Directions for Use of the Shasta County Homestead Declaration Database

Shasta County's Homestead Declaration database can be accessed through the Shasta County Historical Society's website (www.shastahistorical.org) or at the Society's Redding office. The database was constructed to allow a variety of queries potentially useful to history buffs, such as:

1. Family Surname Query - If you are interested in a specific family and want to know if they filled a Homestead Declaration, this is the type of query for you. For the family interest, type the surname only in the "Name" box and click on the "Find Records" button. If records exist for that person or family, they will be displayed. Sometimes several records will be shown for the same surname. In those cases, scroll through the records to see if any are of interest. (It is always possible that the family in question had a Homestead Claim but did not file a Homestead Declaration.) It is also possible that the family of interest was mentioned in another family's Declaration (e.g., as an adjacent landowner). To cover that possibility, also query both the "Site Location" and "Comments" box, one at a time, using the surname. (Before any new query, click on the "Click here to return to the Homestead's search page". This freshens the query page.) Print out any record for which you have an interest.
2.

Geographical Location Query - If you are interested in Declarations for a geographic location, type in a geographic location of interest in the "Town-Location" box. Review the output and print any records of interest. Then, make a new query by typing in the location in the "Comments" box. Examples might include: Copper City, Piety Hill, Reading Grant, etc.
3. Date Query - If you have an interest in the Declarations that might have been filed in a given year, type in a year of interest in the "Filing Date" query box. By typing in 1895, every Homestead Declaration filed in the County in that year will be displayed.
4. Miscellaneous Queries - Be creative! The database includes a wide range of information. For instance, by typing in the word "child"and then "children" in the "Comments" box, each Declaration for which the number of children in the family was stated. With some additional effort, a person can determine the average number of children families had, during various periods in Shasta County's history!

 

To Smoothly Operate the Database Query, remember:

1. Before typing in a new query, always click on "Click here to return to the Homestead's search page", located at the bottom of the query page. This eliminates previous queries.
2. Do not use quotation marks around the word typed in the query box.
3. Be persistent! For instance, if you do not find the family you are interest in by typing the surname in the "Name" box, try entering family member's first names. It is possible that the County misspelled the surname or that an error was made while developing this database--a little persistence may pay off!

 

Acquiring Homestead Declaration Records

Homestead Declaration database queries result in short summaries of the original document. If you wish to have a copy of the original, you have several options:

1. Visit the Shasta County Historical Society Office - For the record(s) of interest, bring the database printout for the Homestead Declaration(s). It will need to show the Applicant's Name, Book Number, and Page Number(s). Either a copy of the Declaration will be made at that time or it will be sent to you in the mail. A small fee will be requested to defray the costs of reproduction.
2. Request Via Mail or E-Mail - For the Declarations(s) of interest, send the Shasta Historical Society the Applicant's Name, Book Number, and Page Number(s). A copy will be mailed to you and a small fee will be charged to defray the costs of reproduction.