Our History

The Tuolumne County Genealogical Society was formed in November, 1979, and in January, 1980, a newsletter was started. One month later in February the library was opened in a room in a realty office.

By January, 1981 there were 72 members and the first quarterly publication called Mother Lode-Ore was produced. In 1982 the name of the quarterly was changed to Golden Roots of the Mother Lode.

An agreement with the Tuolumne County Historical Society in 1983 allowed the Genealogical Society to move its library to their archive building and share their space. That October the library was moved into its present location in the Museum building. The Genealogical Society operates the museum three days a week, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, in return for library space.

Here we have thousands of books, newspapers, and records for Tuolumne County and beyond. We have a great staff of seasoned genealogists ready to help you either get started on your research, or do lookups for you. Cruise around our website and find fascinating resources covering the Gold Rush era of the Mother Lode plus many other areas of research. Enjoy your visit to this site, and come back soon!



Who we are ~

Our Mission Statement:

The mission of the Tuolumne County (CA) Genealogical Society is to foster, encourage, and promote an interest in genealogy by providing information, education, and inspiration to our Society members and the general public.


Where we Are ~

(Click on state) map of california and tuolumne county

Our county, pronounced too AH loo me, is located on the Eastern side of the Great San Joaquin Valley, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. We are about an hour from Yosemite, which straddles our county and the one next to ours. Click on the state icon for a more detailed look at our county. Our Society is located in Sonora, the county seat.

To contact us please go here


What we are ~

We are a society incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization, thus qualifying for tax deductible donations. We operate within the structure of a corporation with a Board of Directors and Officers. We have approximately 150 members, many of whom work tirelessly in our library. It is a space shared with the Tuolumne County Historical Society on alternating days. We are fully self-supporting; therefore, donations to help support our library expenses are always greatly appreciated.

Young couple of the 1800 or 1900s
old family

TC Genealogical Library: 158 Bradford St., Sonora, California 95370 ~ 209.532.1317 ~ Email: info@tcgen.org