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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 Altoona (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 Altoona. 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 hospitals 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.

Altoona is located in Wilson County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Wilson County: Allen, Elk, Greenwood, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho & Woodson.

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

  • Wilson County     (The home county of Altoona)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Guilford
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Guilford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guilford
      • Guilford is located in Wilson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Guilford
      • From Altoona to Guilford
    • Hilford
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hilford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilford
      • Hilford is located in Wilson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hilford
      • From Altoona to Hilford
    • Neodesha
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Neodesha have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neodesha
      • Neodesha is located in Wilson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,211 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Neodesha <3>
    • Rest
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rest. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rest
      • Rest is located in Wilson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rest
      • From Altoona to Rest
    • Benedict Junction
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Benedict
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Fredonia
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fredonia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredonia
      • Fredonia is located in Wilson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,182 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fredonia <3>
    • Vilas
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vilas. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vilas
      • Vilas is located in Wilson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Vilas
      • From Altoona to Vilas
    • Roper
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Brooks
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Brooks. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brooks
      • Brooks is located in Wilson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Brooks
      • From Altoona to Brooks
    • Buffalo
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Lafontaine
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Allen County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Petrolia
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Petrolia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petrolia
      • Petrolia is located in Allen County
    • Octagon City ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Humboldt
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Leanna
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leanna. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leanna
      • Leanna is located in Allen County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leanna
      • From Altoona to Leanna
    • Bassett
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bassett have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassett
      • Bassett is located in Allen County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 23 people
  • Chautauqua County
    • Hale
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hale
      • Hale is located in Chautauqua County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hale
      • From Altoona to Hale
  • Elk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Upola
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Upola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upola
      • Upola is located in Elk County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Upola
      • From Altoona to Upola
    • Busby
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Busby. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Busby
      • Busby is located in Elk County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Busby
      • From Altoona to Busby
    • Oak Valley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Longton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Cave Springs
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Fiat
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fiat. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fiat
      • Fiat is located in Elk County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fiat
      • From Altoona to Fiat
    • Elk Falls
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Greenwood County
    • Fall River
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fall River have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fall River
      • Fall River is located in Greenwood County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 142 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fall River <3>
  • Labette County
  • Montgomery County
  • Neosho County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • Thayer
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Earlton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Earlton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earlton
      • Earlton is located in Neosho County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 52 people
    • Chanute
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Galesburg
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Rollin
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Erie
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erie
      • Erie is located in Neosho County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,081 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Erie <3>
    • Saint Paul
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Paul have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Paul
      • Saint Paul is located in Neosho County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 594 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Paul <3>
    • Stark
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stark have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stark
      • Stark is located in Neosho County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
  • Woodson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
    • North Ridge ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Ridge
      • North Ridge is located in Woodson County
    • Rose
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rose have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose
      • Rose is located in Woodson County
    • Cookville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cookville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cookville
      • Cookville is located in Woodson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cookville
      • From Altoona to Cookville
    • Yates Center
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yates Center have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yates Center
      • Yates Center is located in Woodson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,267 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Yates Center <3>
    • Batesville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Batesville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Batesville
      • Batesville is located in Woodson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Batesville
      • From Altoona to Batesville
    • Toronto
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toronto have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toronto
      • Toronto is located in Woodson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 252 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Toronto <3>
    • Durand
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Athens
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Athens. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Athens
      • Athens is located in Woodson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Athens
      • From Altoona to Athens
    • Hasty
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hasty. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hasty
      • Hasty is located in Woodson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hasty
      • From Altoona to Hasty
    • Piqua
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)

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

Cemeteries Near Altoona ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Altoona.

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

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

  • Hatler Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hatler Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hatler Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Star Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Star Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Star Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ross Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ross Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ross Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Varner Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Grandview Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grandview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grandview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Plainfield Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Plainfield Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Plainfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Crane Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crane Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crane Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bachelder Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bachelder Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bachelder Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cheatham Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cheatham Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cheatham Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Thayer Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Thayer Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Thayer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (140 more) ...
    • Vilas Bethel Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Vilas Bethel Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Vilas Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Summit Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Maple Grove Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maple Grove Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maple Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 Altoona had a population of 265 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Altoona had a population of 371 people.

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

  • Guilford
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Guilford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guilford
    • Guilford is located in Wilson County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Guilford
    • From Altoona to Guilford
  • Neodesha
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Neodesha have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neodesha
    • Neodesha is located in Wilson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,211 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Neodesha <3>
  • Benedict
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Rest
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rest. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rest
    • Rest is located in Wilson County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Rest
    • From Altoona to Rest
  • Benedict Junction
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Fredonia
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fredonia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredonia
    • Fredonia is located in Wilson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,182 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fredonia <3>
  • Vilas
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vilas. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vilas
    • Vilas is located in Wilson County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Vilas
    • From Altoona to Vilas
  • Brooks
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Brooks. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brooks
    • Brooks is located in Wilson County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Brooks
    • From Altoona to Brooks
  • Roper
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Thayer
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Earlton
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Earlton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earlton
    • Earlton is located in Neosho County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 52 people
  • Morehead
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Altoona ...

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 78 newspapers that have been published in the area around Altoona.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Altoona. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Altoona and those printed in the larger area surrounding Altoona.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6> of Altoona.

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 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 Altoona:

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

The official website for State of Kansas: https://portal.kansas.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>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.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Altoona, 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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Altoona) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Altoona. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.5251, Longitude: -95.6617    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025