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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

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 Buena Vista (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 Buena Vista. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

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 north 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.

Buena Vista is located in Tehama 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 Tehama County: Butte, Glenn, Mendocino, Plumas, Shasta & Trinity.

Below are the counties that are near Buena Vista. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Buena Vista:

  • Tehama County     (The home county of Buena Vista)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.
    • Los Molinos
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Vina
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Tehama
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Gerber
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Dantuma Place
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Dantuma Place is located in Tehama County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dantuma Place
    • Proberta
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Rawson
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Rawson is located in Tehama County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rawson
    • Corning
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Paynes Creek
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Dales
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Dales is located in Tehama County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dales
    • Kirkwood
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Kirkwood is located in Tehama County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kirkwood
    • Red Bluff
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Bend
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Bend is located in Tehama County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bend
  • Butte County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.
    • Forest Ranch
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Forest Ranch is located in Butte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Ranch
    • Butte Meadows
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Inskip ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Inskip is located in Butte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inskip
    • Powellton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Powellton is located in Butte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powellton
    • De Sabla
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • De Sabla is located in Butte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Sabla
    • Nord ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Nord is located in Butte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nord
    • Nimshew
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Nimshew is located in Butte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nimshew
    • Stirling City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Irish Town
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Irish Town is located in Butte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irish Town
    • Paradise Pines
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Paradise Pines is located in Butte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise Pines
    • Chico
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Chico is located in Butte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chico
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 102,867 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chico <1>
    • Magalia
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Paradise
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
  • Glenn County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.
    • Capay
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Capay is located in Glenn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Capay
    • Hamilton City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Orland
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Plumas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.
    • Storrie
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Tobin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Tobin is located in Plumas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tobin
  • Shasta County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.
    • Battle Creek ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Battle Creek is located in Shasta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Battle Creek
    • Clarkville ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Clarkville is located in Shasta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarkville
    • Shingletown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Balls Ferry ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Balls Ferry is located in Shasta County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balls Ferry

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Buena Vista, see our County-by-County Page for Buena Vista.

Cemeteries Near Buena Vista ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Buena Vista.

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 Buena Vista - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Buena Vista covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.

  • Vina Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vina Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Vina Cemetery is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<2> to the northeast of Vina.
    • The Vina Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Carter Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #7884 <3>
  • Cohasset Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Pine Creek Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Creek Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Pine Creek Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 11 miles [17.7 km]<2> to the northwest of Chico.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #8268 <3>
  • Cameron - Davis Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
  • Tehama Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tehama Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Tehama Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located less than 2 miles<2> to the west of Tehama.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #8399 <3>
  • Forest Ranch Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Butte Meadows Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
  • Corning Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Sunset Hill Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Inskip Pioneer Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
  • Coutolenc Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
  • Kirkwood Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (24 more) ...
    • Nicholl Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Centerville Cemetery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Oak Hill Cemetery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)

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.<4>

While we didn't find Buena Vista in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Buena Vista.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Buena Vista, with the one closest to Buena Vista listed first.

  • Vina
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Tehama
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Forest Ranch
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Forest Ranch is located in Butte County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Ranch
  • Cana
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Cana is located in Butte County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cana
  • Butte Meadows
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
  • Proberta
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
  • Richfield
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Richfield is located in Tehama County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richfield
  • Anita
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Anita is located in Butte County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anita
  • Powellton
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Powellton is located in Butte County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powellton
  • Inskip ‑ Historic
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Inskip is located in Butte County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inskip
  • Rawson
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Rawson is located in Tehama County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rawson
  • Corning
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Lyonsville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Lyonsville is located in Tehama County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyonsville
    • Nord ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Nord is located in Butte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nord
    • Nimshew
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Nimshew is located in Butte County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nimshew

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Buena Vista. See our List of 1890's Communities around Buena Vista.

Newspapers Published in Buena Vista ...

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 70 newspapers that have been published in the area around Buena Vista.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Buena Vista, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Buena Vista.

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 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 Buena Vista:

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Buena Vista) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<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>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 Buena Vista, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.