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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 Alta (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 Alta. 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 Alta ...

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.

A past name for Alta: Central City.

Alta has also been known as: Alta City.

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.

A Few Details for Alta ...

While it's still very early in our research, we found that:

  • Alta was settled in 1865.
  • It was incorporated in 1970.

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 southeast 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 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 east 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.

Alta is located in Salt Lake County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Salt Lake County: Davis, Morgan, Summit, Tooele, Utah & Wasatch.

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

  • Salt Lake County     (The home county of Alta)
  • Davis County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alta, with the one closest to Alta listed first.
    • North Salt Lake
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Salt Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Salt Lake
      • North Salt Lake is located in Davis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21,204 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for North Salt Lake <1>
    • Val Verda
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Val Verda. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Val Verda
      • Val Verda is located in Davis County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Val Verda
      • From Alta to Val Verda
    • Cottonwood Heights
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cottonwood Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cottonwood Heights
      • Cottonwood Heights is located in Davis County
    • Oakhaven Village
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakhaven Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakhaven Village
      • Oakhaven Village is located in Davis County
    • Bountiful Fort ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Bountiful
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Woods Cross
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Centerville Fort ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Centerville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • West Bountiful
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Bountiful have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Bountiful
      • West Bountiful is located in Davis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,920 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for West Bountiful <1>
    • Center Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Center Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center Village
      • Center Village is located in Davis County
    • Chase Lane Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chase Lane Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chase Lane Village
      • Chase Lane Village is located in Davis County
  • Morgan County
  • Summit County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alta, with the one closest to Alta listed first.
    • Park City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Snyderville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • South Snyderville Basin
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Summit Park
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Summit Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit Park
      • Summit Park is located in Summit County
    • Altus ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Silver Creek Junction
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • North Snyderville Basin
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Rockport ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rockport. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockport
      • Rockport is located in Summit County
      • Former names for Rockport:
      • Crandall
      • Enoch City
      • Rock Fort
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rockport
      • From Alta to Rockport
    • Kamas Fort ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kamas Fort. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kamas Fort
      • Kamas Fort is located in Summit County
      • Kamas Fort has also been known as:
      • Rhoades Valley Fort
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kamas Fort
      • From Alta to Kamas Fort
    • Fort Sage Bottom ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fort Sage Bottom. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Sage Bottom
      • Fort Sage Bottom is located in Summit County
      • Fort Sage Bottom has also been known as:
      • Woodenshoe
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fort Sage Bottom
      • From Alta to Fort Sage Bottom
    • Peoa
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Peoa have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peoa
      • Peoa is located in Summit County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Peoa <1>
    • Francis
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Francis have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Francis
      • Francis is located in Summit County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,611 people
  • Utah County
  • Wasatch County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alta, with the one closest to Alta listed first.
    • Mound City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Interlaken
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Midway
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Midway have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
      • Midway is located in Wasatch County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,465 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Midway <1>
    • Cranmer
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cranmer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cranmer
      • Cranmer is located in Wasatch County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cranmer
      • From Alta to Cranmer
    • Hailstone ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hailstone. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hailstone
      • Hailstone is located in Wasatch County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hailstone
      • From Alta to Hailstone
    • Jordanelle
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jordanelle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jordanelle
      • Jordanelle is located in Wasatch County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jordanelle
      • From Alta to Jordanelle
    • Keetley ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Keetley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keetley
      • Keetley is located in Wasatch County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Keetley
      • From Alta to Keetley
    • Charleston
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Charleston have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Charleston
      • Charleston is located in Wasatch County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 496 people
    • Hideout
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hideout have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hideout
      • Hideout is located in Wasatch County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,254 people
    • Heber City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Daniel
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Independence
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Alta ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Alta.

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

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

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 Alta had a population of 210 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Alta had a population of 377 people.

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

  • Brighton
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Garden City ‑ Historic
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Garden City. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
    • Garden City is located in Salt Lake County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Garden City
    • From Alta to Garden City
  • Park City
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Snyderville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Midway
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Midway have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
    • Midway is located in Wasatch County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,465 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Midway <1>
  • Alpine
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Cottonwood
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Sandy
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sandy have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy
    • Sandy is located in Salt Lake County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 94,871 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sandy <1>
  • Charleston
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Charleston have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Charleston
    • Charleston is located in Wasatch County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 496 people
  • Union
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Union have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
    • Union is located in Salt Lake County
  • Draper
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Heber City
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Atkinson
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Atkinson have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atkinson
      • Atkinson is located in Summit County
    • Sugar House ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sugar House. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar House
      • Sugar House is located in Salt Lake County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sugar House
      • From Alta to Sugar House
    • Millcreek
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millcreek have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millcreek
      • Millcreek is located in Salt Lake County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Alta ...

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 9 newspapers that have been published in the area around Alta.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Alta. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Alta and those printed in the larger area surrounding Alta.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 8 miles [12.9 km]<6> of Alta.

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 Alta:

The official website for Alta: www.townofalta.com/

The official website for Salt Lake County: www.slco.org/

The official website for State of Utah: https://www.utah.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<2>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.
<3>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.
<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 Alta, 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- Alta) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Alta. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.5898, Longitude: -111.6383    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025