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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 Windsor (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 Windsor. 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 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 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.

Windsor 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 Windsor. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Windsor:

  • Sonoma County     (The home county of Windsor)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Windsor, with the one closest to Windsor listed first.
    • Camp Rose
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp Rose
      • Camp Rose is located in Sonoma County
    • Fulton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Trenton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trenton
      • Trenton is located in Sonoma County
    • Mark West Springs
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mark West Springs
      • Mark West Springs is located in Sonoma County
    • Healdsburg
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Forestville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Graton
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Rio Nido
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Kellogg
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kellogg
      • Kellogg is located in Sonoma County
    • Montgomery Village
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montgomery Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montgomery Village
      • Montgomery Village is located in Sonoma County
    • Roseland
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roseland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roseland
      • Roseland is located in Sonoma County
    • Santa Rosa
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Lake County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Windsor, with the one closest to Windsor listed first.
    • Middletown
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Pine Grove
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Grove
      • Pine Grove is located in Lake County
    • Cobb
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Glenbrook
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenbrook
      • Glenbrook is located in Lake County
    • Hidden Valley Lake
      (22 miles [35.4 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
    • Salminas Resort
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salminas Resort
      • Salminas Resort is located in Lake County
    • Seigler Springs
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seigler Springs
      • Seigler Springs is located in Lake County
    • Glenview
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenview
      • Glenview is located in Lake County
    • Lower Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Clearlake
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Kelseyville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Clearlake Park
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Marin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Windsor, with the one closest to Windsor listed first.
    • Dillon Beach
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Tomales
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Hamlet
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamlet have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlet
      • Hamlet is located in Marin County
    • Nicks Cove
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nicks Cove
      • Nicks Cove is located in Marin County
    • Marshall
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Inverness
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Millerton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millerton
      • Millerton is located in Marin County
  • Napa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Windsor, with the one closest to Windsor listed first.
    • Woodleaf
      (11 miles [17.7 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
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Deer Park
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Angwin
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Saint Helena
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Pope Valley
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Rutherford
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Oakville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Yountville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Windsor ...

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 111 newspapers that have been published in the area around Windsor.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Windsor. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Windsor and those printed in the larger area surrounding Windsor.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 17 miles [27.4 km]<3> of Windsor.

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 websites either 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 Windsor:

Cemeteries Near Windsor ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Windsor.

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

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

  • Santa Rosa Memorial Park - Shiloh Road Addition
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Faught Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Faught Cemetery
  • Fulton Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fulton Cemetery
  • Oak Mound Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • McPeak Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McPeak Cemetery
  • Forestview Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forestview Cemetery
  • Steele Family Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Cyrus Alexander Family Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cyrus Alexander Family Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cyrus Alexander Family Cemetery
  • Green Valley Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Green Valley Cemetery
  • Gilliam Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gilliam Cemetery
  • Hall Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hall Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hall Cemetery
  • Moke Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Moke Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Moke Cemetery
  • Continue List   (68 more) ...
    • Santa Rosa Odd Fellows Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Stanley Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stanley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stanley 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Windsor had a population of 483 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Windsor had a population of 27,322 people.

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

  • Trenton
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trenton
    • Trenton is located in Sonoma County
  • Fulton
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Forestville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Santa Rosa
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Kellogg
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kellogg
    • Kellogg is located in Sonoma County
  • Guerneville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Occidental
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Melita
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melita
    • Melita is located in Sonoma County
  • Geyserville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Freestone
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Calistoga
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Duncans Mills
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Cazadero
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Valley Ford
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Bloomfield
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
      • Bloomfield 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 Windsor. See our List of 1890's Communities around Windsor.

The official website for Windsor: www.ci.windsor.ca.us/

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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Windsor) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Windsor. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.5473, Longitude: -122.8168    
<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 Windsor, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024