RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of New Mexico >> Mora County >> Optimo >> 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 Optimo (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 Optimo. 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 and 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.

Optimo is located in Mora 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 Mora County: Colfax, Harding, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Fe & Taos.

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

  • Mora County     (The home county of Optimo)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Optimo, with the one closest to Optimo listed first.
    • Shoemaker
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shoemaker have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shoemaker
      • Shoemaker is located in Mora County
    • Valmora
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valmora
      • Valmora is located in Mora County
    • Wagon Mound
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Watrous
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watrous
      • Watrous is located in Mora County
    • Loma Parda ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Loma Parda. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loma Parda
      • Loma Parda is located in Mora County
    • Ojo Feliz
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Golondrinas
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golondrinas
      • Golondrinas is located in Mora County
    • Ocate
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Rainsville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Los Huerros
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Los Huerros
      • Los Huerros is located in Mora County
    • La Cueva
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Cueva
      • La Cueva is located in Mora County
    • Halls Peak ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Halls Peak. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halls Peak
      • Halls Peak is located in Mora County
    • Guadalupita
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Colfax County
    • Colmor ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colmor
      • Colmor is located in Colfax County
  • Harding County
    • Armenta Plaza ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Armenta Plaza
      • Armenta Plaza is located in Harding County
  • San Miguel County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Optimo, with the one closest to Optimo listed first.
    • Kroenigs
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kroenigs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kroenigs
      • Kroenigs is located in San Miguel County
    • Los Alamos
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Los Alamos. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Los Alamos
      • Los Alamos is located in San Miguel County
    • Sapello
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Optimo ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Optimo.

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

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

  • Cherry Valley Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Santa Clara Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Tiptonville Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Old Watrous
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Watrous Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Ft. Union Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ft. Union Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ft. Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #38075 <4>
  • Loma Parda Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
  • Kroenig Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Mathews Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Mountain View Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Maes Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #38202 <4>
  • Continue List   (43 more) ...
    • Casias Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Calhoun Cemetery
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Juan Torres Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Juan Torres Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Juan Torres Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #38146 <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.<6>

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

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

  • Shoemaker
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shoemaker have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shoemaker
    • Shoemaker is located in Mora County
  • Wagon Mound
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Tiptonville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tiptonville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tiptonville
    • Tiptonville is located in Mora County
  • Watrous
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watrous
    • Watrous is located in Mora County
  • Loma Parda ‑ Historic
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Loma Parda. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loma Parda
    • Loma Parda is located in Mora County
  • Levy
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Levy have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Levy
    • Levy is located in Mora County
  • Kroenigs
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kroenigs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kroenigs
    • Kroenigs is located in San Miguel County
  • Onava
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Onava have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onava
    • Onava is located in San Miguel County
  • Los Alamos
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Los Alamos. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Los Alamos
    • Los Alamos is located in San Miguel County
  • Ocate
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
  • Colmor ‑ Historic
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colmor
    • Colmor is located in Colfax County
  • Lucero
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lucero have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lucero
    • Lucero is located in Mora County
  • Continue List   (4 more) ...
    • La Cueva
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Cueva
      • La Cueva is located in Mora County
    • Sapello
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Halls Peak ‑ Historic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Halls Peak. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halls Peak
      • Halls Peak is located in Mora County

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

Newspapers Published in Optimo ...

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 44 newspapers that have been published in the area around Optimo.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Optimo, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Optimo.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with 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 Optimo:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Optimo. 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>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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Optimo) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Optimo. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 35.8903, Longitude: -104.8036       In this case, the coordinates for Optimo have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Optimo, 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