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Started: July 2006
Last Updated:23 Aug 2008

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Welcome! My name is Joyce (Bickerton) Pilgrim. I am the San Francisco County coordinator. This site if part of "The CAGENWEB Project" and "The USGENWEB Project" providing free genealogy resources. If you would like to contribute your San Francisco information to this site, please contact me at jpilgrim@pacebll.net. If you would like to host a county of your own please contact the California State Coordinator Richard S. Wilson.

Images Online

1883-1889 Old Folks Home
1918 SF City Directory
Photographs
Postcards

Indexes Online

1850 SF City Directory
(Name Index & Street X-Ref) (In-Progress, last Updated 17 Aug 2008)
1910-1939 SF Jewelers (In-Progress!)


SF County formed: 1850
(Extensive record loss caused
by the 1906 earthquake)

WorldGenWeb | USGenWeb | CAGenWeb | Contact County Coordinator Copyright © 2008: by Joyce Pilgrim: All materials, images, sounds and data contained herein are not to be copied or downloaded for purposes of duplication, distribution, or publishing without the express written permission of the owner. This Web page is sponsored on behalf of the California portion of USGenWeb Project. Although believed to be correct as presented, if you note any corrections, changes, additions, or find that any links on this page are not functioning properly please contact the County Coordinator for prompt attention to the matter. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WorldGenWeb | USGenWeb | CAGenWeb | Contact County Coordinator Copyright © 2008: by Joyce Pilgrim: All materials, images, sounds and data contained herein are not to be copied or downloaded for purposes of duplication, distribution, or publishing without the express written permission of the owner. This Web page is sponsored on behalf of the California portion of USGenWeb Project. Although believed to be correct as presented, if you note any corrections, changes, additions, or find that any links on this page are not functioning properly please contact the County Coordinator for prompt attention to the matter. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WorldGenWeb | USGenWeb | CAGenWeb | Contact County Coordinator Copyright © 2008: by Joyce Pilgrim: All materials, images, sounds and data contained herein are not to be copied or downloaded for purposes of duplication, distribution, or publishing without the express written permission of the owner. This Web page is sponsored on behalf of the California portion of USGenWeb Project. Although believed to be correct as presented, if you note any corrections, changes, additions, or find that any links on this page are not functioning properly please contact the County Coordinator for prompt attention to the matter. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Donated by Natalie Huntley

These photographs were kindly donated by Natalie Huntley. Click on the thumbnail photograph to view a larger image. If you recognize anyone or anyplace please contact Natalie

(1) Annie Hobbs (front)	(1) Annie Hobbs (back)	(2) Marjorie Whitcomb (front)	(2) Marjorie Whitcomb (back)
(3) Mrs E P Fitzgerald (front)	(3) Mrs E P Fitzgerald (back)	(4) Unkonwn Children (back)	(4) Unkonwn Children (front)
(5) Unknown Boy	(6) Unknown Child (front)	(6) Unkonwn Child (back)	(7) Unkonwn Child
(8) Unknown Children (front)	(8) Unknown Children (back)	(9) Unkonwn Family	(10) Unkonwn Family
(11) Unknown Girl	(12) Unknown Houses	(13) Unkonwn Children	(14) Unkonwn Man
(15) Unknown Man (front)	(15) Unknown Man (back)	(16) Unkonwn Man (front)	(17) Unkonwn Man (back)
(18) Unknown Women	(19) Unknown Man	(20) Unknown Women	(21) Unknown children (back)
(22) Unknown Children (back)	(22) Unknown Girl	(23) James Marshall Hobbs (front)	(23) James Marsahll Hobbs (back)
(24) Unknown Woman (front)	(24) Unknown Woman (back)

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Donated by Natalie Huntley

Return to thumbnail photographs

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Postcards Kindly Donated by Lois Clark

San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge	Entering the Golden Gate Bridge by Moonlight
The Trail of the Earthquake	Destruction from San Francisco 1906 Earthquake
Cliff House and Seal Rocks Addressed to Mr & Mrs J E Kelsey, Boone, Iowa	Seal Rocks from the Cliff House
Ferry Building	Iowa Building, Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915 From Mrs Flaren
Palace of Fine Arts

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Board of Examiners Records 1883-1889

A-C      C-G      G-L      L-P      P-U      V-W

Images provided by Martha Graham. You may need to scroll up or down to see the entire page

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


1850s | 1860s | 1870s | 1880s | 1890s | 1900s | 1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s

Some of the events preceeding 1850 include: the discovery of San Francisco Bay in 1769 by Don Gapar de Portola; the establishment of Mission Dolores in 1776; the founding of the Presidio in 1776; the first home built by Captain William A. Richardson in 1835; the city's first newspaper the California Star began in 1847 and later merged with the Alta.

Gold was found in the American River 1848 starting a population explosion in San Francisco that increased the population from a few hundred in 1848 to over 30,000 by 1849. Between 1849 and 1951 there were six major fires that destroyed the City almost faster than it could be rebuilt. One of these fires is described in a transcribed letter from 1849. The 1850s were a time of building and coming to grips with the population explosion.

• San Francisco County was formed and the San Francisco City Charter was approved by the California Legislature.
• 1850 Transbay ferry service began with the establishment of a route between San Francsico and the Oakland Estuary.
• 1850 Yerba Buena Cemetery opened.
• 1851 Crime gets out of control. The first Committee of Vigilance was established.
• 1854 Lone Mountain (Laurel Hill) cemetery established.
• 1856 The City and County of San Francisco were combined. San Mateo was split off as a separate county.
• 1858 The Overland Stage begins between Sanfrancisco and the East.

Letter transcribed from a copy of a hand written letter by Linda McDowell.
San Francisco Dec 30th, 1849

My Dear Friend Morris,

With me this far alls well. I am still here going forward as when you last heard from me, but this being "the winter of our discontent", business is neither as great or profitable as when I last wrote. We have branched out once more & now have three stores in operation. Our saw mill is also going which will bring in 'the dimes', notwithstand the large number of houses & great quantities of lumber that are on the way around the horn. The greater part of this month the weather has been awful, "the rain it raineth every day", nearly causing the streets to resemble some great mud hole, more than a high way. It is almost impossible for teams to get along & much of the carrying trade is done on mens backs, for carting a good sized wheelbarrow load two or three squares, $5 is to pay, and the greasers backs are equally as expensive. Last week I started to ride down to our saw mill, some 70 miles from here, but one of these California rains set in, and raised the streams so that the! y became impossible. I not feeling like taking a swim, which would have been necessary had I proceeded, turned back, escaping with one ducking in which I came near losing my horse & life too--I managed however to get out of the troubled waters & leading my horse five miles stopped for the night.

On Monday morning last a large fire took place which destroyed property to over one million dollars in value. By the hardest work imaginable, the fire was kept from ? (can't read) the street which had it done would have closed up two of our stores as well as hundreds of others. But as you will have all the particulars, & mine too, in the papers I will not go into details. From the mines we have no very interesting news, most of the miners have gone into winter quarters, working but occasionally, making on an average, I am informed, about $12 per diem. Sacramento City is in a wretched state, there, as here the cry is Mud! Mud!! Mud!!! Stockton was also visited by fire, much property having been consumed.

Most of the Philadelphians of our acquaintance remain here about town. McKinley looks as cheerful as ever & is doing well. (Poor Charley) Smiley is making money fast--Dixey is here working at his trade & is making something--the McKissicks are also working at their trade & I suppose, make money, as any kind of thick boot brings an ounce & from there to $100 per pair. Big Tom Edwards has a team running hauling paid for the city, at $5 per load--he makes money, but whether he loses it again I know not--he runs the risk, however. Ned McGowan is here twirling the little ball & crying out "eagle bird by chance"--of late I have seen nothing of him--he has probably declined the banking business & left this Darling -town. John Arentrue tried his luck at his old trade but got broke, the boys being too much for him--he now has an appointment from the Alcade & rides a good horse, the streets being too bad to walk, at $1000 per month--he is street inspector. Long Tom Morris is knocking ! about town & takes his liquor as much as ever--he is not doing much for himself. Middleton & Berry, the balance of the Algoma Company are doing an auction business & have had since good sales. Brown of Bank Alley, & more recently of 8th street, had done remarkably well--Manard is making money-

