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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 Crestone (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 Crestone. 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 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.

Crestone is located in Saguache 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 Saguache County: Alamosa, Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Mineral & Rio Grande.

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

  • Saguache County     (The home county of Crestone)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Crestone, with the one closest to Crestone listed first.
    • Duncan ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Liberty ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Moffat
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Villa Grove
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Villa Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Villa Grove
      • Villa Grove is located in Saguache County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Villa Grove <1>
    • Saguache
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saguache have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saguache
      • Saguache is located in Saguache County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 531 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saguache <1>
  • Alamosa County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Crestone, with the one closest to Crestone listed first.
    • Hooper
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Mosca
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mosca have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mosca
      • Mosca is located in Alamosa County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mosca <1>
  • Custer County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Crestone, with the one closest to Crestone listed first.
    • Ula ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Westcliffe
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Silver Cliff
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Cliff have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Cliff
      • Silver Cliff is located in Custer County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 741 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Silver Cliff <1>
    • Rosita
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Querida ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Fremont County
  • Huerfano County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Crestone, with the one closest to Crestone listed first.
    • Bradford
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bradford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradford
      • Bradford is located in Huerfano County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bradford
      • From Crestone to Bradford
    • Red Wing
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Rio Grande County

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

Cemeteries Near Crestone ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Crestone.

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

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

  • Teton Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Teton Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Teton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cotton Creek Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cotton Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cotton Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hope Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hope Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mirage Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mirage Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mirage Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pines Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • The Pines Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Pines Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for The Pines Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ula Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ula Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ula Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Silver Cliff Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Silver Cliff Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Silver Cliff Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rosita Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rosita Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rosita Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillside Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Urraca Cemetery
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Urraca Cemetery
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Urraca Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Urraca Cemetery is located 23 miles [37 km]<4> to the southwest of Alamosa.
    • The Urraca Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Bad Booze Cemetery
    • Bowerman - Reimer - Nelson Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #57595 <5>
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to the Urraca Cemetery
    • From Crestone to the Urraca Cemetery
  • Villa Grove Cemetery
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Villa Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Villa Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (9 more) ...
    • Speiser Cemetery
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Hillside Cemetery
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillside Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Whites Cemetery
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Whites Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Whites Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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 Crestone had a population of 36 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service. In 2020, Crestone had a population of 138 people.

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

  • Moffat
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Westcliffe
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Silver Cliff
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Cliff have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Cliff
    • Silver Cliff is located in Custer County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 741 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Silver Cliff <1>
  • Hooper
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
  • Rosita
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
  • Bradford
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bradford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradford
    • Bradford is located in Huerfano County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Bradford
    • From Crestone to Bradford
  • Villa Grove
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Villa Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Villa Grove
    • Villa Grove is located in Saguache County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Villa Grove <1>
  • Saguache
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saguache have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saguache
    • Saguache is located in Saguache County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 531 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saguache <1>
  • Cotopaxi
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...
    • Coaldale
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Sharpsdale
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sharpsdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharpsdale
      • Sharpsdale is located in Huerfano County
    • Vallie
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vallie. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vallie
      • Vallie is located in Fremont County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Vallie
      • From Crestone to Vallie
    • Malachite
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Malachite have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Malachite
      • Malachite is located in Huerfano County
    • Texas Creek
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Texas Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Texas Creek
      • Texas Creek is located in Fremont County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Crestone ...

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 Crestone.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Crestone. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Crestone and those printed in the larger area surrounding Crestone.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<4> of Crestone.

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 helpful 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 Crestone:

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

The official website for Saguache County: www.slv.org/saguachecounty/

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>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.
<3>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.
<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- Crestone) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Crestone. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.9959, Longitude: -105.6991    
<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 Crestone, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025