Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library

• Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library brochure

• Expanded Guides to Archives
  Research Sonoma County history in the archives! Use these guides to locate and identify Sonoma County Archives historical sources for your research.
  
  
• Local History at the Annex
• Historical Photographs
• Petaluma History Room
• Local History Web Resources
• Santa Rosa Historic Map and Post Cards for Sale

• Online genealogical research resources:
  Ancestry Library Edition is available at all Regional Library locations (about Ancestry)
  HeritageQuest is available from the Library and from home (about HeritageQuest)
• Genealogy at the Annex
• Genealogy Web Resources
• Genealogy Libraries and Archives
• Genealogy Workshops

Annex Location and Hours

Local History and Genealogy Annex
Sonoma County Library
211 E St
Santa Rosa 95404

(Behind Central Library, corner of Third & E Streets)
(707) 545-0831 ext. 562
Hours: Wednesday through Saturday 10 to 6 PM
Map of Santa Rosa with the Central Library Starred

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Local History Resources Available at the Annex

Books

Several thousand books on Sonoma County History, most of which have been indexed in the below index. The books can also be searched by title, author, and subject in the main Library Catalog.

Sonoma County Local History Index

The Sonoma County History Index - a database searchable by subject (places, names, events, etc.) - is a Sonoma County local history researcher's tool of first choice. It is a detailed index to names, places, and events contained in the several thousand books in the local history collection.

Sonoma County Records

Includes deeds, mortages, wills and probate records, assessments of property, voter registration, oaths of office, surveys, maps, corporation records, business licenses and more. Most materials are stored at the Sonoma County Archives and must be brought from the Archives to the Library for your use. Call 545-0831, ext. 562, with any questions, or to request materials. Please allow five business days for volumes to be delivered to the library.

Obituaries

Selected index to Sonoma County Obituaries from 1974 on.

Newspapers

Sonoma County Newspapers from 1857 on.

Census

U.S. Census for California 1850 to 1920; Indexes for other states and Canada from 1790 on.

City Directories

California city directories from 1850 on; Sonoma County Directories from 1874 on.

Materials for Researching a Sonoma County house

include city directories, published histories, newspapers, maps

Photographs

Tens of thousands of photographs of Sonoma County's rich history. Most are listed in our library catalog and many have been scanned for online viewing. High-quality photographic reproductions are available for all of these photographs. Some of these images have been collected and are available for sale in a book titled Treasures of the Sonoma County Library Photographic Collection. Call or visit the Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library to order a copy.

• Ordering photo reproductions
• Historical photograph sampler
• Connect to the library catalog to search and view photos online (use Advanced Search to limit by "Photograph")

Genealogy Resources Available At the Annex

The SCL Genealogy Page

HeritageQuest

Available at the History and Genealogy Library and all branches of the Sonoma County Library. You may also use it from home with your library card number.
More information

Ancestry - in Library only

Available at the History and Genealogy Library and all branches of the Sonoma County Library.
More information