Maricopa County, ArizonaEdit This Page

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United States Arizona Maricopa County

	Arizona Online Records

Maricopa County, Arizona
Map
Location in the state of Arizona
Location of Arizona in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	February 14, 1871
County Seat	Phoenix
Courthouse
Address	201 W. Jefferson Phoenix, AZ. 85003-2243

County Courthouse 

Maricopa County Courthouse
301 W Jefferson
Phoenix, Az 85033-2225
Phone: 602-506-3572

Clerk Superior Court

• marriage records from 1877,
• divorce records from 1930
• probate and court records from 1871

County Recorder has land records ^[1]

Parent County

• Until 1821 - Spain controlled the land, called New Spain, that later would become Arizona. Records may have been sent to the archives in Seville, Spain or to archives in Mexico City.
  
• In 1821 - Mexico obtained jurisdiction over the land that later would become Arizona. Records may have been sent to archives in Mexico City.
  
• 18 Aug 1846 - During the war with Mexico, the US took control of Santa Fe and proclaimed sovereignty over the land that later became the New Mexico Territory.^[2] Look for records in the National Archives and Records Administration, the Mexico Archives and the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.
• 4 July 1848 - In the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, Mexico ceded part of present day Arizona.^[3] The land south of the Gila River in Arizona was not ceded, it remained in control of Mexico. The land in present day Maricopa County was split between the US and Mexico. Look for records in the National Archives and Records Administration, the Mexico Archives and the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.
• 9 Jan 1852 - New Mexico redefined the boundaries of previous counties and created new ones to cover all the land within its territory. The north part of the land in present day Maricopa County was then in Socorro County.^{[4] [5] [6]} Look for records in Socorro County.
• 30 Dec 1853 - The United States bought the Gadsden Purchase from Mexico. It contained land south of the Gila River in present day Arizona, including the south part of present day Maricopa County.^[7] Look for records in the National Archives and Records Administration, the Mexico Archives, and the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.
• 4 Aug 1854 - The land acquired in the Gadsden Purchase was officially added to New Mexico Territory.^[8] Look for records in the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives.
• 3 Feb 1855 - Dona Ana County gained all the land acquired in the Gadsden Purchase.^[9] This included the south part of present day Maricopa County. Look for records in Dona Ana County.
• 24 Feb 1863 - The US created the Arizona Territory from the western half of New Mexico Territory.^[10] All previous counties were discontinued for this new territory. Look for records in the Arizona State Library and New Mexico State Records Center and Archives
• 10 Nov 1864 - Arizona created two counties: Pima and Yavapai counties.^[11] These counties named for Indian tribes. Look for records in Pima andYavapai counties.

14 Feb 1871 - Arizona created Maricopa County from land in Yavapai County.^[12] County seat: Phoenix ^[13] This county named for the Maricopa Indians. Look for records in Maricopa and Yavapai counties.

Boundary Changes

• 14 Feb 1873 - Arizona expanded Maricopa County by adding land from Pima County.^[14] Look for records in Maricopa and Pima, counties.
• 1 Feb 1875 - Arizona created Pinal County from lands in Maricopa and Pima counties.^[15] This county named for the Pinal mountains. Look for records in Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties.
• 31 Jan 1877 - Maricopa county gained land from Yavapai county, and lost a small area along the Gila River to Pima.^[16] Look for records in Maricopa, Pima, and Yavapai counties.
• 8 February 1881 - Gila County was created from lands in Maricopa and Pinal Counties.^{[17]  [13]} This county named for the Gila River. Look for records in the Gila, Maricopa, and Pima counties.

See also Previous Jurisdictions to land in Arizona showing dates the jurisdictions were created and maps. This will help in determining what jurisdiction your ancestor lived in and where the records are now located.

