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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 Sorenson (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 Sorenson. 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 and hospitals 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.

Sorenson is located in Alameda 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 Alameda County: Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara & Stanislaus.

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

  • Alameda County     (The home county of Sorenson)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sorenson, with the one closest to Sorenson listed first.
    • Hayward
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Fairview
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairview have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
      • Fairview is located in Alameda County
    • Mount Eden
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Castro Valley
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Cherryland
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cherryland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherryland
      • Cherryland is located in Alameda County
    • Alvarado ‑ Historic
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alvarado. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvarado
      • Alvarado is located in Alameda County
    • Union City
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union City
      • Union City is located in Alameda County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 74,501 people
      • Former name for Union City:
      • Decoto
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Union City <1>
    • Russell City
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Russell City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Russell City
      • Russell City is located in Alameda County
    • Ashland
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • San Lorenzo
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • San Leandro
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Fremont
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fremont
      • Fremont is located in Alameda County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 234,569 people
      • Former names for Fremont:
      • Centerville
      • Irvington
      • Mission San Jose
      • Niles
      • Warm Springs
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fremont <1>
  • Contra Costa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sorenson, with the one closest to Sorenson listed first.
    • San Ramon
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Danville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danville
      • Danville is located in Contra Costa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 44,883 people
      • Former name for Danville:
      • Inmanville
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Danville <1>
    • Moraga
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moraga
      • Moraga is located in Contra Costa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,967 people
      • Former name for Moraga:
      • Willow Springs
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moraga <1>
    • Alamo
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Blackhawk - Camino Tassajara
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Blackhawk
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blackhawk have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackhawk
      • Blackhawk is located in Contra Costa County
    • Diablo
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Rock City
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rock City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock City
      • Rock City is located in Contra Costa County
    • Tassajara
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tassajara
      • Tassajara is located in Contra Costa County
    • Lafayette
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Orinda
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orinda
      • Orinda is located in Contra Costa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 19,557 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Orinda <1>
    • Orinda Village
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orinda Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orinda Village
      • Orinda Village is located in Contra Costa County
  • Marin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sorenson, with the one closest to Sorenson listed first.
    • Fort McDowell
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fort McDowell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort McDowell
      • Fort McDowell is located in Marin County
    • Belvedere
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Tiburon
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Sausalito
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Marin City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marin City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marin City
      • Marin City is located in Marin County
    • Bel Aire
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bel Aire
      • Bel Aire is located in Marin County
    • Manzanita
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manzanita
      • Manzanita is located in Marin County
    • Paradise Cay
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise Cay
      • Paradise Cay is located in Marin County
    • Strawberry
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Strawberry have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strawberry
      • Strawberry is located in Marin County
    • San Quentin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Tamalpais - Homestead Valley
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tamalpais - Homestead Valley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tamalpais - Homestead Valley
      • Tamalpais - Homestead Valley is located in Marin County
  • San Francisco County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sorenson, with the one closest to Sorenson listed first.
    • Chinatown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chinatown
      • Chinatown is located in San Francisco County
    • Friendship Village
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Friendship Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friendship Village
      • Friendship Village is located in San Francisco County
    • San Francisco
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Sydney Town ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sydney Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sydney Town
      • Sydney Town is located in San Francisco County
    • Amanico Ergina Village
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Amanico Ergina Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amanico Ergina Village
      • Amanico Ergina Village is located in San Francisco County
    • Golden Gate Heights
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golden Gate Heights
      • Golden Gate Heights is located in San Francisco County
    • Stonestown
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonestown
      • Stonestown is located in San Francisco County
    • Doelger City
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Doelger City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doelger City
      • Doelger City is located in San Francisco County
  • San Joaquin County
    • Carnegie ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Carnegie. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carnegie
      • Carnegie is located in San Joaquin County
  • San Mateo County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sorenson, with the one closest to Sorenson listed first.
    • East Palo Alto
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Foster City
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • The Willows
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Willows
      • The Willows is located in San Mateo County
    • North Fair Oaks
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Fair Oaks have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Fair Oaks
      • North Fair Oaks is located in San Mateo County
    • Atherton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Menlo Park
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Redwood City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • San Carlos
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Belmont
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Laurel
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laurel
      • Laurel is located in San Mateo County
    • San Mateo
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Burlingame
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
  • Santa Clara County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sorenson, with the one closest to Sorenson listed first.
    • Palo Alto
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Alviso
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Escondido Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Escondido Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Escondido Village
      • Escondido Village is located in Santa Clara County
    • Ventura
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ventura
      • Ventura is located in Santa Clara County
    • Castro City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Castro City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Castro City
      • Castro City is located in Santa Clara County
    • Stanford
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Mountain View
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Milpitas
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Agnew
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Agnew
      • Agnew is located in Santa Clara County
    • Los Altos Hills
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Los Altos
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Sunnyvale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
  • Solano County
    • Benicia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)

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

Cemeteries Near Sorenson ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sorenson.

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

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

  • Holy Sepulchre Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • All Saints Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the All Saints Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the All Saints Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Eden Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Eden Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Eden Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lone Tree Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Chapel of the Chimes Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chapel of the Chimes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Chapel of the Chimes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Chapel of the Chimes Memorial Park
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chapel of the Chimes Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Chapel of the Chimes Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • San Lorenzo Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the San Lorenzo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the San Lorenzo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Calvary Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Calvary Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Presbyterian Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Presbyterian Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Presbyterian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Holy Ghost Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holy Ghost Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holy Ghost Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Dublin Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dublin Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dublin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Irvington Memorial Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (72 more) ...
    • Ohlone Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Ohlones Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ohlones Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ohlones Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Pleasanton Memorial Gardens Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasanton Memorial Gardens Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasanton Memorial Gardens Cemetery 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 Sorenson in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Sorenson.

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

  • Mount Eden
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Alvarado ‑ Historic
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alvarado. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvarado
    • Alvarado is located in Alameda County
  • San Lorenzo
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • San Leandro
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Newark
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Sunol
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Pleasanton
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • San Ramon
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Seminary Park
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seminary Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seminary Park
    • Seminary Park is located in Alameda County
  • Melrose
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Melrose have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melrose
    • Melrose is located in Alameda County
  • Danville
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danville
    • Danville is located in Contra Costa County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 44,883 people
    • Former name for Danville:
    • Inmanville
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Danville <1>
  • East Oakland ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for East Oakland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Oakland
    • East Oakland is located in Alameda County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Fruitvale
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fruitvale
      • Fruitvale is located in Alameda County
      • Former names for Fruitvale:
      • Brays
      • Fruit Vale
    • Alameda
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Fair Oaks
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fair Oaks have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fair Oaks
      • Fair Oaks is located in San Mateo County

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

Newspapers Published in Sorenson ...

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 233 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sorenson.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Sorenson, there are papers which were published within 15 miles [24.1 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Sorenson.

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 helpful 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 Sorenson:

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

The official website for Alameda County: www.acgov.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 Sorenson, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Sorenson) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Sorenson. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.6455, Longitude: -122.0658       In this case, the coordinates for Sorenson have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025