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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 La Cienaga (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 La Cienaga. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

La Cienaga is located in Rio Arriba County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Rio Arriba County: Archuleta (CO), Conejos (CO), Los Alamos, Mora, San Juan, Sandoval, Santa Fe & Taos.

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

  • Rio Arriba County     (The home county of La Cienaga)
    • The following are listed by their distance from La Cienaga, with the one closest to La Cienaga listed first.
    • Embudo
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Rinconada
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Rinconada is located in Rio Arriba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rinconada
    • Dixon
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Apodaca
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Apodaca is located in Rio Arriba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Apodaca
    • Velarde
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Los Luceros
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Los Luceros is located in Rio Arriba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Los Luceros
    • Estaca
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Estaca is located in Rio Arriba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Estaca
    • La Villita
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • La Villita is located in Rio Arriba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Villita
    • Alcalde
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • LaMadera
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • LaMadera is located in Rio Arriba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for LaMadera
    • Chamita
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Chamita is located in Rio Arriba County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chamita
    • Ohkay Owingeh
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Los Alamos County
    • White Rock
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • White Rock is located in Los Alamos County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Rock
  • Santa Fe County
    • The following are listed by their distance from La Cienaga, with the one closest to La Cienaga listed first.
    • Rio Chiquito
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Rio Chiquito is located in Santa Fe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rio Chiquito
    • Cuartelez
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Cuartelez is located in Santa Fe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuartelez
    • La Puebla
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • La Puebla is located in Santa Fe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Puebla
    • Santa Cruz
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Santo Nino
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Santo Nino is located in Santa Fe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Santo Nino
    • Cundiyo
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Sombrillo
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Sombrillo is located in Santa Fe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sombrillo
    • Arroyo Seco
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Arroyo Seco is located in Santa Fe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arroyo Seco
    • El Valle de Arroyo Seco
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Pojoaque
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Jacona
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Jacona is located in Santa Fe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jacona
    • Jaconita
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Jaconita is located in Santa Fe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jaconita
  • Taos County
    • The following are listed by their distance from La Cienaga, with the one closest to La Cienaga listed first.
    • Pilar
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Vallecito
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Ojo Caliente
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Chamisal
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Trampas
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Picuris Pueblo
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Picuris Pueblo is located in Taos County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Picuris Pueblo
    • Rio Lucio
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Rio Lucio is located in Taos County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rio Lucio
    • Penasco
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Carson
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Llano
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Vadito
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Ranchos de Taos
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)

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

Cemeteries Near La Cienaga ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of La Cienaga.

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 La Cienaga - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for La Cienaga covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Father Kauper Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Embudo Presbyterian Church Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Embudo Presbyterian Church Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Embudo Presbyterian Church Cemetery is located outside and to the southeast of Dixon.
    • The Embudo Presbyterian Church Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Dixon Presbyterian Cemetery
    • Embudo Presbyterian Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2424075 <2>
  • St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • El Santuario Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Ojo Sarco Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Ojo Caliente Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • La Villita Catholic Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Martinez Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Las Trampas Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Las Trampas Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (52 more) ...
    • San Jose de Gracia Catholic Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Santa Cruz Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Picuris Pueblo Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Picuris Pueblo Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Picuris Pueblo Cemetery is located in Picuris Pueblo.
      • The Picuris Pueblo Cemetery has also been known as:
      • San Lorenzo de Picuris Parish Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2405843 <2>

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>

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

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

  • Embudo
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Rinconada
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Rinconada is located in Rio Arriba County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rinconada
  • Velarde
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Barranca
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Barranca is located in Taos County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barranca
  • Ojo Caliente
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Alcalde
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Chamita
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Chamita is located in Rio Arriba County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chamita
  • Penasco
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Santa Cruz
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Espanola
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
  • El Rito
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Pojoaque
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (7 more) ...
    • Vallecitos
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Abiquiu
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Jacona
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Jacona is located in Santa Fe County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jacona

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

Newspapers Published in La Cienaga ...

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 33 newspapers that have been published in the area around La Cienaga.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of La Cienaga, there are papers which were published within 23 miles [37 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for La Cienaga.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 La Cienaga:

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 La Cienaga, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- La Cienaga) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.