and then click on "Go." Many older obituaries have been added, and new obituaries will continue to be added.
• Yolo County Vital Records Information: The guidelines for ordering California birth and death records have changed as of July 1, 2003, due to concerns about identity theft. Only authorized individuals will be able to obtain certified copies of birth and death records. Those not authorized to receive certified copies will be issued copies marked "Informational, not a valid document to establish identity." You can visit the Yolo County Recorder's office web site for a more detailed description of the changes that went into effect on July 1, 2003.
  • For birth and death certificates prior to 2001, visit the Yolo County Recorder's web site.
  • For birth and death certificates from 2001 to present, visit the Yolo County Health Department web site.
• Yolo County Government Website

* * * * * * *

• California Federal Land Records - Yolo County, presented in the USGenWeb Project California Archives.
• California Migrations – Yolo County, presented by Martha A. Crosley Graham, member of Migrations.org.
• Cyndi's List - Yolo County
• Davis Chamber of Commerce
• Davis Explorit Science Center in Davis.
• Davis Historical Society in Davis.
• Esparto Chamber of Commerce

• Existing Railroad/Railway Structures in Yolo County, presented by the Railroad Station Historical Society, Inc.

• FedStats for Yolo County – "FedStats is the new window on the full range of official statistical information available to the public from the Federal Government."
• Family History Catalog - Yolo County, presented by Family Search, Church of Jesus Crist Latter Day Saints.
• Genforum Message Board - Yolo County
• Find A Grave - Yolo County
• Hattie Weber Museum in Davis.
• Heidrick Agricultural Antique Farm Equipment and Hays Antique Truck Museum in Woodland.
• Migrations Through Yolo County, presented by Migrations.org.
• National Register of Historic Places
• Newspaper Abstracts - Yolo County, presented by Newspaper Abstracts.com.
• The Opera House in Woodland.
• Photographs, Postcards, and Historical Images - Yolo County, Library of Congress, American Memory.
• Photos and Satellite Imagery of Yolo County, presented by CERES.
• The Political Graveyard - Yolo County, presented by Lawrence Kestenbaum.
• Quick Facts Yolo County – Counting California
• RootsWeb Message Board - Yolo County
• Sacrmanento Northern On-Line: Through the Sacramento Valley, presented by Garth G. Groff.
  • The Woodland Branch: A Sacramento Northern Success Story, by Garth G. Groff with additions by Henry E. Bender, Jr.
• Sacramento Valley Historical Railways
• University of California at Davis - Special Collections
• West Sacramento Chamber of Commerce
• Winters Chamber of Commerce
• Winters History – "Historic Winters," presented by the Winters Express. (This section of the Winters Express online edition presents articles about the history of Winters.)
• Woodland Chamber of Commerce
• Woodland Community Stroll Through History (Always in September)
• Yolo Area Regional Network (YARN)
• Yolo County CA Club, presented by GenCircles.
• Yolo County, California, Genealogy Resources, presented by GenDir - Genealogy Directory and Message Board.
• Yolo County, California, Genealogy Resources, presented by Kindred Trails. (includes information on vital records for Yolo County)
• Yolo County Cemetery Transcriptions, Peggy Hopper, Project Manager, Tombstone Transcription Project.
• Yolo County Buildings, presented by the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings Project.
• Yolo County Economic Data, presented by the California State University, Sacramento.
• Yolo County Email List - CAYolo-L, presented by RootsWeb. (Search CAYolo-L Archives & Browse CAYolo-L Archives. (Messages posted on the Yolo County RootsWeb Message Board will automatically gateway to the CAYolo-L email list and so can be found in the CAYolo-L Archives as well as on the message board.)
• Yolo County Genealogy Queries, presented by CousinConnect.com.
• Yolo County Profile, presented by CERES.
• Yolo County Section of the McKenney’s Pacific Coast Business Directory for 1880-1881, presented on the Golden Nugget Library web site by Nancy Pratt Melton. (Scroll down to “Yolo County” to access the towns listed.)
• Yolo County Stone Quarries & Mineral Resources, presented on the Stone Quarries and Beyond web site by Peggy and Pat Perazzo.
• YoloLink – Directory of Community Information & Services for Yolo County, California, Davis Community Network.

Maps

• 1895 U.S. Atlas – Yolo County
• 1914 Map of Yolo County. This map was contributed by Janie Edwards (Shasta County GenWeb Project Coordinator) from her list of 1914 California county maps, and is used with her permission. (This 1914 map will be placed on this web site soon. Until then you can view the Yolo County map by going to Janie Edwards' list at the link above.)
• County Map with major features displayed (of Yolo County), presented by the Yolo Area Regional Network.
• Map of Yolo County – circa 1920.
  (This is a huge gif file (1.2 Meg), but has great detail and shows townships)
• Maps and Spatial Data, presented by CERES.
• Present-Day Map of Yolo County (Yahoo Mapquest – Woodland is on map, zoom out to view surrounding area.)
• U. S. Census Bureau Maps - Yolo County, Tiger Map Server Browser.

Yolo County Memories & Articles

• Berreyessa inundated long before lake formed: Many Spanish pioneers saw land disappear, by Kristin Delaplane, in the Echoes of Solano's Past column in The Reporter.com, January 28, 1996.
• Capay Valley – "Mammoth Discovery in The Capay Valley," by Eve Hightower, Woodland Daily Democrat, online edition, December 9, 2004. The pelvis of an elephant-like creature was discovered by Granite Construction workers at the company's gravel mining site on September 14, 2004.
• Carnegie Libraries in Yolo and Woodland, Yolo County, California, presented by the Carnegie Libraries of California. (Check in the "Listings" section for the history of these two Yolo County library buildings.)
• Davis Historic City Hall Building - "Historic and haute," by Sharon Stello, Davis Enterprise staff writer, published August 1, 2005, Davis Enterprise online edition. (The following excerpt from Sharon Stello's article is used with permission.)

  "Then: Historic City Hall, the Spanish-style building at Third and F streets in downtown Davis, was constructed in 1938. During a special ceremony on April 30, the granite cornerstone was laid with a list of the day's participants and events sealed inside.

  "The building's formal dedication followed on Aug. 31. The north wing, which housed the city's Fire Department, was dedicated on Sept. 17 of that year.

  "As the city grew, the fire department eventually moved to new headquarters in 1966 and the area was converted to Police Department offices. In the early 1980s, city offices moved into the old high school at 23 Russell Blvd. In spring 2001, the Police Department moved into its new building on Fifth Street.

  "Since then, Historic City Hall has been used by a few short-term tenants, including the grant-funded Davis Energy Efficiency Project, a haunted house, the Halloween Headquarters costume store and a temporary display of artwork from the Pence Gallery.

  "Now: Bistro 33 Davis, a restaurant and banquet hall, is set to open in the newly remodeled building by the middle of this month...."

• Davis History, presented on the Davis Historical Society web site.
  • Davis History As A Whole (Sec. 1.1) The following articles are presented in this section: (1) “Population Trends (1868-20--)”; (2) “Chart of Nine Periods of Davis History”; (3) “Number of Buildings Constructed in Davis History”; (4) “Researching Older Davis Buildings”; (5) “Local History and Historic Preservation in Davis, CA, 1963-2003”; (6) “Davis Council Elections, 1917-2000 (with results through 2006)”; and (7) “Table of Voting Trends 1920-2000.”
  • Nine Periods of Davis History (continued) (Sec. 1.2) The following articles are presented in this section: (1) “Before Davis and Overview”; (2) “Expectant, 1868-71”; (3) “Farming, 1872-90”; (4) “Cultivation, 1891-1904”; (5) “Restarting, 1901-16”; (6) “Urbanizing, 1917-29”; (7) “Depression, 1930-45”; (8) “Exploding, 1946-71”; (9) “Progressive, 1972-89”; (10) “Contested, 1990- ----.”
  • Papers on Davis History Series (Sec. 1.3) The following papers are presented in this section: (Paper #1) “A Traditional Minimal House,” by Tanya Lieberman; (Paper #2) “Pre WWI View of Old North Davis”; (Paper #3) “Nineteenth Century Buildings Remaining in Davis”; (Paper #4) “Davis Politics, 1971-72”; (Paper #5) “A 1920s to 50s Student District in Davis, California”; and (Paper #6) “The Henry Stelling Family of Davis (A Dresbach-Hunt-Boyer Mansion Family).”
  • Historic Preservation and Resources (Sec. 2) This sections includes several articles on the preservation and resources relating to the city of Davis, California.
• Davisville – "Crime Accompanies Prosperity in Davisville," article by Kristin Delaplane, from Echoes From Solano's Past column in The Reporter.com, November 5, 1995.
• "Davisville - Nearly Veranda City - Founded," article by Kristin Delaplane, from Echoes From Solano's Past in The Reporter.com, November 5, 1995.
• Davisville – "Silkworms, Name 'Davisville' Meet Their Fate," article by Kristin Delaplane, from Echoes From Solano's Past, in The Reporter.com, November 12, 1995.
• Dead Cat Alley (aka China Alley) – "Art brings past alive on Dead Cat Alley," by Beth Curda, Davis Enterprise staff writer, Monday, October 4, 2004. ("...Dead Cat Alley was a play area for children, a small China Town and a path for accessing the businesses along it. It also was key to the development of downtown Woodland, first known as Yolo City....")
• Indians, grizzlies succumb to newcomers. (October 22, 1995), by Kristin Delaplane, in the Echoes of Solano's Past column in The Reporter.com.
• William Knight – Knights Landing, Knights Ferry.
• Myra Stoddard Springer Burton Scott
• Putah Creek – "Salmon sighting rewards Putah conservation efforts," by Elisabeth Sherwin, Davis Enterprise online edition, Monday, December 13, 2004. This article is about the time Rob Thayer observed a large salmon in Putah Creek for the first time in many years and about the biodiversity of Putah Creek.
• "Ringing back memories," by Jeff Hudson, Davis Enterprise staff writer, Wednesday, March 10, 2004, Davis Enterprise, online edition. This article is about the music of the past that is performed today by various groups in Yolo County.
• Ruggles Family History - Recollections of A Busy Life, written by Eli Fayette Ruggles circa 1904. The book includes a trip to California to visit relatives in the early 1900s. Eli F. Ruggles was the brother of Fernando Cortez (F.C.) Ruggles of Woodland and Lyman B. Ruggles of Woodland, Hanford, and Traver. F.C. Ruggles, his wife, Leanna (Kinkle) Ruggles, and family; Lyman B. Ruggles, his wife Martha Ann (Dexter) Ruggles, and his family; and their cousin Joel Jackson arrived in California in Placerville circa 1849 where they mined gold for about a year. The Ruggles families moved on to Yolo County where they both purchased farmland near Woodland. (Lyman B. Ruggles was the father of John D. Ruggles and Charles L. Ruggles who robbed the Wells Fargo stagecoach between the towns of Shasta and Weaverville in the early 1880s. They were eventually hung in Redding by vigilantes.) (This book was transcribed by Peggy B. Perazzo, descendant of F. C. and Leanna (Kinkle) Ruggles and is presented on the California Genealogy and History Archives web site, a part of the CAGenWeb Project.)
• Winters – "City got its name from early businessman Theodore Winters," article from the "Historic Winters" section of the Winters Express.
• Winters – "Long family roots grew on Winters fruit ranch," by Kristin Delaplane, in the "Echoes of Solano's Past" column in The Reporter.com, September 19, 1999. (The other part of Go Long's story can be read at this web address:
  <http://63.192.157.117/history/Conti/conti091299.html>)
• Winters Express – "The first Express came off the press in February of 1884," article from the "Historic Winters" section of the Winters Express.
• Wolfskill – "John Reid Wolfskill, the area’s earliest American settler, 1842," aticle from the "Historic Winters" section of the Winters Express.
• Woodland Elementary School – 1914 and 1916 Graduates
• Woodland Library in the Andrew Carnegie building constructed in 1905 – "Special day: Woodland Public Library celebrates its centennial," by Paul F. Miller, Special to the Woodland "Daily Democrat" online edition, Saturday, January 08, 2005.

