Lake County Historical Resources
This page describes Lake County’s historical resources which are located in various collections around the county. No single repository owns “all” of Lake County’s historical information, and researchers might not know what is available where. The sections below will describe briefly what is in each collection, where the collection is located, and how to contact the agency or organization that owns it. (Special thanks to Pomo Bulletin editor Jan Cook for compiling this list!)
* * *
Microfilmed Lake County newspapers in Lake County Library collection
Collection Details
Lake County newspapers, microfilmed and filed at the Lake County Library, hold the foundations of many Lake County history stories. The collection contains newspapers that cover nearly all of Lake County’s existence, but there is no complete run of all issues of all newspapers published in Lake County. See the list below for details. Much of the early microfilming was done by the California State Library, and the Lake County library now routinely microfilms all Lake County newspapers.
Lakeport Library houses most of the microfilmed newspapers. Redbud Library in Clearlake has a smaller collection than Lakeport does, but Lakeport Library will loan its films for use at Redbud.
Each library has a microfilm reader-printer machine. These high-tech machines combine reader-printers with computers that allow direct printing, scanning and saving images and e-mailing images.
Lakeport’s machine is available on a first-come, first-served basis, while at Redbud the machine must be reserved. Call the libraries for more information.
California Indian Library Collections in Lake County Library
Collection Details
The University of California collected thousands of documents, photographs and audio tapes on California’s tribes to create the California Indian Library Collection. In the late 1980s copies of these materials were placed into county libraries throughout California to put the information close to the tribal locations.
Lake County received materials on the Huchnom, Lake Miwok, Patwin, Pomo/Kashaya Pomo, Wappo and Yuki history and culture, as all of these tribes had been in what is now Lake County, although the extent of their presence may have been very small.
All of the Lake County documents, photographs and tapes are housed at Lakeport Library and are library-use only.
Space prevents printing extensive background on the CILC here, so interested readers can learn more about the history of this project can be found at www.mip.berkeley.edu/cilc/bibs/preface.html
Miscellaneous government-generated documents in the Lake County Library
Collection Details
Census microfilms
Federal Census. 1860, Clear Lake Township of Napa County
Federal Census. 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 Lake
County. [most of the US 1890 census burned.]
Microfilms, other.
US National Archives. M756. Assessment Lists for CA. Sonoma,
Marin, Napa, Lake & Mendocino 1862 – 1866
Board of Supervisors. Proceedings. Lake County; February 6,
1905 – July 9, 1918
Great Register of Voters. Lake County. 1900 – 1944
Other documents:
Environmental impact reports & other documents, including:
Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine Superfund Site
Homestake McLaughlin Mine project
Lake County Transit ADA plan
Geothermal projects
Water systems
Redevelopment plans
Lake County General Plan
Residential developments
Regional Transit Plan
New Lakeport courthouse
Konocti Regional Trails
Wastewater projects
Lakeport Town Center
Integrated Aquatic Plant Management Plan
Lake County Library
County librarian Christopher Veach can be reached at 707-263-8817 ext. 17103
Contact
Lakeport Library, 1425 N. High St, 95453, 707-263-8817
Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Rd, Clearlake, 95422, 707-994-5115
Website
http://library.co.lake.us.
Click on “Local Genealogy and History.”
Library@lakecountyca.gov
OR
christopher.veach@lakecountyca.gov
Hours
Lakeport & Redbud Libraries
Wednesdays, Noon-8:00 p.m.
Tuesdays and Thursdays – Saturdays 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This information is subject to change without notice. Contact the library for current information.
* * *
Lake County Genealogical Society
Contacts
Anita Crabtree; 707-275-2144; anitajc@pacific.net
Kathi Alvey; 707-279-8003; kmagene@yahoo.com
Rose Davidson; 707-263-5874; knedert@sbcglobal.net
Mailing Address
P O Box 1323
Lakeport CA 95453
Website
www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~calcgs/index.html
Hours
Thursday 1 pm – 3 pm
Friday 10 am – 2 pm
Saturday (2nd Sat. only)
10:30 am – 3 pm
Call ahead to confirm that a volunteer will be on duty. This information is subject to change without notice. Contact the genealogical society for current information.
* * *
Collection details
The Lake County Genealogical Society’s Lenore Clark Memorial Library is housed in the Lake County Visitors Center at 6110 E. Hwy. 20 in Lucerne. The library is named in honor of LGCS founder and first president Lenore Clark (1922-2003). The LCGS was founded in 1977.
Volunteers work in the library several days a week. Call ahead to verify that someone will be on duty. See Contact Information for details.
The collection includes
Family tree information on many Lake County families.
Lake County obituary file
Cemetery transcriptions from around Lake County
Lake County Death Binders: contain information from numerous death-related sources such as cemetery records, probate records and mortuary records. Each page lists one person and all such known sources for that person.
Lake County phone books: 1940s—current
Some Lake County high school yearbooks
Lake County Schools Directories
LCGS members will perform limited research in response to queries.
Researchers can also make appointments to use the library. Contact the society for more details.
The LCGS collection also includes books relating to other locales, since not every Lake County resident was born here.
* * *
Lake County Museums
Linda Lake, curator
Dwain Goforth, assistant curator
Courthouse Museum
255 N. Main St.; Lakeport CA 95453; 707-263-4555
Hours
Wed.-Sat. 10:00—4:00
Sun. 12:00-4:0
Schoolhouse Museum
16435 Main St.; P O Box 1762; Lower Lake; 707-995-3565
Hours
Wed.-Sat. 11:00—4:00
Website
co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Museums.htm
museum@lakecountyca.gov
This information is subject to change without notice. Contact the museums for current information.
Collection details
Photographs, many digitized
Postcard collection
Mauldin’s notes and part of his book collection
Mauldin’s inventory of historic sites
Pomo Bulletins
Birth, Marriage and Death index
Oral histories
Historic documents
Court record books and various county department record books from 1870 to about 1970
Plat Maps
Aerial Maps from 1940’s and 1950’s
Miscellaneous maps
* * *
Lake County Visitor Center / Chamber of Commerce
875 Lakeport Blvd,
Lakeport, CA 95453
707-263-5092
Monday – Friday 9 am – 5 pm