Research Assistance Resources

Look-up Service

The Sonoma County Genealogical Society has published many volumes of indexed Sonoma County records.

Go to SCGS Publications for a list of these publications and to view indices of their contents. For a copy of a page in one of these publications or a copy of a Sonoma County newspaper obituary the SCGS offers a look-up service. The cost for this service is $2.00 per item.

          Via Snail Mail                                                                           Via E-mail

Sonoma County Genealogical Society              To:  research service email

Attn: Research Request                                   Subject line title: Research Request

P.O. Box 2273

Santa Rosa, CA 95405-0273  

Hire a Sonoma County Researcher

The Sonoma County Genealogical Society offers a research service for extended research into events that occurred in Sonoma County. Long-time Sonoma County genealogists familiar with the resources available in Sonoma County will conduct the research for a cost of $30 per hour for SCGS members and $40 per hour for non-members with a two-hour minimum. The fee covers the researcher’s time to conduct the research and write a full report that documents and analyzes the results of their research. If copies of official records are requested, additional fees will be added.

The Genealogical Society researcher will contact you to discuss your genealogical question before undertaking the research and will need the following information:

  • ·       Your name and email address
  • ·       Street address and phone number
  • ·       The genealogical question you wish to have researched
  • ·       The sources you have already consulted
  • ·       The number of hours of research authorized (2-hour minimum).

Examples of genealogical questions:

  • ·       Who were the parents of John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt thought to have been born in Sonoma County in 1868?
  • ·       Peter Piper and Mary Quite Contrary, who were living in Sonoma County in the 1870 US census, married in Sonoma County. When and where were they married?

        Via Snail Mail                                                                           Via E-mail

Sonoma County Genealogical Society              To:  research service email

Attn: Research Request                                   Subject line title: Research Request

P.O. Box 2273

Santa Rosa, CA 95405-0273  

Assistance at the Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library

Volunteers from the Sonoma County Genealogical Society are available at the Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library, 211 E Street, Santa Rosa, every Wednesday afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00 PM to assist patrons with their genealogical research. This service is free, but donations to the library are accepted and greatly appreciated.  Library staff are also available to help you to determine the most appropriate resources for your research questions.

Assistance with DNA research questions

The Sonoma County Genealogical Society has a Special Interest Group that meets monthly, where SCGS members discuss their DNA research findings and the tools they use to help organize their matches. See our Calendar for the next meeting. The International Society of Genetic Genealogy website is a great place to start and they have a page of DNA Consultants for hire. Another website to check is the Association of Professional Genealogists - if you put in DNA in the keyword search box, you have over 100 professionals to choose from

Family History Centers

The local branches of the California Family History Centers offer assistance by volunteers during open hours.

Santa Rosa location is at 1725 Peterson Lane.  More info at:  SR Family History Center

Sonoma location is at 16280 La Grama.  More info at:  Sonoma Family History Center

California State Library System

A large collection of genealogy resources are available at the Sutro Branch in San Francisco, which is about an 80-minute drive.  More info at:  Sutro Library, San Francisco

With a slightly longer drive to Sacramento, additional California resources are available at the California History Room.  More info at:  California History Section

National Archives

We are fortunate to have a branch of the National Archives in San Bruno, which houses extensive resources for California and some resources for many states.  More info at:  National Archives, San Bruno

Also take note of additional interesting genealogy links at:  Links to Other Sites.

Look what Steve found! A graphic explanation of the

Genealogical Proof Standard

Read the entire article by Marc McDermott to help improve your Family History research. 

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