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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 Highlands (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 Highlands. 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 hospitals and 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.

Highlands is located in Ada County.

To see how the shape of Idaho's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Ada County: Boise, Canyon, Elmore, Gem & Owyhee.

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

  • Ada County     (The home county of Highlands)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Highlands, with the one closest to Highlands listed first.
    • Boise Hills Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boise Hills Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boise Hills Village
      • Boise Hills Village is located in Ada County
    • Boise City
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boise City
      • Boise City is located in Ada County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 229,776 people
      • Former name for Boise City:
      • Boise City
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Boise City <2>
    • Collister
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collister
      • Collister is located in Ada County
    • Boise Junction
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boise Junction
      • Boise Junction is located in Ada County
    • Garden City
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garden City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
      • Garden City is located in Ada County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,920 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Garden City <2>
    • Eagle
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Meridian
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Kuna
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Star
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Star have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Star
      • Star is located in Ada County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,259 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Star <2>
    • Swan Falls
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swan Falls
      • Swan Falls is located in Ada County
  • Boise County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Highlands, with the one closest to Highlands listed first.
    • Horseshoe Bend
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Horseshoe Bend have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horseshoe Bend
      • Horseshoe Bend is located in Boise County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 822 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Horseshoe Bend <2>
    • Idaho City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Placerville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Quartzburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Quartzburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quartzburg
      • Quartzburg is located in Boise County
    • Brownlee
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Brownlee. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownlee
      • Brownlee is located in Boise County
    • Banks
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Banks have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Banks
      • Banks is located in Boise County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Banks <2>
  • Canyon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Highlands, with the one closest to Highlands listed first.
    • Nampa
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nampa
      • Nampa is located in Canyon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 103,215 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nampa <2>
    • Kings Corner
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kings Corner
      • Kings Corner is located in Canyon County
    • Bowmont
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowmont
      • Bowmont is located in Canyon County
    • Middleton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Caldwell
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Melba
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Melba have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melba
      • Melba is located in Canyon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 553 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Melba <2>
    • Weitz
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weitz
      • Weitz is located in Canyon County
    • Walters Ferry
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walters Ferry
      • Walters Ferry is located in Canyon County
    • Huston
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Huston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huston
      • Huston is located in Canyon County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Huston <2>
    • Riverside
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverside
      • Riverside is located in Canyon County
    • Sand Hollow
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sand Hollow have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sand Hollow
      • Sand Hollow is located in Canyon County
    • Notus
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Notus have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Notus
      • Notus is located in Canyon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 634 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Notus <2>
  • Elmore County
    • Mayfield
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mayfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayfield
      • Mayfield is located in Elmore County
  • Gem County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Highlands, with the one closest to Highlands listed first.
    • Pearl
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pearl
      • Pearl is located in Gem County
    • Montour
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Montour. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montour
      • Montour is located in Gem County
    • Emmett
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Sweet
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Bramwell
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bramwell
      • Bramwell is located in Gem County
    • Letha
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Letha have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Letha
      • Letha is located in Gem County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Letha <2>

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

Cemeteries Near Highlands ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Highlands.

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

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

  • Ft. Boise Military Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ft. Boise Military Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Ft. Boise Military Cemetery is located outside and to the northeast of Boise City.
    • The Ft. Boise Military Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Boise Barracks Military Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #80473 <4>
  • Pioneer Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Morris Hill Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Idaho State Penitentiary Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Mountain View Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mountain View Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mountain View Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Idaho State Veterans Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Dry Creek Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Terrace Lawn Memorial Gardens
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Cloverdale Memorial Park
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Joplin Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Joplin Cemetery
    • The Joplin Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Joplin Pioneer Cemetery
    • Joplins Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1597433 <4>
  • Meridian Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Five Mile Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (24 more) ...
    • Star Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Lower Fairview Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Kuna Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kuna Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Kuna Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Kuna.
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1970611 <4>

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 Highlands in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Highlands.

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

  • Boise City
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boise City
    • Boise City is located in Ada County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 229,776 people
    • Former name for Boise City:
    • Boise City
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Boise City <2>
  • Kuna
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Mora
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mora have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mora
    • Mora is located in Ada County
  • Owyhee
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Owyhee have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Owyhee
    • Owyhee is located in Ada County
  • Star
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Star have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Star
    • Star is located in Ada County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,259 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Star <2>
  • Horseshoe Bend
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Horseshoe Bend have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horseshoe Bend
    • Horseshoe Bend is located in Boise County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 822 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Horseshoe Bend <2>
  • Nampa
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nampa
    • Nampa is located in Canyon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 103,215 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nampa <2>
  • Mayfield
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mayfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayfield
    • Mayfield is located in Elmore County
  • Idaho City
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...
    • Middleton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Sweet
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Placerville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Quartzburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Quartzburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quartzburg
      • Quartzburg is located in Boise County
    • Caldwell
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Pioneerville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pioneerville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pioneerville
      • Pioneerville is located in Boise County

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

Newspapers Published in Highlands ...

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 126 newspapers that have been published in the area around Highlands.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Highlands, there are papers which were published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Highlands.

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 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 Highlands:

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

The official website for Ada County: www.adaweb.net/

The official website for State of Idaho: https://idaho.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 Highlands, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Highlands) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Highlands. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.6460, Longitude: -116.1937       In this case, the coordinates for Highlands have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025