Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
So far, we found very little information about Clifton. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>
We've added Clifton to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Clifton, please Contact Us.
We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:
- That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
- We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
- On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.
By learning about Clifton (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.
As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Clifton. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.
Neighboring Counties ...
When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.
For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.
So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived: their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.
If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.
Although our information shows that the community of Clifton is historic, it would have been located within present day Limestone County.
To see how the shape of Alabama's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Limestone County: Lauderdale, Lawrence, Madison, Morgan, Giles (TN) & Lincoln (TN).
Below are the counties that are near Clifton. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Clifton:
- Limestone County (The home county of Clifton)
- The following are listed by their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
- Lester
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Lester is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lester
- Population from the 2020 Census: 134 people
- Cairo
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Cairo is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cairo
- Elkmont
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Pettusville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Pettusville is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pettusville
- Lentzville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Lentzville is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lentzville
- Hay's Mill
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Hay's Mill is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hay's Mill
- Estaville ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Estaville is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estaville
- Poplar Creek
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Poplar Creek is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poplar Creek
- Athens
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Ardmore
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Ripley
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Ripley is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ripley
- Caro
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Caro is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caro
- Country Village
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Country Village is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Country Village
- Colbert County
- The following are listed by their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
- Garner ‑ Historic
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Garner is located in Colbert County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garner
- Ford City
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Ford City is located in Colbert County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ford City
- Davidsons Cross Roads ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Nitrate City
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Nitrate City is located in Colbert County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nitrate City
- Lauderdale County
- The following are listed by their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
- Bethel
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Bethel is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethel
- Anderson
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Anderson is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anderson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 268 people
- Estep ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Estep is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estep
- Confluence
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Confluence is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Confluence
- Cedar Hill
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Cedar Hill is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Hill
- Corum ‑ Historic
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Corum is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corum
- Rogersville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Rogersville is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rogersville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,293 people
- Former name for Rogersville:
- Rodgersville
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rogersville <2>
- Lexington
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Comer
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Comer is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Comer
- Dells Vista Shores
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Dells Vista Shores is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dells Vista Shores
- Elgin
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Elgin is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elgin
- Arkdell
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Arkdell is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arkdell
- Slabtown ‑ Historic
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Slabtown is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Slabtown
- Lawrence County
- The following are listed by their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
- Wheeler Dam Village
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Wheeler Dam Village is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheeler Dam Village
- Red Bank
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Red Bank is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Bank
- Hillsboro
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- North Courtland
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- North Courtland is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Courtland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 621 people
- Courtland
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Town Creek
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Chalybeate Springs
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Chalybeate Springs is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chalybeate Springs
- Mountain Home
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Mountain Home is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain Home
- Madison County
- The following are listed by their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
- Elkwood
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Elkwood is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkwood
- Toney
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Harvest
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Madison Crossroads
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Madison Crossroads is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madison Crossroads
- Jeff
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Jeff is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jeff
- Monrovia
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Monrovia is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monrovia
- Madison
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Rideout Village
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Rideout Village is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rideout Village
- Hazel Green
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Morgan County
- The following are listed by their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
- Trinity
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Moulton Heights
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Moulton Heights is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moulton Heights
- Decatur
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Decatur is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Decatur
- Population from the 2020 Census: 54,381 people
- Former names for Decatur:
- Albany
- New Decatur
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Decatur <2>
- Simpson
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Simpson is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Simpson
- Austinville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Austinville is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Austinville
- Russell Village
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Russell Village is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Russell Village
- Giles County (TN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
- Stella
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Stella is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stella
- Minor Hill
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Minor Hill is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minor Hill
- Population from the 2020 Census: 533 people
- Prospect
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Anthony Hill
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Anthony Hill is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anthony Hill
- Green Field
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Green Field is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Field
- Elkton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Elkton is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 522 people
- Ardmore
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Dickson Town
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Dickson Town is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dickson Town
