RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Colorado >> Mesa County >> Clifton >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Colorado

The Commemorative Quarter for Colorado





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 (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. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Clifton is located in Mesa County.

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 Mesa County: Delta, Garfield, Gunnison, Montrose, Pitkin & Grand (UT).

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

  • Mesa County     (The home county of Clifton)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
    • Fruitvale
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fruitvale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fruitvale
      • Fruitvale is located in Mesa County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fruitvale <2>
    • Palisade
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Palisade have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palisade
      • Palisade is located in Mesa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,797 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Palisade <2>
    • Whitewater
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whitewater have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitewater
      • Whitewater is located in Mesa County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Whitewater <2>
    • Orchard Mesa
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Orchard Mesa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orchard Mesa
      • Orchard Mesa is located in Mesa County
    • Grand Junction
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Cameo
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cameo
      • Cameo is located in Mesa County
    • Redlands
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Redlands have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redlands
      • Redlands is located in Mesa County
    • Fruita
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fruita have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fruita
      • Fruita is located in Mesa County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,295 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fruita <2>
    • Mesa
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Glade Park
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glade Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glade Park
      • Glade Park is located in Mesa County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Glade Park <2>
    • De Beque
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Loma
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loma have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loma
      • Loma is located in Mesa County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Loma <2>
  • Delta County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Clifton, with the one closest to Clifton listed first.
    • Dominguez
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dominguez have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dominguez
      • Dominguez is located in Delta County
    • Grand Mesa
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Mesa
      • Grand Mesa is located in Delta County
    • Keyhole
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Keyhole have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keyhole
      • Keyhole is located in Delta County
    • Roubideau
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roubideau have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roubideau
      • Roubideau is located in Delta County
    • Cedaredge
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
    • North Delta
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Delta
      • North Delta is located in Delta County
  • Garfield County
    • Una
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Una have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Una
      • Una is located in Garfield County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Clifton ...

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 23 newspapers that have been published in the area around Clifton.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Clifton. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Clifton and those printed in the larger area surrounding Clifton.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Clifton.

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 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:

Cemeteries Near Clifton ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Clifton.

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

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

  • Memorial Gardens of the Valley
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Memorial Gardens of the Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Memorial Gardens of the Valley
  • IOOF Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the IOOF Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the IOOF Cemetery
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Calvary Cemetery
  • IOOF & Masonic Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the IOOF & Masonic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the IOOF & Masonic Cemetery
  • Whitewater Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Whitewater Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Whitewater Cemetery
  • Crown Point Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crown Point Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crown Point Cemetery
  • Glade Park Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
  • Elmwood Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
  • Sacred Heart Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sacred Heart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sacred Heart Cemetery
  • Mesa Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
  • De Beque Cemetery
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Eagalite Cemetery
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Eagalite Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eagalite Cemetery
  • Cedar Crest Cemetery
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cedar Crest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cedar Crest Cemetery

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Clifton had railroad service and no post office.

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

  • Whitewater
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whitewater have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitewater
    • Whitewater is located in Mesa County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Whitewater <2>
  • Grand Junction
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Cameo
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cameo
    • Cameo is located in Mesa County
  • Fruita
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fruita have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fruita
    • Fruita is located in Mesa County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,295 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fruita <2>
  • Mesa
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
  • De Beque
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Dominguez
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dominguez have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dominguez
    • Dominguez is located in Delta County
  • Escalante
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Escalante have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Escalante
    • Escalante is located in Delta County
  • Una
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Una have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Una
    • Una is located in Garfield County
  • Roubideau
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roubideau have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roubideau
    • Roubideau is located in Delta County

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

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

The official website for Mesa County: www.co.mesa.co.us/

The official website for State of Colorado: https://www.colorado.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>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- Clifton) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Clifton. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.0919, Longitude: -108.4490       In this case, the coordinates for Clifton have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<4>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.
<5>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, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024