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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 Clifton Beach (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 Clifton Beach. 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.

Name Variations for Clifton Beach ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Clifton Beach: Clifton Bch.

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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.

Clifton Beach is located in Chambers County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Chambers County: Harris, Jefferson & Liberty.

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

  • Chambers County     (The home county of Clifton Beach)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clifton Beach, with the one closest to Clifton Beach listed first.
    • Seabrook
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Shoreacres
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Shoreacres is located in Chambers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shoreacres
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,578 people
    • Smith Point
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Smith Point is located in Chambers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith Point
    • Baytown
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Beach City
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Beach City is located in Chambers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beach City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,825 people
    • Cove
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Cove is located in Chambers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cove
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 586 people
    • Mont Belvieu
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Double Bayou
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Double Bayou is located in Chambers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Double Bayou
    • Anahuac
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Old River - Winfree
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Old River - Winfree is located in Chambers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old River - Winfree
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,453 people
    • Wallisville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Turtle Bayou
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Turtle Bayou is located in Chambers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turtle Bayou
  • Brazoria County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clifton Beach, with the one closest to Clifton Beach listed first.
    • Woodcreek
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Woodcreek is located in Brazoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodcreek
    • Hillcrest
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Hillcrest is located in Brazoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillcrest
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 706 people
    • Alvin
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Alvin is located in Brazoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 27,140 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alvin <1>
    • Pearland
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Westwood Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Westwood Village is located in Brazoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood Village
    • West Oaks Village
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • West Oaks Village is located in Brazoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Oaks Village
    • Brookside Village
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Liverpool
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Fairway Village
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Fairway Village is located in Brazoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairway Village
    • Manvel
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Manvel is located in Brazoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manvel
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 13,867 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Manvel <1>
    • Iowa Colony
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Iowa Colony is located in Brazoria County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iowa Colony
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,888 people
    • Danbury
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Fort Bend County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clifton Beach, with the one closest to Clifton Beach listed first.
    • Fresno
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Arcola
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Arcola is located in Fort Bend County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcola
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,775 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arcola <1>
    • Hawdon
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Hawdon is located in Fort Bend County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawdon
      • Hawdon has also been known as:
      • Hawdon Junction
    • Juliff
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Juliff is located in Fort Bend County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Juliff
  • Galveston County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clifton Beach, with the one closest to Clifton Beach listed first.
    • Bacliff
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Kemah
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Kemah is located in Galveston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kemah
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,048 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kemah <1>
    • San Leon
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Clear Lake Shores
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • South Shore Village
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • South Shore Village is located in Galveston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Shore Village
    • Dickinson
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • League City
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • La Marque
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Texas City
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Hitchcock
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Texas City Junction
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Texas City Junction is located in Galveston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Texas City Junction
    • Arcadia
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Arcadia is located in Galveston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcadia
  • Harris County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clifton Beach, with the one closest to Clifton Beach listed first.
    • El Lago
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Mystic Village
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Mystic Village is located in Harris County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mystic Village
    • Taylor Lake Village
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Nassau Bay
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Gateway Village
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Gateway Village is located in Harris County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gateway Village
    • Clear Lake City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Webster
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • La Porte
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Baybrook Village
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Baybrook Village is located in Harris County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baybrook Village
    • Morgan's Point
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Morgan's Point is located in Harris County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan's Point
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 337 people
    • Deer Park
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Genoa
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Genoa is located in Harris County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Genoa

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

Cemeteries Near Clifton Beach ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Clifton Beach.

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 Clifton Beach - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Seabrook Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Larrabee Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Mt. Olivet Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Texas City Memorial Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Phillips Memorial Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Forest Park East Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Old Arcadia Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Cedarhurst Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedarhurst Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Cedarhurst Cemetery is located in La Porte.
    • The Cedarhurst Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Cedar Hurst Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2277733 <2>
  • La Porte Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Rising Star Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Hitchcock Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (95 more) ...
    • La Marque Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Magnolia Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Grace Memorial Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)

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 Clifton Beach in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Clifton Beach.

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

  • Dickinson
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • La Marque
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Arcadia
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Arcadia is located in Galveston County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcadia
  • Smith Point
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Smith Point is located in Chambers County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith Point
  • Virginia Point
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Virginia Point is located in Galveston County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Virginia Point
  • Genoa
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Genoa is located in Harris County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Genoa
  • Alvin
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Alvin is located in Brazoria County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvin
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 27,140 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alvin <1>
  • Galveston
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
  • Cedar Bayou
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Cedar Bayou is located in Harris County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Bayou
  • Red Bluff
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Red Bluff is located in Harris County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Bluff
  • Lynchburg
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Lynchburg is located in Harris County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynchburg
  • Liverpool
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Harrisburg
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Harrisburg is located in Harris County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrisburg
    • Double Bayou
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Double Bayou is located in Chambers County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Double Bayou
    • Mont Belvieu
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)

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

Newspapers Published in Clifton Beach ...

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 38 newspapers that have been published in the area around Clifton Beach.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Clifton Beach, there are papers which were published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Clifton Beach.

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 professional and volunteer 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 Clifton Beach:

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 Clifton Beach, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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 from Point A (ie- Clifton Beach) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.