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 California (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 California. 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.

California is located in Aroostook County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Aroostook County: Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset & Washington.

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

• Aroostook County     (The home county of California)
  • The following are listed by their distance from California, with the one closest to California listed first.
  • Stockholm
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stockholm
    • Stockholm is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 230 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stockholm <1>
  • Cyr Plantation
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cyr Plantation have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cyr Plantation
    • Cyr Plantation is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 94 people
  • New Sweden
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Sweden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Sweden
    • New Sweden is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 563 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Sweden <1>
  • North Lyndon
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Lyndon
    • North Lyndon is located in Aroostook County
  • Westmanland
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westmanland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westmanland
    • Westmanland is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
  • Van Buren
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Van Buren have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Buren
    • Van Buren is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,983 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Van Buren <1>
  • Sinclair
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sinclair have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinclair
    • Sinclair is located in Aroostook County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sinclair <1>
  • Caswell
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caswell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caswell
    • Caswell is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 281 people
  • Barretts
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barretts
    • Barretts is located in Aroostook County
  • Hamlin
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hamlin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlin
    • Hamlin is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 202 people
  • Lille
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lille
    • Lille is located in Aroostook County
  • Caribou
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caribou have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caribou
    • Caribou is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,622 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Caribou <1>

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

Cemeteries Near California ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of California.

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

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

• First St. Theresa Cemetery
  (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the First St. Theresa Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the First St. Theresa Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• St. Theresas Catholic Cemetery
  (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Theresas Catholic Cemetery
  • To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Theresas Catholic Cemetery is located outside and to the south of Stockholm.
  • The St. Theresas Catholic Cemetery has also been known as:
  • St. Theresa Cemetery
  • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1967632 <4>
• Stockholm Cemetery
  (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stockholm Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stockholm Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• West Jemtland Cemetery
  (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Jemtland Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Jemtland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Hedman Cemetery
  (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hedman Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hedman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Jemtland Cemetery
  (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jemtland Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jemtland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• West Road Cemetery
  (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the West Road Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the West Road Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Westmanland Cemetery
  (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Westmanland Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Westmanland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Capitol Hill Cemetery
  (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Capitol Hill Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Capitol Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Nilsen Ackerson Family Cemetery
  (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Nilsen Ackerson Family Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Nilsen Ackerson Family Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Williams Family Cemetery
  (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Williams Family Cemetery
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Williams Family Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
• Sacred Heart Cemetery
  (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sacred Heart Cemetery
  • To give a relative sense of its location, the Sacred Heart Cemetery is located in the vicinity of North Lyndon
• Continue List   (105 more) ...
  • Grand Riviere Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grand Riviere Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grand Riviere Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Josephs Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Josephs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Josephs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Johnson Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Johnson Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Johnson Cemetery is located 7 miles [11.3 km]<5> to the southeast of Caribou.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2579677 <4>

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.<6>

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

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

• Jemtland
  (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jemtland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jemtland
  • Jemtland is located in Aroostook County
• Acadia
  (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Acadia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Acadia
  • Acadia is located in Aroostook County
• New Sweden
  (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Sweden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Sweden
  • New Sweden is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 563 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Sweden <1>
• North Lyndon
  (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Lyndon
  • North Lyndon is located in Aroostook County
• Van Buren
  (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Van Buren have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Buren
  • Van Buren is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,983 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Van Buren <1>
• Caswell
  (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caswell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caswell
  • Caswell is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 281 people
• Hamlin
  (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hamlin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlin
  • Hamlin is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 202 people
• Caribou
  (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caribou have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caribou
  • Caribou is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,622 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Caribou <1>
• Perham
  (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perham
  • Perham is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 364 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Perham <1>
• Hurd
  (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hurd. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hurd
  • Hurd is located in Aroostook County
• Limestone
  (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Limestone have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limestone
  • Limestone is located in Aroostook County
  • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,164 people
  • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Limestone <1>
• East Lyndon
  (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
  • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for East Lyndon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
  • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Lyndon
  • East Lyndon is located in Aroostook County
• Continue List   (13 more) ...
  • Washburn
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Washburn. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washburn
    • Washburn is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,533 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Washburn <1>
  • Saint David
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Saint David. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint David
    • Saint David is located in Aroostook County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint David <1>
  • Frenchville
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Frenchville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frenchville
    • Frenchville is located in Aroostook County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,031 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Frenchville <1>

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

Newspapers Published in California ...

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 9 newspapers that have been published in the area around California.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of California, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for California.

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 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 California:

• Websites specific to Maine
  • Jump to Cyndi's List
  • Jump to Family Search
  • Jump to Genealogy Trails
  • Website for the Maine State Archives

• Pages specific to Aroostook County
  • Jump to Cyndi's List
  • Jump to Family Search
  • Jump to Genealogy Trails

• Genealogy information for nearby counties

• Cemetery Information and Directories for Maine
  • Cemetery Junction: Cemeteries of Maine
  • Cyndi's List
  • Cemeteries of Maine
  • Cemeteries of Aroostook County
  • FamilySearch.org: Cemeteries of Maine
  • Find-A-Grave: Home Page
  • Interment.net
  • Cemeteries of Maine
  • Cemeteries of Aroostook County

Off-the-Road Links ...

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

The official website for Aroostook County: www.aroostook.me.us/

The official website for State of Maine: https://www.maine.gov/