Record Loss

Places/Localities

Populated Places

Cities

Apache Junction (most of Apache Junction is in Pinal County) | Avondale | Chandler| El Mirage | Gilbert | Glendale | Goodyear | Litchfield Park | Mesa| Peoria (part of Peoria is in Yavapai County) | Phoenix| Scottsdale | Surprise | Tempe | Tolleson

Towns

Buckeye | Carefree | Cave Creek| Fountain Hills | Gila Bend | Guadalupe | Paradise Valley | Queen Creek (part of Queen Creek is in Pinal County) | Wickenburg| Youngtown

Other Communities

Aguila | Anthem | Arlington | Circle City | Higley | Komatke | Laveen | Liberty | Mobile | Morristown | Palo Verde | Tonopah | Tortilla Flat | Waddell | Wintersburg | Wittmann

Neighboring Counties

• Gila, Arizona
• La Paz, Arizona
• Pima, Arizona
• Pinal, Arizona
• Yavapai, Arizona
• Yuma, Arizona

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries in Maricopa County at Arizona Gravestones

Cemeteries in Maricopa County at Pioneers Cemetery Assn.

Cemeteries in Maricopa County at Find A Grave

• Aqua Caliente Pioneer Cemetery in Aqua Caliente, AZ on FindAGrave
• Arizona Pioneer Cemetery in Litchfield Park AZ at USGenWeb by unnamed volunteers
• Arizona State Hospital Cemetrey in Phoenix, AZ on FindAGrave
• Beth El Cemetery in Phoenix AZ on BillionGraves
• Cave Creek Cemetery in Carefree, AZ on USGenWeb by Susan L. Ritter
• Cementerio Lindo/Old County Cemetery in Phoenix, AZ on Pioneers Cemetery Association
• City of Mesa Cemetery in Mesa AZ at Mesa Cemetery - Find A Grave - Deceased by Name
• City of Mesa Cemetery in Mesa AZ at Mesa Regional Family History Center
• City of Mesa Cemetery in Mesa AZ at Findagrave.com
• City of Mesa Cemetery in Mesa AZ at USGenWeb Maricopa County, Arizona
• City of Mesa Cemetery in Mesa AZ on BillionGraves
• Double Butte Cemetery in Tempe AZ burial records on City of Tempe web site.
• Double Butte Cemetery in Tempe AZ at The Family History Society of Arizona.
• Eagle Eye Cemetery in Aguila, AZ at USGenWeb by Sharon J. Pearson and Virginia L. McMeans
• Eternal Valley Memorial Park in El Mirage AZ on BillionGraves. Adjacent to Sunwest Cemetery.
• Garcia Cemetery in Wickenburg, AZ at USGenWeb by Ginny McMeans and Sharon Pearson
• Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery in Phoenix, Maricopa County, AZ at Interment.net
• Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery in Phoenix AZ at Find A Grave
• Holy Cross Cemetery in Avondale AZ on BillionGraves
• Liberty Cemetery in Buckeye, Maricopa County, AZ at Findagrave.com
• Maricopa County Cemetery in Tempe AZ on BillionGraves
• Morristown Cemetery in Morristown, AZ at USGenWeb by Sharon J. Pearson and Virginia L McMeans
• Mountain View Cemetery in Mesa AZ on BillionGraves
• Old Paths Cemetery in Glenday, AZ by Peoria, AZ Preservation Group
• Pioneer & Military Memorial Park by the Pioneers Cemetery Association
• Sunwest Cemetery in El Mirage AZ on BillionGraves. Adjacent to Eternal Valley Memorial Park.
• Twin Butte Cemetery Project in Tempe AZ at MigrationTrails.com
• Wittmann Cemetery in Wittman, AZ through USGenWeb by Sharon J. Pearson and Virginia L. McMeans

Census

For tips on accessing Maricopa County, Arizona census records online, see: Arizona Census.

Church

LDS Ward and Branch Records:  Alma, Avondale, Buckeye, Capitol (Phoenix), Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Lehi, Mesa, Mesa 1st, Mesa 2nd, Mesa 3rd, Mesa 4th, Mesa 5th, Mesa 6th, Mesa 7th, Mesa 8th, Papago, Phoenix, Phoenix 1st, Phoenix 2nd, Phoenix 3rd, Phoenix 4th, Phoenix 5th, Scottsdale, Spanish-American and Tempe .

