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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 Durango (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 Durango. 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 hospitals 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.

Durango is located in La Plata County and is the County Seat.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of La Plata County: Archuleta, Dolores, Hinsdale, Montezuma, San Juan & San Juan (NM).

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

  • La Plata County     (The home county of Durango)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Durango, with the one closest to Durango listed first.
    • Carbon Junction
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbon Junction
      • Carbon Junction is located in La Plata County
    • Florida
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florida
      • Florida is located in La Plata County
    • Hesperus
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Hermosa
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hermosa
      • Hermosa is located in La Plata County
    • Fort Lewis ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fort Lewis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Lewis
      • Fort Lewis is located in La Plata County
    • Gem Village
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gem Village
      • Gem Village is located in La Plata County
    • Bayfield
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bayfield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayfield
      • Bayfield is located in La Plata County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,586 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bayfield <1>
    • Rockwood
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockwood
      • Rockwood is located in La Plata County
    • Bondad
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bondad have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bondad
      • Bondad is located in La Plata County
    • Vallecito
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Ignacio
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Marvel
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marvel have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marvel
      • Marvel is located in La Plata County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marvel <1>
    • La Boca
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for La Boca have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Boca
      • La Boca is located in La Plata County
  • Archuleta County
  • Dolores County
    • Rico
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rico have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rico
      • Rico is located in Dolores County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 262 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rico <1>
  • Montezuma County
    • Mancos
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mancos have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mancos
      • Mancos is located in Montezuma County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,398 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mancos <1>
  • San Juan County
    • Graysill ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Graysill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graysill
      • Graysill is located in San Juan County
  • San Juan County (NM)
    • La Plata
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Durango ...

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 66 newspapers that have been published in the area around Durango.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Durango. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Durango and those printed in the larger area surrounding Durango.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4> of Durango.

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 Durango:

Cemeteries Near Durango ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Durango.

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

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

  • Green Mtn. Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Green Mtn. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Green Mtn. Cemetery
  • Greenmount Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Animas Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Animas Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Animas Cemetery
  • Crestview Memorial Garden
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crestview Memorial Garden have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crestview Memorial Garden
  • Hesperus Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hesperus Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hesperus Cemetery
  • Hermosa Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hermosa Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hermosa Cemetery
  • Shreck Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shreck Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shreck Cemetery
  • Hay Gulch Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hay Gulch Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hay Gulch Cemetery
  • Elco Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elco Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elco Cemetery
  • Bayfield Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bayfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bayfield Cemetery
  • Kline Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kline Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kline Cemetery
  • Marvel Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Thompson Park Cemetery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Thompson Park Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Thompson Park Cemetery
    • Ouray Memorial Cemetery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ouray Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ouray Memorial Cemetery
    • Sheek Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Sheek Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sheek Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #57548 <5>

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Durango had a population of 2,726 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Durango had a population of 19,690 people.

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

  • Trimble
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trimble have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trimble
    • Trimble is located in La Plata County
  • Hermosa
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hermosa
    • Hermosa is located in La Plata County
  • Fort Lewis ‑ Historic
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fort Lewis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Lewis
    • Fort Lewis is located in La Plata County
  • Rockwood
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockwood
    • Rockwood is located in La Plata County
  • Ignacio
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
  • La Boca
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for La Boca have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Boca
    • La Boca is located in La Plata County
  • La Plata
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Rico
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rico have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rico
    • Rico is located in Dolores County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 262 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rico <1>
  • Piedra
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Piedra have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Piedra
    • Piedra is located in Archuleta County

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

The official website for Durango: www.durangogov.org/

The official website for La Plata County: www.co.laplata.co.us/

The official website for State of Colorado: https://www.colorado.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>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>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.
<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 from Point A (ie- Durango) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Durango. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.2810, Longitude: -107.8782    
<5>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.
<6>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 Durango, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024