San Francisco County

Native Americans have lived in the San Francisco Bay area for over 10,000 years. Rather than a single nation, they lived in many independent tribes and spoke different languages. The various tribes are generally referred to as one group called the Ohlone or Costanoan. In 1769, Spain expanded their territory north of Mexico and established military garrisons (Presidios), Franciscan missions (Missions), and civil settlements (Pueblos). They reached the San Francisco Bay area in 1776. The Mission San Francisco de Asís (aka Mission Dolores) and the San Francisco Presidio were established in 1776. In 1821, Mexico was declared an independent state. In 1846, the United States took possession of Northern California during the Mexican-American war and established a military territory. California was admitted to the United States on 9 September 1850.

San Francisco County was one of the original counties when California was admitted to the United States. From 1850 to 1856, the County also included a large portion of what is now San Mateo County. The County currently only has one municipality, which is also the County seat: the City of San Francisco. The City and County share the same borders and many of the same governmental functions.

The majority of the official City & County birth, marriage, and death certificates, along with Superior Court records were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire disaster.

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“San Francisco is a mad city — inhabited for the most part by perfectly insane people whose women are of a remarkable beauty.” Rudyard Kipling

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Find more San Francisco County records at California/Bay Area

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