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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 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 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Alto is located in Columbia County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Columbia County: Umatilla (OR), Wallowa (OR), Franklin, Garfield, Walla Walla & Whitman.

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

  • Columbia County     (The home county of Alto)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alto, with the one closest to Alto listed first.
    • Relief
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Relief have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Relief
      • Relief is located in Columbia County
    • Huntsville
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huntsville
      • Huntsville is located in Columbia County
    • Menoken
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Menoken
      • Menoken is located in Columbia County
    • Dayton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Starbuck
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Delaney
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Delaney have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delaney
      • Delaney is located in Columbia County
    • Grange City ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grange City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grange City
      • Grange City is located in Columbia County
  • Adams County
    • Washtucna
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
  • Franklin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alto, with the one closest to Alto listed first.
    • Windust
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windust
      • Windust is located in Franklin County
    • Kahlotus
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Garfield County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alto, with the one closest to Alto listed first.
    • Pomeroy
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Pataha
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pataha
      • Pataha is located in Garfield County
    • Gould City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gould City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gould City
      • Gould City is located in Garfield County
    • Peola
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peola
      • Peola is located in Garfield County
  • Walla Walla County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alto, with the one closest to Alto listed first.
    • Waitsburg
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Prescott
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prescott have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prescott
      • Prescott is located in Walla Walla County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 310 people
    • Tompkins
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tompkins
      • Tompkins is located in Walla Walla County
    • Clyde
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clyde
      • Clyde is located in Walla Walla County
    • Dixie
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Paddock
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paddock
      • Paddock is located in Walla Walla County
    • Magallon
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Magallon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magallon
      • Magallon is located in Walla Walla County
    • Kibler
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kibler
      • Kibler is located in Walla Walla County
    • Rulo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rulo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rulo
      • Rulo is located in Walla Walla County
    • Walla Walla
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Eureka
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eureka have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka
      • Eureka is located in Walla Walla County
    • College Place
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Garrett
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garrett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrett
      • Garrett is located in Walla Walla County
  • Whitman County
  • Umatilla County (OR)
    • Calhounville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Calhounville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calhounville
      • Calhounville is located in Umatilla County (OR)

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

Newspapers Published in 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 83 newspapers that have been published in the area around Alto.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of 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 Alto.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Alto:

Cemeteries Near Alto ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of 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 Alto covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Pioneer Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pioneer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pioneer Cemetery
  • IOOF Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the IOOF Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the IOOF Cemetery
  • Ivy Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ivy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ivy Cemetery
  • Bundy Hollow Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bundy Hollow Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bundy Hollow Cemetery
  • Turner Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Turner Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Turner Cemetery
  • Covello Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Covello Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Covello Cemetery
  • Old Bones Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Bones Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Bones Cemetery
  • Pioneer Memorial Park
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pioneer Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pioneer Memorial Park
  • Owsley Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Owsley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Owsley Cemetery
  • Holy Rosary Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holy Rosary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holy Rosary Cemetery
  • Pomeroy City Cemetery
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
  • Mountain View Cemetery
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (9 more) ...
    • Blue Mtn. Memorial Garden
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Blue Mtn. Memorial Garden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Blue Mtn. Memorial Garden
    • Ft. Walla Walla Military Cemetery
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ft. Walla Walla Military Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ft. Walla Walla Military Cemetery
    • Pataha Flat Cemetery
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pataha Flat Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pataha Flat Cemetery

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 Alto had a population of 29 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Relief
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Relief have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Relief
    • Relief is located in Columbia County
  • Menoken
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Menoken
    • Menoken is located in Columbia County
  • Huntsville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huntsville
    • Huntsville is located in Columbia County
  • Dayton
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Waitsburg
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Starbuck
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Delaney
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Delaney have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delaney
    • Delaney is located in Columbia County
  • Prescott
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prescott have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prescott
    • Prescott is located in Walla Walla County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 310 people
  • Grange City ‑ Historic
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grange City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grange City
    • Grange City is located in Columbia County
  • Coppei
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coppei have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coppei
    • Coppei is located in Walla Walla County
  • Covello
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Covello have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Covello
    • Covello is located in Columbia County
  • Chard
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chard
    • Chard is located in Garfield County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Clyde
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clyde
      • Clyde is located in Walla Walla County
    • Berryman
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Berryman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berryman
      • Berryman is located in Walla Walla County
    • Dixie
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)

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

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

The official website for Columbia County: www.columbiaco.com/

The official website for State of Washington: https://access.wa.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>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- Alto) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Alto. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.3863, Longitude: -118.1116       In this case, the coordinates for 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>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 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