Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
So far, we found very little information about Alpha. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>
We've added Alpha to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Alpha, 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 Alpha (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 Alpha. 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 doctors 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 Alpha is historic, it would have been located within present day Nevada County.
To see how the shape of California's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Nevada County: Placer, Sierra, Yuba & Washoe (NV).
Below are the counties that are near Alpha. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Alpha:
- Nevada County (The home county of Alpha)
- The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
- Washington
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- North Bloomfield ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- North Bloomfield is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Bloomfield
- Graniteville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Graniteville is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graniteville
- Scotts Flat
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Scotts Flat is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scotts Flat
- Marsh Mill
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Marsh Mill is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marsh Mill
- Lake City
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Lake City is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake City
- You Bet ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- You Bet is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for You Bet
- Blue Tent
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Blue Tent is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Tent
- North Columbia
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- North Columbia is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Columbia
- Baltimore Town
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Baltimore Town is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baltimore Town
- Nevada City
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Glenbrook
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Glenbrook is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenbrook
- Gold Flat
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Gold Flat is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gold Flat
- Butte County
- The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
- Clipper Mills
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Oroleve
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Oroleve is located in Butte County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oroleve
- Evansville ‑ Historic
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Evansville is located in Butte County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evansville
- Forbestown
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Lumpkin ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Lumpkin is located in Butte County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lumpkin
- Robinson Mill
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Robinson Mill is located in Butte County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Robinson Mill
- El Dorado County
- The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
- Georgetown
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Quintette
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Quintette is located in El Dorado County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quintette
- Fornis
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Fornis is located in El Dorado County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fornis
- Greenwood
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Placer County
- The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
- Emigrant Gap
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Alta
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Casa Loma
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Casa Loma is located in Placer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Casa Loma
- Dutch Flat
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Gold Run
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Secret Town
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Secret Town is located in Placer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Secret Town
- Big Bend
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Big Bend is located in Placer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Bend
- Iowa Hill
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Last Chance ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Last Chance is located in Placer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Last Chance
- Chicago Park ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Chicago Park is located in Placer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicago Park
- Colfax
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Michigan Bluff
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Michigan Bluff is located in Placer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Michigan Bluff
- Foresthill
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Plumas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
- La Porte
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Little Grass Valley
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Little Grass Valley is located in Plumas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Grass Valley
- Plumas Eureka
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Plumas Eureka is located in Plumas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plumas Eureka
- Whitehawk
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Whitehawk is located in Plumas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitehawk
- Clio
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Johnsville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Valley Ranch
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Valley Ranch is located in Plumas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley Ranch
- Shasta County
- Bear Valley ‑ Historic
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Bear Valley is located in Shasta County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bear Valley
- Sierra County
- The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
- Alleghany
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Forest
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Forest is located in Sierra County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest
- Goodyears Bar
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Downieville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Loganville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Loganville is located in Sierra County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loganville
- Sierra City
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Brandy City ‑ Historic
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Brandy City is located in Sierra County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brandy City
- Queen City
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Queen City is located in Sierra County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Queen City
- Poker Flat
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Poker Flat is located in Sierra County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poker Flat
- Sattley
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Sierraville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Gibsonville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Gibsonville is located in Sierra County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gibsonville
- Calpine
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Yuba County
- The following are listed by their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
- Camptonville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Depot Hill ‑ Historic
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Depot Hill is located in Yuba County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Depot Hill
- Garden Valley ‑ Historic
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Garden Valley is located in Yuba County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden Valley
- Foster Bar ‑ Historic
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Foster Bar is located in Yuba County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foster Bar
- Bullards Bar ‑ Historic
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Bullards Bar is located in Yuba County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bullards Bar
- Dobbins
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Strawberry Valley
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Challenge
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Oregon House
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Brownsville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Smartville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Timbuctoo ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Timbuctoo is located in Yuba County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timbuctoo
- Rackerby
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Alpha, see our County-by-County Page for Alpha.
Cemeteries Near Alpha ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Alpha.
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 Alpha - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Alpha covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
- Pioneer Grove Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Dutch Flat Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dutch Flat Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Dutch Flat Cemetery is located in the vicinity of Alta
- Alleghany Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Forest City Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Deer Creek Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Creek Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Deer Creek Cemetery is located outside and to the east of Nevada City.
- The Deer Creek Cemetery has also been known as:
- New Odd Fellows Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2400769 <3>
- Forest View Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Pine Grove Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Pioneer Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Pike City Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Iowa Hill Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Goodyears Bar Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Sleighville House Cemetery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (38 more) ...
- Elm Ridge Cemetery
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Camptonville Cemetery
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Downieville Cemetery
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
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 Alpha in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Alpha.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Alpha, with the one closest to Alpha listed first.
- Washington
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Maybert ‑ Historic
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Maybert is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maybert
- Blue Canyon
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Blue Canyon is located in Placer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Canyon
- Emigrant Gap
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- North Bloomfield ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- North Bloomfield is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Bloomfield
- Moore's Flat
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Moore's Flat is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moore's Flat
- Graniteville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Graniteville is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graniteville
- Alta
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Towle
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Towle is located in Placer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Towle
- Dutch Flat
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- You Bet ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- You Bet is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for You Bet
- Alleghany
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Gold Run
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- North Columbia
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- North Columbia is located in Nevada County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Columbia
- Westville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Westville is located in Placer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westville
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Alpha. See our List of 1890's Communities around Alpha.
Newspapers Published in Alpha ...
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 78 newspapers that have been published in the area around Alpha.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Alpha, there are papers which were published within 17 miles [27.4 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Alpha.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer 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 Alpha:
- Websites specific to California
- Pages specific to Nevada County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Butte County
- El Dorado County
- Placer County
- Plumas County
- Shasta County
- Sierra County
- Yuba County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for California
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 Alpha, 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 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Alpha) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |