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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 Palo Alto (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 Palo Alto. 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.

Palo Alto is located in Highland County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Highland County: Augusta, Bath, Pendleton (WV) & Pocahontas (WV).

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

  • Highland County     (The home county of Palo Alto)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Palo Alto, with the one closest to Palo Alto listed first.
    • McDowell
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Possum Trot
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Possum Trot
      • Possum Trot is located in Highland County
    • Monterey
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monterey have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monterey
      • Monterey is located in Highland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 136 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Monterey <1>
  • Augusta County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Palo Alto, with the one closest to Palo Alto listed first.
    • Stokesville ‑ Historic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stokesville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stokesville
      • Stokesville is located in Augusta County
    • Deerfield
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deerfield
      • Deerfield is located in Augusta County
    • Mount Solon
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Parnassus
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parnassus
      • Parnassus is located in Augusta County
    • Churchville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Marble Valley
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marble Valley
      • Marble Valley is located in Augusta County
    • Craigsville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Verona
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Arbor Hill
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arbor Hill
      • Arbor Hill is located in Augusta County
    • Weyers Cave
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Jolivue
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jolivue
      • Jolivue is located in Augusta County
    • Middlebrook
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Brand
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brand have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brand
      • Brand is located in Augusta County
  • Bath County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Palo Alto, with the one closest to Palo Alto listed first.
    • Bolar
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolar
      • Bolar is located in Bath County
    • Burnsville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burnsville
      • Burnsville is located in Bath County
    • Fort Lewis ‑ Historic
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fort Lewis have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Lewis
      • Fort Lewis is located in Bath County
    • Yost
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yost
      • Yost is located in Bath County
  • Harrisonburg City
    • Harrisonburg
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
  • Rockbridge County
    • Goshen
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Rockingham County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Palo Alto, with the one closest to Palo Alto listed first.
    • Briery Branch
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briery Branch
      • Briery Branch is located in Rockingham County
    • Ottobine
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottobine
      • Ottobine is located in Rockingham County
    • Clover Hill
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clover Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clover Hill
      • Clover Hill is located in Rockingham County
    • Spring Creek
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Creek
      • Spring Creek is located in Rockingham County
    • Lilly
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lilly
      • Lilly is located in Rockingham County
    • Bridgewater
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Coakley Town
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coakley Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coakley Town
      • Coakley Town is located in Rockingham County
    • Hinton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hinton
      • Hinton is located in Rockingham County
    • Rushville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rushville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rushville
      • Rushville is located in Rockingham County
    • Dayton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dayton
      • Dayton is located in Rockingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,642 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dayton <1>
    • Mount Crawford
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • New Erection
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Erection
      • New Erection is located in Rockingham County
    • North River
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North River
      • North River is located in Rockingham County
  • Staunton City
    • Staunton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
  • Pendleton County (WV)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Palo Alto, with the one closest to Palo Alto listed first.
    • Sugar Grove
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar Grove
      • Sugar Grove is located in Pendleton County (WV)
    • Harper
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harper
      • Harper is located in Pendleton County (WV)
    • Zigler
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Zigler have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zigler
      • Zigler is located in Pendleton County (WV)
    • Propstburg
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Propstburg
      • Propstburg is located in Pendleton County (WV)
    • Franklin
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franklin
      • Franklin is located in Pendleton County (WV)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 638 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Franklin <1>
    • Brandywine
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Dry Run
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dry Run have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dry Run
      • Dry Run is located in Pendleton County (WV)
    • Circleville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Ruddle
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ruddle have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruddle
      • Ruddle is located in Pendleton County (WV)
    • Fort Seybert
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Seybert
      • Fort Seybert is located in Pendleton County (WV)
    • Kline
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kline have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kline
      • Kline is located in Pendleton County (WV)
    • Brushy Run
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brushy Run
      • Brushy Run is located in Pendleton County (WV)
    • Onego
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onego
      • Onego is located in Pendleton County (WV)
  • Pocahontas County (WV)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Palo Alto, with the one closest to Palo Alto listed first.
    • Thornwood
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thornwood
      • Thornwood is located in Pocahontas County (WV)
    • Arbovale
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Green Bank
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Frank
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frank
      • Frank is located in Pocahontas County (WV)
    • Durbin
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Durbin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Durbin
      • Durbin is located in Pocahontas County (WV)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 297 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Durbin <1>
    • Wildell
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wildell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildell
      • Wildell is located in Pocahontas County (WV)
    • Cass
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Frost
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Frost have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frost
      • Frost is located in Pocahontas County (WV)
    • Sitlington
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sitlington have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sitlington
      • Sitlington is located in Pocahontas County (WV)
  • Randolph County (WV)
    • Whitmer
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitmer
      • Whitmer is located in Randolph County (WV)

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

Newspapers Published in Palo Alto ...

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 42 newspapers that have been published in the area around Palo Alto.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Palo Alto, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Palo Alto.

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 Palo Alto:

Cemeteries Near Palo Alto ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Palo Alto.

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

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

  • Totten Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Totten Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Totten Cemetery
  • West Augusta Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Blue Grass Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Blue Grass Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Blue Grass Cemetery
  • Keister Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Keister Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<5>
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Keister Cemetery is located outside and to the southwest of Brandywine (WV).
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Keister Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2607660 <4>
  • Griffin Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Griffin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Griffin Cemetery
  • Crosby Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crosby Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crosby Cemetery
  • Briery Branch Church of the Brethren Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
  • Pine Hill Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pine Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pine Hill Cemetery
  • Elk Run Church of the Brethren Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Spring Creek Negro Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Spring Creek Negro Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<5>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spring Creek Negro Cemetery
  • George Wine Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the George Wine Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<5>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the George Wine Cemetery
  • Wine Family Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (169 more) ...
    • Ottobine UMC Cemetery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Anderson Family Cemetery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Anderson Family Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<5>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Anderson Family Cemetery
    • Croushorn Family Cemetery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Palo Alto had a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Doe Hill
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Doe Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doe Hill
    • Doe Hill is located in Highland County
  • Sugar Grove
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar Grove
    • Sugar Grove is located in Pendleton County (WV)
  • McDowell
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • West Augusta
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Augusta have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Augusta
    • West Augusta is located in Augusta County
  • New Hampden
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Hampden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Hampden
    • New Hampden is located in Highland County
  • Monterey
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monterey have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monterey
    • Monterey is located in Highland County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 136 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Monterey <1>
  • Stribling Springs
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stribling Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stribling Springs
    • Stribling Springs is located in Augusta County
  • Vanderpool
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vanderpool have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vanderpool
    • Vanderpool is located in Highland County
  • Clover Creek
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clover Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clover Creek
    • Clover Creek is located in Highland County
  • Hightown
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hightown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hightown
    • Hightown is located in Highland County
  • Deerfield
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deerfield
    • Deerfield is located in Augusta County
  • Lone Fountain
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lone Fountain have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Fountain
    • Lone Fountain is located in Augusta County
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Sangerville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sangerville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sangerville
      • Sangerville is located in Augusta County
    • Dry Run
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dry Run have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dry Run
      • Dry Run is located in Pendleton County (WV)
    • Brandywine
      (15 miles [24.1 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 Palo Alto. See our List of 1890's Communities around Palo Alto.

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

The official website for Highland County: www.highlandcova.org/

The official website for State of Virginia: https://www.virginia.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>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>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- Palo Alto) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Palo Alto. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.4235, Longitude: -79.3705       In this case, the coordinates for Palo Alto have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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>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.
<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 Palo Alto, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024