• Yolo County Hospital Records Excerpts, Woodland, California, California State Archives, Board of Examiners 1883-1889 (includes 1875 & 1880s), pages 115 and 116, submitted by Martha A Crosley Graham. (Further California history research information is available on the California State Archives - Family History Resources section of their web site.)

  (The names, ages, and places of birth listed below are listed on the two images below. The dates of admission and discharge are shown on the scans, but they are not included in the list below.)

  (Page 115 - column headings for information listed below are: Name, Age, Born)

  Andrie, Lewis - 63 - Germany

  Anthony, J. - 66 - Tennessee

  Bampton, R. L. - 75 - England

  Barker, A. - 87 - Vermont

  Bossinger, John - 67 - Germany

  Brooks, W.N. - 83 - Massachusetts

  Brooks, Mrs. W.N. - 84 - Massachusetts

  Brown, Byron - 60 - New York

  Brown, George - 60 - Kentucky

  Carey, Michael - 60 - Ireland

  Carr, Ed - 62 - Ireland

  Cave, W.J. - 75 - Kentucky

  Conroy, Mary - 60 - England

  Farr, Daniel - 75 - New York

  Fox, Guy - 66 - Denmark

  Indean, Jim - 65 - California

  Gifford, J. - 75 - Pennsylvania

  Hanney, Chris - 79 - Germany

  Hartwell, George - 74 - Massachusetts

  Hickman, William - 60- Ireland/Illinois

  Hogan, Mrs. J. - 70 - Ireland

  Humphreys, Ed - 60 - Ireland

  Johnson, John - 75 - England

  Kelley, H.W. - 65 - New York

  Lobdell, W.W. - 66 - New York

  (Page 116 Continued from previous page - column headings for information listed below are: Name, Age, Born)

  Monroe, Dr. A. - 74 - Scotland

  Murray, Luke - 67 - Ireland

  Mulek, Jacob - 60 - Germany

  O’Brien, M. - 68 - Ireland

  Peterson, P. - 76 - Norway

  Pfund, Chris - 71 - Switzerland

  Pratte, O. - 69 - MO (Missouri ?)

  Rollins, Frank M. - 60 - Maine

  Shult, S.B. - 79 - New York

  Smith, Ellen - 102 - Ireland

  Trow, Henry - 73 - England

  Vanderhyden, H.M. - 76 - New York

  Wibe, Jennie - 65 - Ireland

  Willis, Charles - 74 - New York

  Winn, Richard - 60 - Ireland

• There are none listed at the moment. Please contact me if you'd like to have your Yolo County-related web site added here. Peggy B. Perazzo