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 Alabaster (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 Alabaster. 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 and doctors 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.
Alabaster is located in Iosco County.
To see how the shape of Michigan's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Iosco County: Alcona, Arenac, Ogemaw & Oscoda.
Below are the counties that are near Alabaster. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Alabaster:
- Iosco County (The home county of Alabaster)
- The following are listed by their distance from Alabaster, with the one closest to Alabaster listed first.
- Tawas City
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- East Tawas
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- White Rock ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- White Rock is located in Iosco County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Rock
- National City
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Whittemore
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Wilber
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Wilber is located in Iosco County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilber
- Foote Site Village
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Foote Site Village is located in Iosco County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foote Site Village
- Hale
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Sid Town
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Sid Town is located in Iosco County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sid Town
- Au Sable
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Au Sable is located in Iosco County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Au Sable
- Oscoda
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Long Lake
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Alcona County
- The following are listed by their distance from Alabaster, with the one closest to Alabaster listed first.
- Glennie
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Mikado
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Curtisville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Curtisville is located in Alcona County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Curtisville
- Greenbush
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Arenac County
- The following are listed by their distance from Alabaster, with the one closest to Alabaster listed first.
- Harmon City Heights
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Harmon City Heights is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harmon City Heights
- Au Gres
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Turner
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Turner is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turner
- Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
- Twining
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Twining is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twining
- Population from the 2020 Census: 168 people
- Omer
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Omer is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Omer
- Population from the 2020 Census: 288 people
- Maple Ridge
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Maple Ridge is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maple Ridge
- Arenac
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Arenac is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arenac
- Pine River
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Pine River is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine River
- Melita
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Melita is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melita
- Saganing
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Saganing is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saganing
- Standish
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Whites Beach
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Whites Beach is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whites Beach
- Bay County
- Pinconning
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Huron County
- The following are listed by their distance from Alabaster, with the one closest to Alabaster listed first.
- Caseville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Ora Labora
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Ora Labora is located in Huron County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ora Labora
- Ora Labora has also been known as:
- Ora et Labora
- Bay Port
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Valley Island
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Valley Island is located in Huron County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valley Island
- Berne
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Berne is located in Huron County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berne
- Port Crescent ‑ Historic
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Port Crescent is located in Huron County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Crescent
- Pigeon
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Pinnebog
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Pinnebog is located in Huron County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pinnebog
- Port Austin
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Pointe aux Barques
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Pointe aux Barques is located in Huron County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pointe aux Barques
- Ogemaw County
- The following are listed by their distance from Alabaster, with the one closest to Alabaster listed first.
- Prescott
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Skidway Lake
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- South Branch
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Lupton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Greenwood
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Greenwood is located in Ogemaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
- Fayettes Corner ‑ Historic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Fayettes Corner is located in Ogemaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fayettes Corner
- Campbells Corners
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Campbells Corners is located in Ogemaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campbells Corners
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Alabaster, see our County-by-County Page for Alabaster.
Cemeteries Near Alabaster ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Alabaster.
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 Alabaster - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Alabaster covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Alabaster, with the one closest to Alabaster listed first.
- Alabaster Twp. Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Emmanuel Lutheran Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Immaculate Heart of Mary's Catholic Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Memory Gardens Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Memory Gardens Cemetery
- The Memory Gardens Cemetery has also been known as:
- Tawas City Cemetery
- Tawas City Memory Gardens
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1063 <2>
- Zion Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Whitney Sims Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Laidlaw Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Sims Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- American Legion Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Greenwood Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- St. Joseph's Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Pine Top Rest Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (70 more) ...
- Poor Farm Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Linwood Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linwood Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Linwood Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northwest of Au Gres.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #946 <2>
- Pioneer Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
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.<3>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Alabaster had a population of 350 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Alabaster, with the one closest to Alabaster listed first.
- Tawas City
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- East Tawas
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- McIvor
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- McIvor is located in Iosco County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McIvor
- Au Gres
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Whittemore
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Wilber
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Wilber is located in Iosco County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilber
- Omer
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Omer is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Omer
- Population from the 2020 Census: 288 people
- Hale
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Prescott
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Maple Ridge
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Maple Ridge is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maple Ridge
- Arenac
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Arenac is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arenac
- Au Sable
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Au Sable is located in Iosco County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Au Sable
- Continue List (17 more) ...
- Oscoda
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Melita
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Melita is located in Arenac County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melita
- Caseville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Alabaster. See our List of 1890's Communities around Alabaster.
Newspapers Published in Alabaster ...
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 22 newspapers that have been published in the area around Alabaster.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Alabaster, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Alabaster.
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 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 Alabaster:
- Websites specific to Michigan
- Pages specific to Iosco County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Alcona County
- Arenac County
- Bay County
- Huron County
- Ogemaw County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Michigan
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 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. |
| <3> | 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 Alabaster, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Alabaster) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |