The Early California Population Project (ECPP) is a database developed by the Huntington Library providing public access to all the information contained in the California mission registers, records that are of unique and vital importance to the study of California, the American Southwest and colonial America.
The historic mission registers—which contains records of baptisms, marriages and burials—provide a wealth of information on the Native Americans, soldiers and settlers of Alta California.
The ECPP encompasses records from 21 of the California missions, in addition to the Los Angeles Plaza Church and the Santa Barbara Presidio, and reflects information culled from 101,000 baptisms, 27,000 marriages and 71,000 burials performed in California between 1769 and 1850.
The ECPP is best used alongside the Guide to Users. This guide will provide you with detailed search strategies, as well as pertinent keywords and abbreviations you’ll need to search the database with efficiency. You can also find basic tips for search strategies on our search tips page.
The ECPP database is the property of the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens and the data therein may be used for personal and noncommercial purposes only. Reports, presentations, websites or publications that rely upon the database must cite the database in the following form: The Early California Population Project: A Database Compiled and Developed at the Huntington Library. General Editor, Steven W. Hackel, Lead Compiler, Anne M. Reid. (The Henry E. Huntington Library, San Marino, California, 2006.)