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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 Potlatch (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 Potlatch. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Potlatch is located in Latah 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 Latah County: Benewah, Clearwater, Nez Perce, Shoshone & Whitman (WA).

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

  • Latah County     (The home county of Potlatch)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Potlatch, with the one closest to Potlatch listed first.
    • Onaway
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Onaway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onaway
      • Onaway is located in Latah County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 198 people
    • Potlatch Junction
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Princeton
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Princeton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Princeton
      • Princeton is located in Latah County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Princeton <2>
    • Freeze
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Cora
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cora. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cora
      • Cora is located in Latah County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cora
      • From Potlatch to Cora
    • Harvard
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harvard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harvard
      • Harvard is located in Latah County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Harvard <2>
    • Viola
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Viola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viola
      • Viola is located in Latah County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Viola <2>
    • Howell
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Howell. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howell
      • Howell is located in Latah County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Howell
      • From Potlatch to Howell
    • Moscow
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moscow have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moscow
      • Moscow is located in Latah County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 26,128 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moscow <2>
    • Troy
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Troy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Troy
      • Troy is located in Latah County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 913 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Troy <2>
    • Deary
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deary have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deary
      • Deary is located in Latah County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 531 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Deary <2>
    • Lenville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lenville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lenville
      • Lenville is located in Latah County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lenville
      • From Potlatch to Lenville
  • Benewah County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Potlatch, with the one closest to Potlatch listed first.
    • De Smet
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for De Smet have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Smet
      • De Smet is located in Benewah County
    • Tensed
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Emida
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Willard
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Santa
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Fernwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fernwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fernwood
      • Fernwood is located in Benewah County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fernwood <2>
    • Plummer
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Parkline
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Parkline have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkline
      • Parkline is located in Benewah County
  • Nez Perce County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Potlatch, with the one closest to Potlatch listed first.
    • Cameron
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Leon
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leon
      • Leon is located in Nez Perce County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leon
      • From Potlatch to Leon
    • Cherrylane
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • Shoshone County
  • Spokane County (WA)
  • Whitman County (WA)

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

Cemeteries Near Potlatch ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Potlatch.

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

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

  • Mendenhall Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mendenhall Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mendenhall Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rock Creek Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rock Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rock Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Freeze Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • 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.
  • Silver Creek Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Silver Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Silver Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Woodfell Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Woodfell Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Woodfell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Eden Valley Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Eden Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Eden Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Beulah Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beulah Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beulah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Farmington Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Farmington Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Farmington Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pitts Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pitts Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pitts Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sanders Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sanders Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sanders Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mountain View Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • 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.
  • Continue List   (46 more) ...
    • Garfield Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Garfield Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Garfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Memorial Gardens Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Memorial Gardens Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Memorial Gardens Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sunset Memorial Gardens 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.<6>

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

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

  • Viola
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Viola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viola
    • Viola is located in Latah County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Viola <2>
  • Palouse
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Fallon
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fallon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fallon
    • Fallon is located in Whitman County (WA)
  • Howell
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Howell. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howell
    • Howell is located in Latah County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Howell
    • From Potlatch to Howell
  • Farmington
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Garfield
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Whelan
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whelan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whelan
    • Whelan is located in Whitman County (WA)
  • Moscow
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moscow have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moscow
    • Moscow is located in Latah County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 26,128 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moscow <2>
  • Joel
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Joel have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joel
    • Joel is located in Latah County
  • Cornwall
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cornwall have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornwall
    • Cornwall is located in Latah County
  • Eden
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Eden. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eden
    • Eden is located in Whitman County (WA)
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Eden
    • From Potlatch to Eden
  • Elberton
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Sunshine
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sunshine have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunshine
      • Sunshine is located in Whitman County (WA)
    • Belmont
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Shawnee
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Shawnee. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shawnee
      • Shawnee is located in Whitman County (WA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Shawnee
      • From Potlatch to Shawnee

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

Newspapers Published in Potlatch ...

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 83 newspapers that have been published in the area around Potlatch.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Potlatch, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Potlatch.

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 Potlatch:

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

The official website for Latah County: www.latah.id.us/

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>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- Potlatch) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Potlatch. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.9216, Longitude: -116.8968    
<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 Potlatch, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025