I have just returned after dining at old Shong, the principal Chinese Restaraunteers of this mongrel place--old Shong and his assistants are a great curiosity, & if Burton had them, he never need come to California. After the sound of the gong the table is filled by at least fifty of us "outside barbarians" at which Shong's attendants work out of a suspicious looking back room bearing soup plates & all bawling out "tong aw" which I supposed means rat soup. After this course comes the roasts, boils and stews which are awfully hot & look & smell delicious, but then one attempts to cut up one of the pieces of meat or pies he imagines he sees the leg of a blind puppy or the tail of a rat in every smoking piece--but here vittals are vittals & we goes it cat or not cat--all this being over you are served with a square piece of pie, the size a female celestials foot, together with a cup of good coffee--this being through we left Shong and his big trousered--cat eyed,-- long tailed,! --black haired & wooden shoed celestials--as we pass out old Chew Chaw takes our $1.50 & rubs off his slate one of those spider looking words.

The vessel your brother embarked in has not yet arrived, although she is out near six months--The Maria that left a month later from Philadelphia has been here some weeks, making a very good trip. I have been anxiously looking for it for a long time, the vessel ought to have been here some time since, but some ships have had much longer passages than six months I have no fears of any accident happening to the E, as she doubled the cape at a favorable season. Had he been here a month ago he could have sold out his clothing at $100 percent advance, at wholesale--prices are still good, but not as high as they have been several large invoices having lately arrived. Remember me to all our friends.

Believe me as ever your friend J. H. Gardiner

along left margin it says "Write me & be particular to address John H Gardiner"

(the author of this letter was b. in NJ in 1818, died in Rio Vista. CA in 1906 and is buried in Rio Vista)

The 1860s brought continued population growth with the Pony Express and railroad connecting San Francisco to the East Coast. Some of the highlights include:

• 1860 The Pony Express began service from St. Joseph, Missouri to San Francisco.
• 1860 The "Pioche Railroad" was started by the Market Street Railway Company, which graded Market Street. This road at first was operated by steam dummies, later by means of horses.
• 1861 Fort Point was completed. It was built to protect San Francisco from some one who never came. The fort was never fired on nor did it ever have to defend the Gate.
• 1861 Pony Express ceased opetions 19 months after it began.
• 1862 Telegraph services was established between San Francisco and New York.
• 1864 San Francisco Railroad line (predecessor to CalTrain) was completed to San Jose.
• 1865 The Dramatic Chronical (later The Chronicle) was first published.
• 1865 The Examiner was first published.
• 1865 A great earthquake hit San Francisco causing extensive damage.
• 1868 A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck along the Hayward fault causing much damage and loss of life.
• 1869 The first westbound train arrived in San Francsico.

The 1870s were a time of city expansion with the Golden Gate park being created and the first cable car system started. By the late 1870s San Francisco began to suffer difficult and bitter economic times. The white workers blamed the chinese for their high unemployment rate. Chinese withdrew into what we now call Chinatown. The following highlights some of the events.

• 1870 San Francisco became the tenth largest city in the United States.
• 1870 Golden Gate park was created.
• 1871 Yerba Buena Cemetery removed.
• 1873 Andrew S. Hallidie tested his first cable car system near the top of Nob Hill at Clay and Jones streets and the next month started public service.
• 1876 Southern Pacific Railroad line connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco was completed.
• 1876 Diptheria epidemic.
• 1877 Angry mobs killed 4 and wounded 18 when more Chinese immigrants arrived.

The Indian Wars of the 1870s and 1880s resulted in additional growth of the Presidio. Soldiers stationed here saw action against the Modoc Indians in the Lava Beds of northern California and against the Apache Indians in the southwest. In the 1880s a large-scale tree planting and post beautification program was started. Some of the highlights from the 1880s are listed below.

• 1880 George Hearst accepted a small daily newspaper, the San Francisco Examiner, as payment for a gambling debt. The elder Hearst, now a U.S. senator from California, had little interest in the newspaper business as such, but the event proved pivotal for his son. In the mid-1880s, young Will (William Randolf Hearst), a Harvard student at the time, wrote his father a now-famous letter requesting that he be permitted to take over the Examiner.
• 1880 The Irish make up nearly one-third of the City's population.
• 1886 Anti-Chinese mobs in Seattle force about 200 Chinese to flee to San Francisco.
• 1887 A snowstorm covered the entire city making San Francisco a winter wonderland.

The 1890s brought a depression although San Francisco continued some growth and building. Some of the highlights from this period follow.

