Abstract: Learn how to find and use five valuable California resources that will help you with your research in the Golden State.
In February 1848 the War with Mexico ended, and the treaty ending the war awarded to the United States much of what is today the American Southwest. Just days earlier, gold was discovered at a mill belonging to John A. Sutter and James W. Marshall. This set the stage for one of quickest acceptances to statehood in the nineteenth century. As part of the compromise of 1850, California became a free state on September 9, 1850. In celebration of California’s statehood, here are five resources to help you with your research in California:
1. Online Archive of California
The Online Archives of California (OAC) is a consortium of the 10 campuses of the University of California with more than 200 other archives, historical societies, libraries, and museums from around California. The OAC contains more than 220,000 images and documents from participating organizations. Originally launched in 2002, the site got a complete redesign and upgrade in 2008–2009. In addition to these documents and images, the OAC has more than 20,000 collection guides for materials in the collections of member organizations.
2. California Digital Newspaper Collections
The California Digital Newspaper Collections (CDNC) is a project of the University of California Riverside’s Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research (CBSR). It is one of three newspaper projects of the CBSR. The CDNC contains almost a half million pages from almost 56,000 issues of newspapers published in California between 1846 and 1922. Among the available papers are the Californian (the first newspaper published in California) and the Daily Alta California (the first daily newspaper in the state). In addition to searching by keyword, you can browse by title and by date.
3. California State Library Picture Catalog Collections
In 2002 the California State Library (CSL) started creating digital images of photographs and prints in their collection. Their Picture Catalog includes about 10% of the total collection, but includes hundreds of images of interest to historians. Among the most interesting are in the Daguerrotype Collection, with more than 100 early dageurrotypes, ambrotypes, and tintypes.
Wells Fargo and Co. building in San Francisco, ca. 1870 from the California State Library Picture Catalog.
Learn California is a project of the California State Archives (CSA). Primarily designed for schoolteachers and students, the Research California section is equally of interest to genealogists. The site includes information on California history, images from the CSA collections, online exhibits, and links to historical resources. There is also a section that provides suggestions on how to bibliographic and footnote citations.
5. California Historical Society
Attempts to create the California Historical Society (CHS) started in 1871, but it was not until 1922 that CHS was created for good. Located in San Francisco, the society’s collections include 50,000 print volumes; 4,000 manuscript collections; 5,000 lithographs, paintings, and drawings; and 500,000 photographs. For genealogists, you can get perspective on the history of California through California History: The Journal of the California Historical Society. Issues from 2010 to the present are on the CHS website. There is a link to earlier issues, dating back to 1922, which can be viewed on JSTOR.
Interested in searching California Records on Mocavo? Search California Historical Documents now.
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