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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 Cuchara (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 Cuchara. 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.

Cuchara is located in Huerfano 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 Huerfano County: Alamosa, Costilla, Custer, Las Animas & Pueblo.

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

  • Huerfano County     (The home county of Cuchara)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cuchara, with the one closest to Cuchara listed first.
    • La Veta
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Muleshoe
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Muleshoe. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muleshoe
      • Muleshoe is located in Huerfano County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Muleshoe
      • From Cuchara to Muleshoe
    • Uptop ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • La Veta Pass
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Alamo
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Tioga
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tioga. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tioga
      • Tioga is located in Huerfano County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Tioga
      • From Cuchara to Tioga
    • Walsenburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walsenburg have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walsenburg
      • Walsenburg is located in Huerfano County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,003 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Walsenburg <1>
    • Calumet
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Red Wing
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Gardner
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Cuchara Junction
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cuchara Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuchara Junction
      • Cuchara Junction is located in Huerfano County
  • Costilla County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cuchara, with the one closest to Cuchara listed first.
    • Garland City ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garland City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garland City
      • Garland City is located in Costilla County
    • Russell ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Fort Garland
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Chama
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chama have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chama
      • Chama is located in Costilla County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chama <1>
    • San Luis
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for San Luis have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Luis
      • San Luis is located in Costilla County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 692 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for San Luis <1>
    • San Pablo
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for San Pablo have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Pablo
      • San Pablo is located in Costilla County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for San Pablo <1>
    • Blanca
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • San Acacio
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Las Animas County

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

Cemeteries Near Cuchara ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Cuchara.

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

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

  • Hicks Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hicks Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hicks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • La Veta Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Scott Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Scott Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Scott Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old La Veta Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old La Veta Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old La Veta Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Oak View Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak View Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak View Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Prince Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prince Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prince Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Stonewall Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Thomas Rodger Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Thomas Rodger Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Thomas Rodger Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Chavez Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chavez Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Chavez Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jarosa Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jarosa Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jarosa Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Laguna Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Laguna Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Laguna Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Brennaman Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brennaman Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brennaman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (30 more) ...
    • Ft. Garland Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ft. Garland Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ft. Garland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Myer Cemetery
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Myer Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Myer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • San Pedro Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the San Pedro Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the San Pedro Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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>

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

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

  • La Veta
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Garland City ‑ Historic
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garland City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garland City
    • Garland City is located in Costilla County
  • Muleshoe
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Muleshoe. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muleshoe
    • Muleshoe is located in Huerfano County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Muleshoe
    • From Cuchara to Muleshoe
  • Russell ‑ Historic
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Stonewall
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stonewall have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonewall
    • Stonewall is located in Las Animas County
  • Fort Garland
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
  • Gulnare
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
  • San Luis
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for San Luis have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Luis
    • San Luis is located in Costilla County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 692 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for San Luis <1>
  • Weston
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Rouse
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rouse have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rouse
    • Rouse is located in Huerfano County
  • Blanca
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  • Pictou
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pictou have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pictou
    • Pictou is located in Huerfano County
  • Continue List   (7 more) ...
    • Aguilar
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Walsenburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walsenburg have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walsenburg
      • Walsenburg is located in Huerfano County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,003 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Walsenburg <1>
    • Tioga
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tioga. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tioga
      • Tioga is located in Huerfano County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Tioga
      • From Cuchara to Tioga

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

Newspapers Published in Cuchara ...

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 Cuchara.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Cuchara, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Cuchara.

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 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 Cuchara:

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

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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Cuchara) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Cuchara. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.3785, Longitude: -105.1023    
<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 Cuchara, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025