Court

Land

All Land records and other other recorded documents from 1871 to present, are searchable at no cost through the website of the Maricopa County Recorder. The minimum information needed for a search is the name of a person.

Most of the land in Arizona was originally obtained from the US federal government by a patent. These General Land Office Records are searchable online and most have free images of patents to download. The minimum information needed for a search is the state where the land is located and the name of the person receiving the patent. Surveys and Land Status Records can also be searched here.

Local Histories

Maps

1895 Map of Maricopa county Arizona

Military

Newspapers

The Arizona Republic

The Phoenix Gazette

The East Valley Tribune  (previously: The Mesa Tribune) microfilm copies of back issues found at

     Mesa Public Library
     64 E First St
     Mesa, AZ 85201
     480-644-2207

Maricopa county AZ Newpapers found at the Library of Congress

Probate

Taxation

Vital Records

• 2,970 marriages are listed on the Western States Marriage Index.
• Maricopa County, Arizona Obituary Collection From GenealogyBuff.com ~ Free for obits and death notices from Various Funeral Homes in the Sun City, East Mesa, Peoria, Chandler, and Surprise areas.
• Older Birth and Death certificates found at Arizona Genealogy Birth and Death Certificates.

Societies and Libraries

West Valley Genealogical Society
12222 N. 111th
Youngtown, AZ 85363
Telephone 623-933-4945

Sun Cities Area Historical Soc
10801 W Oakmont Dr.
Sun City, AZ 85351-3317

Chandler Historical Society
178 East Commonwealth Ave.
Chandler, AZ 85244
Telephone 480-782-2717
Hours 11-4 M-Sat.

Gilbert Historical Society, Inc.
10 S. Gilbert Rd.
Gilbert, AZ 85299-1484
Telephone 480-926-1577
Hours 9 - 4 Tues- Sat

Glendale Arizona Historical Society
9802 North 59th Avenue
Glendale, AZ 85312
(623) 435-0072
Hours 1-4 Sat. & Sun.
Two weekends per month, Oct. thru May

Mesa Historical Society
2345 N. Horne Street
Mesa, AZ 85211
Telephone 480-835-7358 
 Hours 10-4 Tues.-Sat.;
June-Aug. Tues.-Sat. 9-1

Peoria Arizona Historical Society
10304 N. 83rd Ave.
Peoria, AZ 85380-0186
Telephone 623-487-8030 
Hours 10-2 Sat.; 10-12 Weds.

Arizona Jewish Historical Society
122 E. Culver Street 
Phoenix, AZ  85004 
Telephone 602-241-7870

San Tan Historical Society
20740 S. Ellsworth Road,
Queen Creek, Arizona 85242
Telephone 480-987-9380
Hours 9-1 Sat., 9-12 Tues.

Scottsdale Historical Society
7333 Scottsdale Mall
Scottsdale, AZ 85252
(480) 945-4499
Hours 10-5 Weds.-Sat.; 12-4 Sun. Sept.-June

Arizona Historical Society Central Arizona Division
1300 North College Ave
Tempe, AZ
480-929-0292
Tuesday - Saturday – 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday – 12 noon - 4 p.m.

