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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

So far, we found very little information about Point Reyes. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>

We've added Point Reyes to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Point Reyes, 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 Point Reyes (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 Point Reyes. 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.

Name Variations for Point Reyes ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Point Reyes: Pt. Reyes

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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 Point Reyes is historic, it would have been located within present day Marin County.

To see how the shape of California's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Marin County: Contra Costa, San Francisco & Sonoma.

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

  • Marin County     (The home county of Point Reyes)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Point Reyes, with the one closest to Point Reyes listed first.
    • Inverness
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Millerton
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millerton
      • Millerton is located in Marin County
    • Marshall
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Point Reyes Station
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Hamlet
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamlet have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlet
      • Hamlet is located in Marin County
    • Nicks Cove
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nicks Cove
      • Nicks Cove is located in Marin County
    • Olema
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Tocaloma
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tocaloma have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tocaloma
      • Tocaloma is located in Marin County
    • Dillon Beach
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Tomales
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Five Brooks
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Five Brooks
      • Five Brooks is located in Marin County
    • Nicasio
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Sonoma County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Point Reyes, with the one closest to Point Reyes listed first.
    • Bloomfield
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
      • Bloomfield is located in Sonoma County
    • Valley Ford
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Bodega Bay
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Bodega
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Freestone
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Salmon Creek
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salmon Creek
      • Salmon Creek is located in Sonoma County
    • Stony Point
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stony Point
      • Stony Point is located in Sonoma County
    • Carmet
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carmet
      • Carmet is located in Sonoma County
    • Petaluma
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Serena Del Mar
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Serena Del Mar. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<4>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Serena Del Mar
      • Serena Del Mar is located in Sonoma County
    • Cotati
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Penngrove
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Point Reyes ...

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 116 newspapers that have been published in the area around Point Reyes.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Point Reyes, there are papers which were published within 25 miles [40.2 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Point Reyes.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start 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 Point Reyes:

Cemeteries Near Point Reyes ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Point Reyes.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Olema Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Olema Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Olema Cemetery
  • Tomales Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tomales Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tomales Cemetery
  • Taylors Grave Site
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Taylors Grave Site have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Taylors Grave Site
  • Two Rock Presbyterian Church Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Two Rock Presbyterian Church Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Two Rock Presbyterian Church Cemetery
  • Bodega Bay Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bodega Bay Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bodega Bay Cemetery
  • Bloomfield Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Bloomfield Cemetery is located outside and to the west of Bloomfield.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bloomfield Cemetery
  • Bodega Calvary Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bodega Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Bodega Calvary Cemetery is located outside and to the south of Bodega.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bodega Calvary Cemetery
  • Liberty Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Liberty Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Liberty Cemetery
  • B'nai Israel Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the B'nai Israel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the B'nai Israel Cemetery
  • Petaluma Calvary Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Cypress Hill Memorial Park
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cypress Hill Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cypress Hill Memorial Park
  • Canfield Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Canfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Canfield Cemetery
  • Continue List   (32 more) ...
    • Macedonia Cemetery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Macedonia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Macedonia Cemetery
    • Pleasant Hills Memorial Park
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Hills Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Hills Memorial Park
    • Spring Hill Cemetery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spring Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spring Hill Cemetery

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 Point Reyes in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Point Reyes.

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

  • Millerton
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millerton
    • Millerton is located in Marin County
  • Marshall
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Point Reyes Station
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Hamlet
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamlet have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlet
    • Hamlet is located in Marin County
  • Olema
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Tocaloma
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tocaloma have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tocaloma
    • Tocaloma is located in Marin County
  • Tomales
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Taylorville ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Taylorville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taylorville
    • Taylorville is located in Marin County
  • Nicasio
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • San Geronimo
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
  • Bloomfield
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
    • Bloomfield is located in Sonoma County
  • Valley Ford
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Bolinas
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Stony Point
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stony Point
      • Stony Point is located in Sonoma County
    • Freestone
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)

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

The official website for Marin County: www.co.marin.ca.us/

The official website for State of California: https://www.ca.gov/

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 Point Reyes, 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 location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<4>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Point Reyes) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Point Reyes. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.0863, Longitude: -122.9539       In this case, the coordinates for Point Reyes have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024