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 Sierra 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 Sierra 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.
Name Variations for Sierra Vista ...
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.
For example, a typical abbreviation for Sierra Vista: Sierra Vis.
You might be interested in other communities that are also named Sierra Vista. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Sierra Vista.
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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and 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.
Sierra Vista is located in Madera 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 Madera County: Fresno, Mariposa, Merced & Mono.
Below are the counties that are near Sierra Vista. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Sierra Vista:
- Madera County (The home county of Sierra Vista)
- The following are listed by their distance from Sierra Vista, with the one closest to Sierra Vista listed first.
- Chowchilla
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Lincoln ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Lincoln is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln
- Berenda
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Berenda is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berenda
- Madera Acres
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Madera Acres is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Madera Acres
- Madera
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- La Vina
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- La Vina is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Vina
- Parksdale
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Parksdale is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parksdale
- Parkwood
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Parkwood is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkwood
- Knowles Junction
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Knowles Junction is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knowles Junction
- Raymond
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Raymond is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond
- Knowles ‑ Historic
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Knowles is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knowles
- Bonadelle Ranchos - Madera Ranchos
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Yosemite Lakes Park
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Yosemite Lakes Park is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yosemite Lakes Park
- Yosemite Lakes Park has also been known as:
- Yosemite Lakes
- Fresno County
- The following are listed by their distance from Sierra Vista, with the one closest to Sierra Vista listed first.
- Firebaugh
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Benito
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Benito is located in Fresno County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benito
- Mendota
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Biola
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Oro Loma ‑ Historic
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Oro Loma is located in Fresno County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oro Loma
- Barstow
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Barstow is located in Fresno County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barstow
- Herndon
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Herndon is located in Fresno County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herndon
- Raco
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Raco is located in Fresno County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raco
- Mariposa County
- The following are listed by their distance from Sierra Vista, with the one closest to Sierra Vista listed first.
- Catheys Valley
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Hornitos
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Mount Bullion
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Mount Bullion is located in Mariposa County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Bullion
- Mariposa
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Bear Valley
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Bear Valley is located in Mariposa County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bear Valley
- Bootjack
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Bootjack is located in Mariposa County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bootjack
- Merced County
- The following are listed by their distance from Sierra Vista, with the one closest to Sierra Vista listed first.
- Le Grand
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Athlone
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Athlone is located in Merced County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Athlone
- Plainsburg
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Plainsburg is located in Merced County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainsburg
- Planada
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Tuttle
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Tuttle is located in Merced County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tuttle
- El Nido
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Merced
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Santa Rita Park
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Fluhr
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Fluhr is located in Merced County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fluhr
- Dos Palos
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Atwater
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Amsterdam
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Amsterdam is located in Merced County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amsterdam
- South Dos Palos
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Sierra Vista, see our County-by-County Page for Sierra Vista.
Cemeteries Near Sierra Vista ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sierra 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 Sierra Vista - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Sierra Vista covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Sierra Vista, with the one closest to Sierra Vista listed first.
- Chowchilla Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chowchilla Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Chowchilla Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 2 miles [3.2 km]<2> to the southwest of Chowchilla.
- The Chowchilla Cemetery has also been known as:
- Chowchilla District Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #7906 <3>
- Helm - Turner Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Gwin Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gwin Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Gwin Cemetery is located 4 miles [6.4 km]<2> to the northeast of Le Grand.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2415806 <3>
- Evergreen Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Pate Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Calvary Cemetery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calvary Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Calvary Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Merced.
- The Calvary Cemetery has also been known as:
- Calvary Catholic Cemetery
- Calvary Merced Cemetery District
- Be careful not to confuse this cemetery with another one that is also named Calvary Cemetery (located 56 miles to the north).
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #7873 <3>
- Arbor Vitae Cemetery
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- New Hope Cemetery
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- White Rock Cemetery
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Raymond Cemetery
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Santa Cruz Cemetery
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Borden's Chinese Cemetery
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (9 more) ...
- Dos Palos Cemetery
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Catheys Valley Cemetery
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Winton Cemetery
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winton Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Winton Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the southwest of Winton.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #8453 <3>
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 Sierra Vista in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Sierra Vista.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Sierra Vista, with the one closest to Sierra Vista listed first.
- Athlone
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Athlone is located in Merced County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Athlone
- Plainsburg
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Plainsburg is located in Merced County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainsburg
- Merced
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- La Vina
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- La Vina is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Vina
- Dos Palos
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Raymond
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Raymond is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond
- Firebaugh
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Ben Hur
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Ben Hur is located in Mariposa County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ben Hur
- Atwater
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Knowles ‑ Historic
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Knowles is located in Madera County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knowles
- Hornitos
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Merced Falls
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Merced Falls is located in Merced County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merced Falls
- Continue List (7 more) ...
- Snelling
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Arena
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Arena is located in Merced County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arena
- Hopeton
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Hopeton is located in Merced County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopeton
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Sierra Vista. See our List of 1890's Communities around Sierra Vista.
Newspapers Published in Sierra 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 89 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sierra Vista.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Sierra Vista, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Sierra Vista.
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 Sierra Vista:
- Websites specific to California
- Pages specific to Madera County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Fresno County
- Mariposa County
- Merced County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for California
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 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Sierra 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 Sierra Vista, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |