RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of New Mexico >> Colfax County >> McCrystal Place >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
New Mexico

The Commemorative Quarter for New Mexico





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 McCrystal Place (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 McCrystal Place. 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.

Name Variations for McCrystal Place ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for McCrystal Place: McCrystal Pl. (or less commonly used: McCrystal Plc.)

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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 and 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.

McCrystal Place is located in Colfax County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Colfax County: Costilla (CO), Las Animas (CO), Harding, Mora, Taos & Union.

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

  • Colfax County     (The home county of McCrystal Place)
    • The following are listed by their distance from McCrystal Place, with the one closest to McCrystal Place listed first.
    • Virginia City ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Virginia City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Virginia City
      • Virginia City is located in Colfax County
    • Ute Park
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Eagle Nest
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eagle Nest have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Nest
      • Eagle Nest is located in Colfax County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 251 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eagle Nest <2>
    • Idlewild
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Idlewild
      • Idlewild is located in Colfax County
    • Lauretta ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lauretta. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lauretta
      • Lauretta is located in Colfax County
    • Lakeview Pines
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeview Pines
      • Lakeview Pines is located in Colfax County
    • Dawson ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawson
      • Dawson is located in Colfax County
    • Cimarron
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Angel Fire
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • Taos County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McCrystal Place, with the one closest to McCrystal Place listed first.
    • Red River
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Ventero
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ventero
      • Ventero is located in Taos County
    • Amalia
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amalia
      • Amalia is located in Taos County
    • Taos Ski Valley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Taos Ski Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taos Ski Valley
      • Taos Ski Valley is located in Taos County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 76 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Taos Ski Valley <2>
    • Costilla
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Buena Vista
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Questa
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Questa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Questa
      • Questa is located in Taos County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,741 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Questa <2>
    • Cerro
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Lama
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lama
      • Lama is located in Taos County
    • Kiowa Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kiowa Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kiowa Village
      • Kiowa Village is located in Taos County
    • Arroyo Seco
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Valdez
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Costilla County (CO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from McCrystal Place, with the one closest to McCrystal Place listed first.
    • Garcia
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garcia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garcia
      • Garcia is located in Costilla County (CO)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Garcia <2>
    • Chama
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chama have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chama
      • Chama is located in Costilla County (CO)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Chama <2>
    • San Pablo
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for San Pablo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Pablo
      • San Pablo is located in Costilla County (CO)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for San Pablo <2>
    • Jaroso
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jaroso have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jaroso
      • Jaroso is located in Costilla County (CO)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jaroso <2>
  • Las Animas County (CO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from McCrystal Place, with the one closest to McCrystal Place listed first.
    • Monument Park
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monument Park
      • Monument Park is located in Las Animas County (CO)
    • Weston
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)

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

Cemeteries Near McCrystal Place ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of McCrystal Place.

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

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

  • Ponil Park
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ponil Park
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Ponil Park is located 18 miles [29 km]<4> to the southeast of Cimarron.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2303722 <5>
  • Jackson Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jackson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jackson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Red River Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Tercio Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
  • Catskill Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Catskill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Catskill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Latir Cemetery
    (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Latir Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Latir Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #38177 <5>
  • Cimmarron Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cimmarron Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Cimmarron Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the southwest of Cimarron.
    • The Cimmarron Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Mountain View Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #38005 <5>
  • Stonewall Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
  • St. Anthony Cemetery
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
  • Veterans Cemetery
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Veterans Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Veterans Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Garcia Cemetery
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (9 more) ...
    • Chapel of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Cemetery
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Chama Cemetery
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chama Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Chama Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • El Cerro Cemetery
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the El Cerro Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the El Cerro 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 McCrystal Place in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of McCrystal Place.

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

  • Elizabethtown ‑ Historic
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elizabethtown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elizabethtown
    • Elizabethtown is located in Colfax County
  • Cimarron
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
  • Stonewall
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stonewall have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonewall
    • Stonewall is located in Las Animas County (CO)
  • Costilla
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Questa
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Questa have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Questa
    • Questa is located in Taos County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,741 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Questa <2>
  • Cerro
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
  • Weston
    (27 miles [43.5 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 McCrystal Place. See our List of 1890's Communities around McCrystal Place.

Newspapers Published in McCrystal Place ...

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 23 newspapers that have been published in the area around McCrystal Place.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of McCrystal Place, there are papers which were published within 25 miles [40.2 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for McCrystal Place.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites either 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 McCrystal Place:

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

The official website for State of New Mexico: https://www.nm.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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- McCrystal Place) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in McCrystal Place. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 36.8106, Longitude: -105.1453       In this case, the coordinates for McCrystal Place have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 McCrystal Place, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025