Anyone Live in Oakland, California?

[2mccords]

My paternal grandmother was born in Oakland, California.  I absolutely know that for a fact.  But when I contact the Alameda County Clerk Recorder giving different spellings of her name, they can not find her birth certificate.  I live in Florida so I can't go down to the office myself and do the necessary research.  Is there anyone on this site who might be doing other research and can take a little time to see if they can find her birth certificate?

Her name was Laura Musacchia and she was born on 10 May 1892.  Her parents were Gioachino Musacchia and Antonia (Lena) Bonura.

I would appreciate any help that can be provided.  Thank you!

[Girl Guide]

I can't actually help as I live in the UK.  However I popped the surname into the records at FindMyPast and came up with the following:-

Catherine Musacchia born 1892, baptised 19 Sept 1892 at Oakland, Alameda, California

Parents are Frank Musacchia and Virginia Rocoforti

Would they have been related to your Musacchia family?

[chempat]

Welcome to rootschat, 2mccords

Also do not live in California, putting 1900 census just for background

Living in Brighton, Sacramento, California in 1900 (names etc as transcribed by Ancestry)
Taki Musacchia    54  Italy
Lena Musacchia   50   Italy  12 children, 7 living
Henry Musacchia   23   Italy
Katie Musacchia   18   Italy
Annie Musacchia   14   Italy
Laura Musacchia   1   California  (Ancestry has 1882 for birth year and age as 1 - I think 1892 and

Have you contacted any of the tree holders on Ancestry who also have this family?

Presumably you have considered that she was not born in California however much you may consider it as a fact?

Have you thought of any reasons why she may not have been registered?

[2mccords]

Thank you for taking the time to look into this!  Yes, I have the info from the Census records but I haven't connected with anyone who has family from this tree.  I will try that next.  My dad's b/c shows his mother's birthplace as Oakland, CA and I figured that should be pretty accurate since the information usually comes directly from the mother. (Frank and Virginia were related - cousins I believe.)

[chempat]

Just to point out that although his Mother may believe she was born in Oakland, that would be what she was told by her parents. 

Have you got information of her parents and siblings arriving in America without her, as they were all born in Italy?

[shellyesq]

It's fairly common for early birth records to be spotty.  Do you have a Social Security application for Laura?  That gives place of birth that would have been provided by her and backed up by a record.  Sometimes, people who didn't have birth records applied for one later for Social Security purposes, and those may be held separately. 

I have heard some complaints about this pay site, but http://www.vitalsearch-ca.com/gen/ca/ala/aladlink.htm#VS is supposed to have a birth index for Alameda for this time frame. 

[Lisa in California]

Welcome to RootsChat from me as well.   

Looking at the census return that chempat found, Laura's age does appear to be age 8 with a possible year of birth of 1892 (it could be 1882 or 1892, but looking at how the number 1's were written on the page, I think she was age 8, not 1 ).

In 1900, Jake/Taki was a farmer and his son was a farm labourer.  Is there a possibility that the family travelled around California, as farm labourers were needed?  Could they have lived in or near Oakland in 1892 and before the family could register the birth, they moved to the Sacramento area?  The city of Alameda is across the estuary from Oakland; perhaps Mr. Musacchia could have farmed there (on "Bay Farm Island").

You may already have this information, but could this be the marriage announcement for Laura?
Sacramento Union, 15 October 1909
Pietre Ferrare, Sacramento - Luera Musacchia, Florin
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ix6/

The same newspaper has an obituary for Frank Musacchia but there is no mention of your family in his obit.

Again, you may already have this, but it's an obituary for Lena; no clues about Laura's birthplace.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ix7/

Website and other links, in case you've not tried this site before:   
http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/sfdata.htm
It includes another mention of Laura in 1921.

[Lisa in California]

Looking at one of the pay sites,
1892 Oakland Directory
Musarchio, Frank   fruits    715 Broadway, res same
No mention of Gioachino/Jake

1894 Oakland Directory
Musaccio F   fruit store   715 Bdy, r same
No other similar surname

If they were related, could your family have been living with them?   

Update:  Looking at the Oakland Directory again, Oakland residents are listed first, followed by Alameda and Berkeley residents.  No mention of the family in 1892 in any city.

[chempat]

Lisa,
Would the 1892 directory have been compiled in 1891, and published in 1892?