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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 Westcliffe (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 Westcliffe. 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 doctors 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.

Westcliffe is located in Custer 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 Custer County: Fremont, Huerfano, Pueblo & Saguache.

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

  • Custer County     (The home county of Westcliffe)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Westcliffe, with the one closest to Westcliffe listed first.
    • Ula ‑ Historic
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Silver Cliff
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Cliff have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
    • Querida ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Rosita
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Greenwood
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Greenwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
      • Greenwood is located in Custer County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Greenwood
      • From Westcliffe to Greenwood
    • Wetmore
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
  • Fremont County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Westcliffe, with the one closest to Westcliffe listed first.
    • Hillside
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hillside have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillside
      • Hillside is located in Fremont County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hillside <2>
    • Sunset City
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sunset City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunset City
      • Sunset City is located in Fremont County
    • Cotopaxi
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Echo
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Echo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Echo
      • Echo is located in Fremont County
    • Coaldale
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Coal Creek
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Prospect Heights
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prospect Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prospect Heights
      • Prospect Heights is located in Fremont County
    • Rockvale
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Williamsburg
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williamsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsburg
      • Williamsburg is located in Fremont County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 682 people
    • Buckskin Joe
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Brookside
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brookside have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookside
      • Brookside is located in Fremont County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 261 people
    • Lincoln Park
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lincoln Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln Park
      • Lincoln Park is located in Fremont County
    • Vallie
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • 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 Westcliffe to Vallie
  • Huerfano County
  • Pueblo County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Westcliffe, with the one closest to Westcliffe listed first.
    • Beulah
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beulah have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beulah
      • Beulah is located in Pueblo County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Beulah <2>
    • Beulah Valley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beulah Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beulah Valley
      • Beulah Valley is located in Pueblo County
    • Siloam
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Siloam. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Siloam
      • Siloam is located in Pueblo County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Siloam
      • From Westcliffe to Siloam
  • Saguache County

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

Cemeteries Near Westcliffe ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Westcliffe.

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

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

  • Silver Cliff Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ula Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hope Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rosita Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pines Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • The Pines Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • 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.
  • Teton Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cotton Creek Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • 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.
  • Mirage Cemetery
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • 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.
  • Fremont Memory Gardens Cemetery
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fremont Memory Gardens Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fremont Memory Gardens Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mountain Vale Memory Gardens
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mountain Vale Memory Gardens
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mountain Vale Memory Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Lakeside Cemetery
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Greenwood Cemetery
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenwood Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • IOOF Cemetery
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the IOOF Cemetery
      • 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.

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 Westcliffe had a population of 192 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Westcliffe had a population of 692 people.

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

  • Silver Cliff
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Cliff have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <2>
  • Rosita
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Crestone
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Bradford
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • 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 Westcliffe to Bradford
  • Texas Creek
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Texas Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Texas Creek
    • Texas Creek is located in Fremont County
  • Fairview
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairview have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
    • Fairview is located in Custer County
  • Greenwood
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Greenwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
    • Greenwood is located in Custer County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Greenwood
    • From Westcliffe to Greenwood
  • Cotopaxi
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Echo
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Echo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Echo
    • Echo is located in Fremont County
  • Wetmore
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
  • Chandler ‑ Historic
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chandler have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chandler
    • Chandler is located in Fremont County
  • Coaldale
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Westcliffe ...

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 30 newspapers that have been published in the area around Westcliffe.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Westcliffe. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Westcliffe and those printed in the larger area surrounding Westcliffe.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<6> of Westcliffe.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Westcliffe:

The official website for Westcliffe: www.townofwestcliffe.com/

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 Westcliffe, 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- Westcliffe) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Westcliffe. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.1338, Longitude: -105.4662    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025