Lisa, The Tehama County Courthouse was never destroyed by fire. I hear that line about so many California County Courthouses, usually to discourage people from researching, etc. Adoption records are sealed and not open to the public. However, in the time frame you are researching would be filed in the probate court, as guardianship proceedings. What you need to do first is through an interlibrary loan obtain the Red Bluff newspaper for 1900-1902. While it may be tedious to read, it should provide the clues to assist your future research. Tim "Lisa L. Jones" wrote: > Greetings, > > I am a new subscriber to your list, with a very difficult research project. > I could sure use some helpful suggestions! > > My paternal grandmother was b. 24 Nov 1900 in Red Bluff, CA. It is said > that she was orphaned, and adopted, twice! The story goes something like > this: Sometime shortly after her birth, her natural parents were killed in > some kind of an accident. My grandmother was subsequently adopted, and > then THOSE adoptive parents died. She was then adopted by a second family, > possibly this time by a relative of sort, perhaps her mother's cousin. > > I am not sure of my grandmother's name at time of birth. My father > believed that she was born Gladice Pearl, then renamed Julia Pearl by one > adoptive parent, then used Gladys Pearl after her marriage. Her marriage > record of 1918 and my father's birth certificate of 1919 both indicate > Julia Pearl Johnson. Everything after that until her death indicates > Gladys Pearl. > > I've located a Gladice Johnson on the 1910 census, age 9, with Hagen O. > Wicks, age 41, and wife Mary Hicks, age 30. It is my belief that, if > indeed there were two adoptions, then this would be the second. > > Grandma Gladys prepared a "baby book" for her second son, Robert, b. 1925. > In this book, she indicates her parents as H. O. Wicks and Mary Wicks. We > have several photographs of these folks with Gladys, after her marriage. > One photo was taken in Red Bluff about 1930, and it includes Mary Wicks > (we believe), Gladys, my father, age 11, and his brother Robert, age 5. > Both my father and his brother had memories of taking this trip to Red > Bluff (from Oregon). > > Here's my problem (or one of my problems, anyway): > > In an earlier attempt to track these families, I received an e-mail from > some kind soul who did a lookup in "Leaves of the Past" The entries > provided indicate that H. O. Wicks died in 1925, and Mary Wicks died in > 1923! How could this be the same person my father and uncle remember > visiting, and photographed circa 1930!!! > > So I'm wondering if anyone can help with the following questions: > > Does anyone on this list have access to "Leaves of the Past" to confirm the > entry I received previously? > > I was told previously that the Tehama Co. Courthouse burned at some point, > and that there is little hope of finding adoption records for the 1900-1920 > time frame. Can anyone confirm this, or suggest alternative methods of > locating adoption records? > > Can you tell me of any repositories where I might locate newspapers of the > Red Bluff area from 1900-1910? I'm hoping to locate an article that might > explain what happened to Gladys' natural parents. > > If anyone has any other suggestions of how to research this elusive > grandparent, I would certainly appreciate hearing them... > > Thanks, and regards, > > Lisa L. Jones > mailto:lljones@teleport.com > > ==== CATEHAMA Mailing List ==== > Tehama County, California CAGenWeb > http://www.compuology.com/cagenweb/tehamcty.htm