• 1890 USS San Francisco, a 4088-ton protected cruiser, was built at San Francisco, California, and commissioned in November 1890. She served in the Pacific until 1893, then steamed to the Atlantic. Operations followed in the North and South Atlantic, and in European waters. During the Spanish-American War, in 1898, San Francisco was stationed off Cuba
• 1892 Sierra Club was founded with 182 members and John Muir as president.
• 1898 American Anti-Imperialist League founded. It was created to protest the annexation of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines after the Spanish-American War, the Anti-Imperialist League was the first national anti-imperialist organization formed in the United States.
• 1898 The Ferry Building was built. By the early 1930s it was The Ferry Building was the second busiest transportation terminal in the world.

One of the wonderful aspects of the turn-of-the-century era was the multitude of grandious schemes for the development of California. In the early 1900's, the country had rebounded from the depression of the 1890's, so a renewed sense of optimism was the mood of the day although in 1906 a major earthquake caused much death and destruction in the City. Following are some hightlights from this era.

• 1903 The Commonwealth Club of California was founded in 1903 by San Francisco Chronicle editorial writer Edward F. Adams.
• 1905 A coast railroad from San Francisco to Santa Cruz was created. It was initially called the Ocean Shore Electric Railway. Initial work began in 1905.
• 1906 A major earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area.
• 1907 San Francisco Streetcar strike.
• 1909 John Muir led a movement to save the Hetch Hetchy Valley from ruin at the hands of the City and County of San Francisco who wanted the valley for a municipal water supply.

The period from 1910 to 1919 was one of continued immigration and growth of San Francisco although mared by World War I. The following are some hightlights from this era.

• 1910 Angel Island opened. For 30 years, Angel Island served as a point of entry to the United States for many immigrants. Like Ellis Island in New York, it processed the entry of people from different parts of the world. Unlike Ellis Island, it also served as a prison for hundreds of Chinese immigrants.
• 1911 Women given the right to vote in California.
• 1912 Souther Pacific Railroad terminal built at Third and Townsend streets in anticipation of the 1915 Exposition.
• 1914-1918 WWI
• 1915 Palace of Fine Arts created by architect Bernard R. Maybeck for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
• 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition
• 1918 Great Flu epidemic
• 1918 The end of the war to end all wars. Soldiers came home with a victory parade down Market Street, and the City looked forward to an era of peace and prosperity

The Roaring '20s as they are commonly referred to. Despite prohibition laws San Francisco remained the wettest city in the West. Some of the highlights from this era follow.

• 1920 The Great Highway and Ocean Beach Esplanade completed. More than 50,000 people joined in the festivities and celebration.
• 1921 Fatty Arbuckle arrested for the murder of Virginia Rappe after a lavish party at the St. Francis Hotel.
• 1922 Statute took away citizenship from any American woman who married a man not elibilbe for citizenship
• 1929 Black Tuesday, stock market crashed.

The early 30s were years of the great depression however by the mid to late 30s the worst had passed. The great period of ferry transit reached its peak in the 1930's, when 60 million persons crossed the bay annually, along with 6 million autos. Highlights from this era follow.

• 1933 San Francisco Ballet Company founded.
• 1934 San Francisco Maritime strike began May 9th. Running battles between unionists and police began July 3rd with July 5th known as "Bloody Thursday".
• 1935 San Francisco Museum of Art opens under the leadership of founding directory Grace L. McCann Morley in the fourth floor of the War Memorial Veterans Building.
• 1935 City College of San Francisco, a public two-year college, opens.
• 1936 San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge opens.
• 1926 Herb Caen landed a job writing a column for the San Francisco Chronicle.
• 1937 Golden Gate Bridge opens.
• 1939 Golden Gate Internation Exposition and fair, also known as Treasure Island.

The first half of the 40s saw men and women from every walk of life flocking to the shipyards to find work and support the war effort. San Francisco was referred to as "Baghdad by the Bay" by Herb Caen. It was possible to drink 24 hours a day. Sally Stanford the famous madam had a hugh house on Russion Hill and her girls were like socialites. Some highlights from this era follow.

• 1939-1945 WWII. During the war 120,000 Japanese aliens and American citizens with Japanese faces were removed from the theirhomes in California, Oregon, Washington and taken to internment camps. Of those, 18,000 were from the San Francisco Bay Area.
• 1940 The 2nd Golden Gate Internation Exposition and fair was held
• 1940 Navy purchases Hunter's Point.
• 1945 UN Charter creating the United Nations was signed in San Francisco.