Carver African American Historical/Genealogical Society
415 E. Grant St.
Phoenix, AZ 85023

Cherokee Family Ties
516 N. 38th St.
Mesa, Arizona 85205

Phoenix Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 38703
Phoenix, Arizona 85069-8703

Maricopa County Historical Society
21 N Frontier St.
Wickenburg, AZ 85390-3431
Telephone 928-684-2272

Tempe Historical Society
809 E Southern Ave
Tempe, AZ 85282-5205
Telephone 480-350-5100

Family History Centers

IIntroduction to Family History Centers

Buckeye Arizona
1002 Eason Ave Buckeye,
Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 623-386-4188

Cave Creek Arizona
38001 N Basin Rd
Cave Creek, Maricopa, Arizona,
United States Phone: 480-488-9224

Chandler Arizona Alma
2252 W Mesquite Chandler,
Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 480-899-4312
Alternate phone # 480-244-8180

Chandler Arizona West
1950 W Galveston
Chandler, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 480-857-8640

Glendale Arizona
8602 N 31st Ave
Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 602-973-3216

Mesa Arizona Kimball East
4640 E Holmes Mesa,
Maricopa, Arizona, United States

Mesa Regional Family History Center also known as the Mesa Arizona Large Multistake
41 South Hobson Mesa,
Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 480-964-1200

Mesa Arizona Salt River
6942 E Brown Rd
Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 480-924-8958

Paradise Valley Arizona
3601 E Shea Blvd
Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 602-953-8160

Peoria Arizona
13014 N 108th Ave
Sun City, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 623-974-2749

Phoenix Arizona
3102 18th Ave North
Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 602-264-2825

Phoenix Arizona Deer Valley
2939 W Rose Garden Ln
Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 623-582-3810

Phoenix Arizona Hispanic
650 W Southern Ave
Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 602-243-9413

Phoenix Arizona North
8710 N 3rd Ave
Phoenix, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 602-371-0649

Scottsdale Arizona Camelback
2202 N 74th St
Scottsdale, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 480-947-3995

Scottsdale Arizona North
6840 E Gold Dust Ave
Scottsdale, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 480-483-7629

Wickenburg Arizona
1350 W Wickenburg Way
Wickenburg, Maricopa, Arizona, United States
Phone: 928-684-2446 Attention: Languages; Spanish, French, Dutch, German

These are not mailing addresses. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Web Sites

• USGenWeb for Maricopa County. Maps, name indexes, history and more information for this county.
• Family History Library Catalog
  

• Maricopa County, Arizona Genealogy and Family History) at Linkpendium
• Maricopa County Genealogy (Arizona Genealogy)

A wiki article descibing an online article is found at:

Arizona, Maricopa County Probate Case Files (FamilySearch Historical Records)

References

1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Maricopa County, Arizona p. 56. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
2. ↑ Williams 108-110
3. ↑ U.S. Stat., vol. 9, pp. 922-943; Parry, 102: 29-59; Van Zandt, 11, 28-29; Walker and Bufkin, 19, 20A
4. ↑ N.M. Terr. Laws 1851, 1st assy., 1st sess./p. 119; N.M. Terr. Laws 1851, 1st assy., 2d sess. /pp. 266, 292
5. ↑ William Thorndale, and William Dollarhide, Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1987), 26. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 X2th.
6. ↑ Original Counties of New Mexico Territory (map) at http://www.nmgs.org/Graphics/nmcoun-orig.jpg (accessed 9 August 2011).
7. ↑ U.S. Stat., vol. 10, pp. 1031-1037; Van Zandt, 11, 29, 162
8. ↑ U.S. Stat., vol. 10, ch. 245[1854]/p. 575; Van Zandt, 162; Walker and Bufkin, 21-22
9. ↑ N.M. Terr. Laws 1854, 4th assy. /p. 57
10. ↑ U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 56[1863]/pp. 664-665; Ariz. Terr. Laws 1864, 1st assy./ pp. vii-viii; Van Zandt, 162
11. ↑ Howell Code, Ariz. Terr. Laws 1864, 1st assy., ch. 2/ pp. 24-25
12. ↑ Ariz. Terr. Laws 1871, 6th assy./ pp. 53-54
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
14. ↑ Ariz. Terr. Laws 1873, 7th assy./ p. 87
15. ↑ Ariz. Terr. Laws 1875, 8th assy./ pp. 19-20
16. ↑ Arizona Territorial Laws 1877, 9th assy. pp. 12-13
17. ↑ Arizona Territorial Laws 1881, 11th assy. pp. 14-17