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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 Spook City (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 Spook City. 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 southeast 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 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 east 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.

Spook City 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 Spook City. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Spook City:

  • Saguache County     (The home county of Spook City)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spook City, with the one closest to Spook City listed first.
    • Kerper City
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kerper City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kerper City
      • Kerper City is located in Saguache County
    • Bonanza
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonanza
      • Bonanza is located in Saguache County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21 people
    • Saguache
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saguache have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Villa Grove
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Villa Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Sargents
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sargents have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sargents
      • Sargents is located in Saguache County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sargents <2>
    • Moffat
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Chaffee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spook City, with the one closest to Spook City listed first.
    • Mears Junction
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mears Junction. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mears Junction
      • Mears Junction is located in Chaffee County
    • Poncha Springs
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Maysville ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maysville
      • Maysville is located in Chaffee County
    • Monarch
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Cleora
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cleora. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleora
      • Cleora is located in Chaffee County
    • Salida
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Belleview
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Belleview. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belleview
      • Belleview is located in Chaffee County
    • Browns Canon
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Browns Canon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Browns Canon
      • Browns Canon is located in Chaffee County
    • Hancock ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hancock
      • Hancock is located in Chaffee County
    • Turret ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turret
      • Turret is located in Chaffee County
  • Fremont County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spook City, with the one closest to Spook City listed first.
    • Calcite ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Calcite. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calcite
      • Calcite is located in Fremont County
    • Wellsville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wellsville
      • Wellsville is located in Fremont County
    • Howard
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Coaldale
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Vallie
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • 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
    • Cotopaxi
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • Gunnison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spook City, with the one closest to Spook City listed first.
    • Whitepine
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitepine
      • Whitepine is located in Gunnison County
      • Whitepine has also been known as:
      • White Pine
    • Bowerman ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bowerman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowerman
      • Bowerman is located in Gunnison County
      • Bowerman has also been known as:
      • Camp Bowerman
      • Nugget City

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

Cemeteries Near Spook City ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Spook City.

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

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

  • Whites Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jacks Creek Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jacks Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jacks Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Campo Santo Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Campo Santo Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Campo Santo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Villa Grove Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mirage Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Poncha Springs Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
  • Cotton Creek Cemetery
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cleora Cemetery
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
  • White Pine Cemetery
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the White Pine Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the White Pine Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (4 more) ...
    • Tomichi Cemetery
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Tomichi Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Tomichi Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Howard Cemetery
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Howard Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Howard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Doyleville Cemetery #1
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)

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>

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

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

  • Bonanza
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonanza
    • Bonanza is located in Saguache County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 21 people
  • Saguache
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saguache have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
  • Chester
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chester have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chester
    • Chester is located in Saguache County
  • Alder ‑ Historic
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alder have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alder
    • Alder is located in Saguache County
  • Villa Grove
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Villa Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
  • Mears Junction
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mears Junction. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mears Junction
    • Mears Junction is located in Chaffee County
  • Sargents
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sargents have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sargents
    • Sargents is located in Saguache County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sargents <2>
  • Poncha Springs
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
  • Maysville ‑ Historic
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maysville
    • Maysville is located in Chaffee County
  • Garfield ‑ Historic
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garfield
    • Garfield is located in Chaffee County
  • Monarch
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
  • Moffat
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (11 more) ...
    • Wellsville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wellsville
      • Wellsville is located in Fremont County
    • Cleora
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cleora. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleora
      • Cleora is located in Chaffee County
    • Salida
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Spook City ...

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 36 newspapers that have been published in the area around Spook City.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Spook City, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Spook City.

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 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 Spook City:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Spook City. 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>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>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>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 Spook City, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Spook City) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Spook City. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.2300, Longitude: -106.1972       In this case, the coordinates for Spook City have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025