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Maps used in conjunction with City Directories and Census records can help you pinpoint where and in which neighborhood you ancestor lived.

Some of today's neighborhoods and districts include:

Alcatraz	Embarcadero	Noe Valley	Union Square
Aquatic Park	Financial District	North Beach
Bernal Heights	Fisherman's Wharf	Pacific Heights
Castro	Haight-Ashbury	Portrero Hill
Chinatown	Hayes Valley	Richmond District
Civic Center	Japantown	Russian Hill
Coit Tower	Mission Bay	SOMA (South of Market)
Crocker-Amazon	Mission District	Tenderloin
Diamond Heights	Nob Hill	Treasure Island

Useful Links to Historical Maps:
1852, 1860, 1870, 1880 San Francisco Districts and Wards at SFGenealogy.com
1914 San Francisco County/San Mateo County Map
City Street Guides at SFGeneaolgy.com
David Rumsey Map Collection
San Francisco Public Library: District Map & Photos

Useful Links to Current Maps: Google; Mapquest; Yahoo

North Beach

North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here North Beach stuff goes here Close

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Jewelers advertising in the San Francisco City Directories from 1910 through 1939 have been extracted and compiled by Joyce Pilgrim to give you an at-a-glance view of the time frame they were in business (and advertising).

The jewelers in the City Directories are categorized as Importers, manufacturing, wholesale, and retail. The entries include the name and location of the business. In some cases, only a building name is listed rather than the address. The buildings that I've been able to locate addresses for are:

Flood Building:	870 Market	Phelan Building:	760-784 Market Street
Head Building:	209 Post	Shreve Building:	210 Post Street
Hearst Building:	5 Third Street	Tanama Buidling:	166 Geary
Jewelers Building:	150 Post	Whitney Buidling:	133 Geary
Pacific Building     (Evans Pacific Building):	1409 Sutter

The 1910 through 1916 compilation is complete with all categories of jewelers. The other years are currently incomplete but entries are being added weekly so check back often. Click on the link below to see if your ancestor was a jeweler in San Francisco!

Jewelers 1910-1939  (In-Progress)

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB

Jewelers 1910-1939	1910					1915					1920					1925					1930					1935
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Legend: (I)=Importer; (M)=Manufacturer; (R)=Retail; (W)=Wholesale; (1),(2),(3)... correspond to jeweler's addresses

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


If you would like to be a Lookup Volunteer for San Francisco County, please email Joyce Pilgrim.

To request a lookup, send an email to the volunteer. The subject line of your email should automatically be entered for you. If not, put the words "San Francisco County Lookup" in the subject line of your e-mail. Please limit your request to one year and one name or family group.

Lookup	Volunteer
1861-1959 San Francisco City Directories (at Sutro Library)	Joyce Pilgrim I only get to Sutro Library once a month so please be patient.
1890 Great Register of Voters	Sue Scott***
1901 San Francisco City Directory	Colleen Norby
City of Souls San Francisco's Necropolis at Colma by Michael Gagey based on Annals Compiled by the Research Department of the San Francisco Federal Theatre (1950)	Sue Scott***
Pillars of the Past (A Guide to Cypress Lawn Memorial Park) by Michael Svane and Shirley Burgett	Sue Scott***
Rancho San Miguel by Mae Silver (book not indexed)	Sue Scott***

*** Email address has a spam blocker. You will need to respond to a verification email.

Other sources of free lookups
Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness
Rootsweb Genealogy Lookup Forum

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


City Directories contain a wealth of information. In many cases they not only list a person but show their spouse and occupation. Advertisements give you a sense of what life was like during the time period.

View 1850 SF City Directory Index and Street Cross Reference

View 1918 SF City Directory Images

You can also find directories at these other locations.

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


1850 City Directory: Name Index and Street X-Ref (IN-PROGRESS)

Click on the street name to view residents on that street.

