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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 Rio Dell (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 Rio Dell. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Rio Dell is located in Sonoma 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 Sonoma County: Contra Costa, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa & Solano.

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

  • Sonoma County     (The home county of Rio Dell)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rio Dell, with the one closest to Rio Dell listed first.
    • Forestville
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Trenton
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trenton
      • Trenton is located in Sonoma County
    • Graton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Guerneville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Rio Nido
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Windsor
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Camp Meeker
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Occidental
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Monte Rio
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Villa Grande
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Fulton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Camp Rose
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp Rose
      • Camp Rose is located in Sonoma County
    • Duncans Mills
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Lake County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rio Dell, with the one closest to Rio Dell listed first.
    • Middletown
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Pine Grove
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Grove
      • Pine Grove is located in Lake County
    • Cobb
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Glenbrook
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenbrook
      • Glenbrook is located in Lake County
    • Salminas Resort
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salminas Resort
      • Salminas Resort is located in Lake County
    • Glenview
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenview
      • Glenview is located in Lake County
    • Hidden Valley Lake
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hidden Valley Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hidden Valley Lake
      • Hidden Valley Lake is located in Lake County
    • Seigler Springs
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seigler Springs
      • Seigler Springs is located in Lake County
  • Marin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rio Dell, with the one closest to Rio Dell listed first.
    • Dillon Beach
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Tomales
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Hamlet
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hamlet. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlet
      • Hamlet is located in Marin County
    • Nicks Cove
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nicks Cove
      • Nicks Cove is located in Marin County
    • Marshall
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Inverness
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Millerton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millerton
      • Millerton is located in Marin County
    • Point Reyes Station
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Napa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rio Dell, with the one closest to Rio Dell listed first.
    • Woodleaf
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodleaf have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodleaf
      • Woodleaf is located in Napa County
    • Calistoga
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Deer Park
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Saint Helena
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Angwin
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Rutherford
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Oakville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Pope Valley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Yountville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)

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

Cemeteries Near Rio Dell ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rio Dell.

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 Rio Dell covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • McPeak Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McPeak Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McPeak Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Forestview Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forestview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forestview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Green Valley Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Green Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Green Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Gilliam Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gilliam Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gilliam Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Redwood Memorial Gardens
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Redwood Memorial Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Redwood Memorial Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Santa Rosa Memorial Park - Shiloh Road Addition
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Santa Rosa Memorial Park - Shiloh Road Addition
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Santa Rosa Memorial Park - Shiloh Road Addition have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Druids Occidental Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Druids Occidental Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Druids Occidental Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Steele Family Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Fulton Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fulton Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fulton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Spring Hill Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spring Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spring Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sebastopol Memorial Lawn Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sebastopol Memorial Lawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sebastopol Memorial Lawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Duncans Mills Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Duncans Mills Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Duncans Mills Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (64 more) ...
    • Faught Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Faught Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Faught Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Oak Mound Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Pleasant Hills Memorial Park
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Hills Memorial Park
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Hills Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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.<5>

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

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

  • Forestville
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Trenton
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trenton
    • Trenton is located in Sonoma County
  • Guerneville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Windsor
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Occidental
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Fulton
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Duncans Mills
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Freestone
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Cazadero
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Santa Rosa
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Valley Ford
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • Bloomfield
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
    • Bloomfield is located in Sonoma County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Melita
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melita
      • Melita is located in Sonoma County
    • Geyserville
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Kellogg
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kellogg
      • Kellogg is located in Sonoma County

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

Newspapers Published in Rio Dell ...

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 73 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rio Dell.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Rio Dell, there are papers which were published within 18 miles [29 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Rio Dell.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Rio Dell:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Rio Dell. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Sonoma County: www.sonoma-county.org/

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

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>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.
<3>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.
<4>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.
<5>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 Rio Dell, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Rio Dell) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Rio Dell. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.4991, Longitude: -122.9072       In this case, the coordinates for Rio Dell have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025