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

Elma is located in Grays Harbor 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 Grays Harbor County: Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, Pacific & Thurston.

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

  • Grays Harbor County     (The home county of Elma)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elma, with the one closest to Elma listed first.
    • Satsop
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Satsop have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Satsop
      • Satsop is located in Grays Harbor County
    • Brady
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brady
      • Brady is located in Grays Harbor County
    • Malone - Porter
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Malone - Porter
      • Malone - Porter is located in Grays Harbor County
    • Malone
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Garden City
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garden City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
      • Garden City is located in Grays Harbor County
    • Porter
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Porter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Porter
      • Porter is located in Grays Harbor County
    • Sine
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sine
      • Sine is located in Grays Harbor County
    • McCleary
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • McCleary Junction
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCleary Junction
      • McCleary Junction is located in Grays Harbor County
    • Montesano
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Melbourne
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melbourne
      • Melbourne is located in Grays Harbor County
    • Cedarville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedarville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedarville
      • Cedarville is located in Grays Harbor County
  • Lewis County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elma, with the one closest to Elma listed first.
    • Galvin
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Doty
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Fords Prairie
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fords Prairie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fords Prairie
      • Fords Prairie is located in Lewis County
    • Fayette
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fayette have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fayette
      • Fayette is located in Lewis County
    • Centralia
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Pe Ell
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Adna
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Mason County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elma, with the one closest to Elma listed first.
    • Deckerville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deckerville
      • Deckerville is located in Mason County
    • Matlock
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Matlock
      • Matlock is located in Mason County
    • New Kamilche
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Kamilche have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Kamilche
      • New Kamilche is located in Mason County
    • Shelton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Mohrweis
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mohrweis
      • Mohrweis is located in Mason County
    • Bayshore
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayshore
      • Bayshore is located in Mason County
    • Skokomish
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skokomish
      • Skokomish is located in Mason County
    • Potlatch
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Hoodsport
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Tahuya
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Pacific County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elma, with the one closest to Elma listed first.
    • Raymond
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Menlo
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Menlo
      • Menlo is located in Pacific County
    • South Bend
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Thurston County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elma, with the one closest to Elma listed first.
    • Bordeaux ‑ Historic
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bordeaux
      • Bordeaux is located in Thurston County
    • Independence
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Independence
      • Independence is located in Thurston County
    • Littlerock
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Rochester
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Tumwater
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Grand Mound
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Olympia
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • East Olympia
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Lacey
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacey
      • Lacey is located in Thurston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 54,178 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lacey <2>
    • Tenino
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Tanglewilde
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tanglewilde
      • Tanglewilde is located in Thurston County
    • Bucoda
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Elma ...

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 142 newspapers that have been published in the area around Elma.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Elma. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Elma and those printed in the larger area surrounding Elma.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Elma.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Elma:

Cemeteries Near Elma ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Elma.

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

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

  • Masonic Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Masonic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Masonic Cemetery
  • Oddfellow Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oddfellow Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oddfellow Cemetery
  • Elma Catholic Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elma Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elma Catholic Cemetery
  • Sharon Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sharon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sharon Cemetery
  • McCleary Pythian Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McCleary Pythian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McCleary Pythian Cemetery
  • Turnow Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Turnow Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Turnow Cemetery
  • Wynooche Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wynooche Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wynooche Cemetery
  • Oakville Pioneer Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oakville Pioneer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oakville Pioneer Cemetery
  • Forest Hill Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Hill Cemetery
  • Squaxin Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Fern Hill Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
  • Shelton Memorial Park
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shelton Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shelton Memorial Park
  • Continue List   (19 more) ...
    • Finnish Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Finnish Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Finnish Cemetery
    • McLane Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the McLane Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<5>
      • The McLane Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Mud Bay Cemetery
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McLane Cemetery
    • Grand Mound Cemetery
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grand Mound Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grand Mound 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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Elma had a population of 345 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Elma had a population of 3,378 people.

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

  • Satsop
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Satsop have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Satsop
    • Satsop is located in Grays Harbor County
  • Porter
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Porter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Porter
    • Porter is located in Grays Harbor County
  • Montesano
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Melbourne
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melbourne
    • Melbourne is located in Grays Harbor County
  • Cedarville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedarville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedarville
    • Cedarville is located in Grays Harbor County
  • Oakville
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Artic
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Artic have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Artic
    • Artic is located in Grays Harbor County
  • Matlock
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Matlock
    • Matlock is located in Mason County
  • Aberdeen Junction
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Aberdeen Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aberdeen Junction
    • Aberdeen Junction is located in Grays Harbor County
  • Cosmopolis
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
  • New Kamilche
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Kamilche have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Kamilche
    • New Kamilche is located in Mason County
  • Kamilche
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kamilche have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kamilche
    • Kamilche is located in Mason County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • South Aberdeen
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Aberdeen
      • South Aberdeen is located in Grays Harbor County
    • Littlerock
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Aberdeen
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aberdeen
      • Aberdeen is located in Grays Harbor County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,827 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Aberdeen <2>

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

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

The official website for Grays Harbor County: www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/

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 '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- Elma) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Elma. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 47.0055, Longitude: -123.4115    
<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 Elma, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024