Last Name

First Name

Occupation

Street

Notes

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Cover Front A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Classifieds

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USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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1850 - 1879 | 1880 - 1909 | 1910 - 1939 | 1940 - 1969
ANC=Ancestry.com; DCO=DistantCousin.com; FHL=Family History Library; ROOT=Rootsweb.com; SFG=SFGenealogy.com; SFL=San Francisco Main Library; SUT=Sutro Library; VIT=Vitalsearch.com

Year	Location	Year	Location	Year	Location
1850	FHL;SFL; SFG	1860	FHL	1870	FHL;SUT
1851	FHL	1861	FHL;SUT	1871	FHL;SUT
1852	FHL;SFL; SFG	1862	FHL;SUT	1872	FHL;SUT
1853	FHL; SFG	1863	FHL;SUT SFG	1873	FHL;SUT
1854	FHL;SFL	1864	FHL;SUT SFG	1874	FHL;SUT
1855	FHL	1865	FHL;SUT	1875	FHL;SUT
1856	FHL;SFL	1866	FHL;SUT	1876	FHL;SUT
1857	FHL	1867	FHL;SUT	1877	FHL;SUT
1858	FHL	1868	FHL;SUT	1878	FHL;SUT SFG
1859	FHL; SFG	1869	FHL;SUT	1879	FHL;SUT

1850 - 1879 | 1880 - 1909 | 1910 - 1939 | 1940 - 1969
ANC=Ancestry.com; DCO=DistantCousin.com; FHL=Family History Library; ROOT=Rootsweb.com; SFG=SFGenealogy.com; SFL=San Francisco Main Library; SUT=Sutro Library; VIT=Vitalsearch.com

Year	Location	Year	Location	Year	Location
1880	FHL;SUT; SFG	1890	FHL;SUT; ROOT; SFG; ANC	1900	FHL;SUT
1881	FHL;SUT	1891	FHL;SUT; ROOT; ANC	1901	FHL;SUT;SFL; VIT
1882	FHL;SFL	1892	FHL;SUT	1902	FHL;SUT;SFL; SFG
1883	FHL; SUT	1893	FHL;SUT SFG	1903	FHL;SUT;SFL; SFG
1884	FHL;SUT	1894	FHL;SUT	1904	FHL;SUT;SFL
1885	None Published	1895	FHL;SUT	1905	FHL;SUT;SFL; SFG
1886	FHL;SUT;SFL	1896	FHL;SUT	1906	SUT;SFL; SFG
1887	FHL;SUT	1897	FHL;SUT	1907	FHL;SUT;SFL; SFG
1888	FHL;SUT	1898	FHL;SUT; SFG	1908	FHL;SUT;SFL
1889	FHL;SUT; ROOT; SFG; ANC	1899	FHL;SUT	1909	FHL;SUT;SFL

1850 - 1879 | 1880 - 1909 | 1910 - 1939 | 1940 - 1969
ANC=Ancestry.com; DCO=DistantCousin.com; FHL=Family History Library; ROOT=Rootsweb.com; SFG=SFGenealogy.com; SFL=San Francisco Main Library; SUT=Sutro Library; VIT=Vitalsearch.com

Year	Location	Year	Location	Year	Location
1910	FHL;SUT	1920	FHL;SUT	1930	FHL;SUT
1911	FHL;SUT;SFL	1921	FHL;SUT	1931	FHL;SUT;SFL
1912	FHL;SUT;SFL	1922	FHL;SUT; DCO	1932	FHL;SUT;SFL
1913	FHL; SUT	1923	FHL;SUT	1933	FHL;SUT;SFL
1914	FHL;SUT	1924	FHL;SUT	1934	FHL;SUT;SFL
1915	SFL; VIT	1925	FHL;SUT	1935	FHL;SUT;SFL
1916	FHL;SUT;SFL	1926	FHL;SUT	1936	SUT;SFL
1917	FHL;SUT	1927	FHL;SUT	1937	SUT;SFL
1918	FHL;SUT	1928	FHL;SUT	1938	SUT;SFL
1919	FHL;SUT	1929	FHL;SUT	1939	SUT;SFL

1850 - 1879 | 1880 - 1909 | 1910 - 1939 | 1940 - 1969
ANC=Ancestry.com; DCO=DistantCousin.com; FHL=Family History Library; ROOT=Rootsweb.com; SFG=SFGenealogy.com; SFL=San Francisco Main Library; SUT=Sutro Library; VIT=Vitalsearch.com