- Elkmont Springs
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Elkmont Springs is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkmont Springs
- Gordon
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Gordon is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gordon
- Estimated population in 2014: 1,192 people
- Pulaski
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Aymett Town
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Aymett Town is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aymett Town
- Pisgah
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Pisgah is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pisgah
- Lawrence County (TN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
- Appleton
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Appleton is located in Lawrence County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Appleton
- Fall River
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Fall River is located in Lawrence County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fall River
- Liberty Grove
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Liberty Grove is located in Lawrence County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Grove
- Estimated population in 2014: 7,825 people
- Leoma
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- New Prospect
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- New Prospect is located in Lawrence County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Prospect
- Estimated population in 2014: 6,880 people
- Busby
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Busby is located in Lawrence County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Busby
- Rascal Town
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Rascal Town is located in Lawrence County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rascal Town
- Loretto
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Lawrenceburg
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Joseph
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Ethridge
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Flatwoods
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Flatwoods is located in Lawrence County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flatwoods
- Park Grove
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Park Grove is located in Lawrence County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Grove
- Lincoln County (TN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
- Cash Point
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Cash Point is located in Lincoln County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cash Point
- Dellrose
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Coldwater
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Coldwater is located in Lincoln County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coldwater
- Molino
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Molino is located in Lincoln County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Molino
- Boonshill
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Boonshill is located in Lincoln County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boonshill
- Pearl City
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Pearl City is located in Lincoln County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pearl City
- Camargo
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Camargo is located in Lincoln County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camargo
- Harms
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Harms is located in Lincoln County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harms
- Hughey
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Hughey is located in Lincoln County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hughey
- Goshen ‑ Historic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Goshen is located in Lincoln County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goshen
- Park City Heights
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Park City Heights is located in Lincoln County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park City Heights
- Population from the 2010 Census: 2,442 people
- Park City
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Park City is located in Lincoln County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park City
- Marshall County (TN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
- Delina
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Delina is located in Marshall County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delina
- Cornersville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- New Town
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- New Town is located in Marshall County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Town
- Wayne County (TN)
- Corning ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Corning is located in Wayne County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corning
- Estimated population in 2014: 1,210 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Clifton, see our County-by-County Page for Clifton.
Cemeteries Near Clifton ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Clifton.
This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.
Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Clifton - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Clifton covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
- Gaston Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Shoal Bluff Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Hesters Chapel Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Craig Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Browning Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Adams Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- White Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Legg Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Pleasant Hill Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Elledge Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Tedd Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Smith Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Continue List (1043 more) ...
- Salem Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Cunningham Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Hightower Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
Nearby Communities in 1895 ...
We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.
While we didn't find Clifton in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Clifton.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
- Bethel
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Bethel is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethel
- Stella
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Stella is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stella
- Mount Rozell
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Mount Rozell is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Rozell
- Marbuts
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Marbuts is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marbuts
- Good Springs
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Good Springs is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Good Springs
- Minor Hill
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Minor Hill is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minor Hill
- Population from the 2020 Census: 533 people
- Gipsy
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Gipsy is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gipsy
- Veto
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Veto is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Veto
- Sugar ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Sugar is located in Lauderdale County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar
- Lesters
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Lesters is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lesters
- Appleton
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Appleton is located in Lawrence County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Appleton
- Cartwright
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Cartwright is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cartwright
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Elkmont
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Pettusville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Pettusville is located in Limestone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pettusville
- Aspen Hill
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Aspen Hill is located in Giles County (TN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aspen Hill
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Clifton. See our List of 1890's Communities around Clifton.
Newspapers Published in Clifton ...
An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).
To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.
Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 47 newspapers that have been published in the area around Clifton.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Clifton, there are papers which were published within 15 miles [24.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Clifton.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.
To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Clifton:
- Websites specific to Alabama
- Pages specific to Limestone County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Colbert County
- Lauderdale County
- Lawrence County
- Madison County
- Morgan County
- Giles County
- Lawrence County
- Lincoln County
- Marshall County
- Wayne County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Alabama
Footnotes ...
| <1> | We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Clifton, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <3> | The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Clifton) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |