The first people to inhabit what is not known as the state of Nevada arrived around 12,000 years ago. These inhabitants were fisherman and hunters. Four main Indian groups have also been linked to inhabiting Nevada. Genealogy records in this state may yield very surprising results, which may either please or disappoint the people that are researching.
Before history that was collected was properly organized, it was done by private citizens. Before proceeding with your journey of finding Nevada genealogy records, you may want to search the local history of the town and counties that you believe you ancestors may have lived in. It is also important to keep in mind that before many states were actually settled and accepted, their names and areas may have drastically changed. This can make finding Nevada genealogy records of all of your relatives and ancestors challenging, but exciting as well. On that note, you may want to refer to maps, especially older ones, that shows the boundary lines of the state, and how much it has changed.
Although it would be nice if all of the information you desired was just handed to you, the likelihood of that happening is slim to none. If you are digging into your family history, and you find that there are records that are missing, then you have to take a new approach when attempting to locate them. When states were first being established, there were many factors that both natural and unnatural that affected the area. These factors destroyed records, which makes it tougher for present day researchers to gain access to all of the information that they need. If you find that there is missing records within your family history, then try searching church records, (for baptism, marriages and deaths) and patriotic society lineage books.
When performing the task of figuring out the past, you can never have too much help, there is no such thing. By asking your relatives for help, you can make you job a lot easier. They may not be as fervent as you are about finding genealogical records, but there is a chance that they are. Most likely they will help you whether or not they want to. That is just what families do. But, if for some reason, they don't want to, then keep digging within your family. There are always people who will help you; you just have to pick them out of the crowd. If you write a distant relative a letter asking for their help in discovering your past, make sure to properly introduce yourself at the beginning of your letter, get straight to the point and tell them what you want, ask questions organized in a logical manner, state on point, and keep the letter as interesting as possible. It is up to you to choose to best method to getting the documents and records that you require. No one is going to do your job for you, so just stay focused, and keep your eyes and ears open.
Nevada genealogy records such as birth, death and marriage records are handled by the Nevada Department of Vital Records and Statistics. State code chapter 440 addresses the specific regulations pertaining to the department. Birth and death records are available from 1911 to the present. Both birth and death records are considered confidential information in the state of Nevada, and only certain people are granted access to these records, even for genealogical purposes. Eligible people include "direct family members by blood or marriage", legal guardians or legal representatives of the person named on the record.
While birth and death records are kept by this state office, marriage and divorce records are kept be each individual county in which the marriage license or divorce decree was filed. When looking for Nevada marriage information for genealogical records, Nevada procedure requires that one know the name of the county in which the person was married, and then must contact the county office directly.