Year	Location	Year	Location	Year	Location
1940	FHL;SUT;SFL	1950	SUT;SFL	1960	SFL
1941	SUT;SFL	1951	SUT;SFL	1961	FHL;SFL
1942	SUT;SFL	1952	SUT;SFL	1962	FHL;SFL
1943	SUT;SFL	1953	SUT;SFL	1963	SFL
1944	SUT;SFL	1954	SUT;SFL	1964	SFL
1945	FHL;SUT;SFL	1955	SUT;SFL	1965	SFL
1946	FHL;SUT;SFL	1956	SUT;SFL	1966	SFL
1947	SUT;SFL	1957	SUT;SFL	1967	SFL
1948	SUT;SFL	1958	SUT;SFL	1968	SFL
1949	SUT;SFL	1959	SUT;SFL	1969	SFL

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Many of the original San Francisco Cemeteries were moved to Colma in San Mateo County. Today there are only two cemeteries and two Columbariums inside San Francisco city limits:

• Mission Dolores Church
• The San Francisco National Cemetery in the Presido
• Odd Fellows/Neptune Society Columbarium
• Grace Cathedral Columbarium

View images of some City Directory cemetery listings for 1882, 1886, 1887, 1888, and 1889 to see where some of the old cemeteries were originally located.

The CAGENWEB Archives has some cemetery listings.


Useful Links:
San Francisco Cemeteries by John W. Blackett
San Francisco Cemeteries at SF Genealogy.com
San Francisco National Cemetery Burial Records at Internment.net
Find a Grave
History of the San Francisco National Cemetery
Encyclopedia of San Francisco: Cemeteries

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


City Directory Cemetery Listings: 1882 1886 1887 1888 1889

Images provided by Cat Nielsen. You may need to scroll up or down to see the cemetery list
Return to San Francisco County Cemeteries

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Starting in 1790, federal censuses were taken every ten years. The California censuses start in 1850 and continue to 1930 however the 1850 California census did not include San Francisco, Santa Clara or Contra Costa counties. A special California state-wide census was taken in 1852 that did include those counties. The following chart lists the California and San Francsico censuses with some of the locations where they can be found.

ANC=Ancestry.com; CEN=Censusfinder.com; CSA=California State Archives; FHL=Family History Library; GEN=Genealogy.com; HQO=Heritage Quest Online; NA=National Archives; SUT=Sutro Library; CAGA=The CAGENWEB Archive

Year	Location/Notes
1850	NA; FHL; SUT; ANC(Images & Index); GEN(Images only); HQO(Images only) Note: The 1850 Census does not include San Francisco County
1852	FHL; CSA; Note: The 1852 Census is a special California state-wide census.
1860	NA: FHL; SUT; ANC(Images & Index); GEN(Images & Index); HQO(Images & Index)
1870	NA; FHL; SUT; ANC(Images & Index); GEN(Images & Index); HQO(Images & Index); CEN(transcription); CAGA (Transcription)
1880	NA; FHL; SUT; ANC(Images & Index); GEN(Images Only); HQO(Images Only)
1900	NA; FHL; SUT; ANC(Images & Index); GEN(Images & Index); HQO(Images & Index)
1910	NA; FHL; SUT; ANC(Images & Index); GEN(Images & Index); HQO(Images & Index)
1920	NA; FHL; SUT; ANC(Images & Index); GEN(Images & Index); HQO(Images & Index)
1930	NA; FHL; SUT; ANC(Images & Index); GEN(Images Only); HQO(Images Only)

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Passenger Lists from SFGenealogy.com San Francsico Passenger Lists Index 1893-1953 Case Files for Early Immigrants to San Francisco and Hawaii, UC Berkeley Restoration of Naturalization Index, Q Section at SFGenealogy.com

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


The two largest San Francisco newspapers in circulation today are the San Francsico Chroncile and the San Francsico Examiner.

Year	Description	Location
1865-Pres.	San Francisco Chronicle 901 Mission St. San Francisco, CA 94103	Sutro Library: 1913-1949; 1950-1980
1865-Pres.	San Francisco Examiner 450 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94105	Sutro Library: 1913-1928

The Family History Library has newspaper indexes from 1904-1949.

A comprehensive list of San Francisco Newspapers from 1846 to 1934 can be found at SFGenealogy.com

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Connect with others researching in San Francisco County using the San Francisco Country Surname Registry. If you see a surname of interest, click on the researcher to send them an email. If you would like to have your San Francisco surnames added, send an email to Joyce Pilgrim with the surnames your are researching and your contact email address.

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Most of the vital records were lost in the 1906 earthquake although some information has been gleaned from newspapers and other sources. The following links provide an inventory of some of those sources and addresses.

Births | Marriages | Deaths | Addresses

ANC=Ancestry.com; CDHS=California Dept. of Health Services; FHL=Family History Library; ROOT=Rootsweb.com; SFDPH=San Francisco Dept. of Public Health; SFG=SFGenealogy.com; SUT=Sutro Library

Year	Description	Location
1846-1850	Gleanings from the 'Alta California', Marriages & Deaths, 1846-1950 by Mary Dean Alsworth	SUT
1851	More Gleanings from the 'Alta California', Vital Records 1851 by Mary Dean Alsworth	SUT
1856-59,1861-62,1864-66, 1868,1873-74	Vital Records from the San Francisco Evening Bulletin	SUT
1901, 1945	San Francisco Examiner marriages, births, deaths, divorces, Feb. 12, 1901 and Apr,-May, 1945	FHL
1905 - 1995	California Birth Index	ANC
1905 - 1910	California Birth Index	ROOT
Pre-1906	California Births	SFG
1906-Present	San Francisco City and County Vital Records	SFDPH; CDHS

Births | Marriages | Deaths | Addresses

SFAR=San Francisco Assessor-Recorder; FHL=Family History Library; SFG=SFGenealogy.com

Year	Description	Location
1850-1858	Index to Marriage Returns by Kathleen C. Beals	FHL
1850-Present	San Francisco Newspaper Notices	SFG
1857	San Francisco Vital Notices in the Sacramento Bee	SFG
1869-1905	Re-Recorded Marriages	ANC
1872	Marriage and Death Records on the Pacific Coast	SFG
1894-1903	Elopements and Marriages from Indexes from the San Francisco Call by James L. Heisterkamp	FHL
1900	City and County of San Francisco, California Marriage Licenses Issued by Maggie Fujii	FHL
1901, 1945	San Francisco Examiner marriages, births, deaths, divorces, Feb. 12, 1901 and Apr,-May, 1945	FHL
1906	San Francisco Marriage Index	SFG
1906-Present	San Francisco Marriages	SFAR
1906-1999	Miscellaneous Marriage Records	SFG

Births | Marriages | Deaths | Addresses

ANC=Ancestry.com; CDHS=California Dept. of Health Services; FHL=Family History Library; ROOT=Rootsweb.com; SFDPH=San Francisco Dept. of Public Health; SFG=SFGenealogy.com; SUT=Sutro Library

Year	Description	Location
1864-1904	San Francisco Death Records	FHL
1906-present	San Francisco Death Certificates	SFDPD; CDHS
1940-1997	California Death Index	ROOT
1864-1904	San Francisco Death Records	FHL
Various Years	Death Indexes	SFG

Births | Marriages | Deaths | Addresses

San Francisco County Clerk's Office
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Pl
City Hall #168
San Francisco, California 94102
Office of the County Clerk

California Department of Health Services
Office of Vital Records - M.S. 5103
P.O. Box 997410
Sacramento, CA 95899-7410
California Department of Health Services

Probate Department Superior Court
400 McAllister Street, Room 103
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-551-3809, 415-551-4000 (recording)
415-551-4029, 4031, 4032 (Records, includes photocopies)

USGENWEB   San Francisco County   CAGENWEB


Each of these links will open in a new window. To return to the San Francisco GenWeb, close the new window.

San Francisco Links:
San Francisco Genealogy (sfgenealogy.com)
The San Francisco "Call Newspaper Database Index to available years: 1869-1899 by Jim W. Faulkinburg, CGRS
The San Francisco Maritime Museum
Kindred Trails: San Francisco
Golden Nugget Library-San Francisco County

San Francisco History Links:
“The Virtual Museum of The City of San Francisco,”
“SF Museum & Historical Society,”
“San Francisco Public Library: San Francisco HistoryCenter ”
“SF Gov Visitors: San Francisco Historical Information ”
“A Timeline of San Francisco History ”
The Enclclopedia of San Francisco History

General Links:
Online Archive of California
The LDS Church Familysearch site
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Web Sites
Rootsweb
National Archives

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