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 Menlo (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 Menlo. 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 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.
Menlo is located in Pacific 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 Pacific County: Clatsop (OR), Grays Harbor, Lewis & Wahkiakum.
Below are the counties that are near Menlo. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Menlo:
- Pacific County (The home county of Menlo)
- The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
- Raymond
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Lebam
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- South Bend
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Bay Center
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Tokeland
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Oysterville
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Naselle
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Nahcotta
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Ocean Park
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Knappton ‑ Historic
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Knappton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knappton
- Knappton is located in Pacific County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Knappton
- From Menlo to Knappton
- Breakers
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Long Beach
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Chinook
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Grays Harbor County
- The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
- Melbourne
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Cosmopolis
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Cedarville
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cedarville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedarville
- Cedarville is located in Grays Harbor County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Cedarville
- From Menlo to Cedarville
- Central Park
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Central Park have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central Park
- Central Park is located in Grays Harbor County
- Junction City
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Junction City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Junction City
- Junction City is located in Grays Harbor County
- Montesano
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- South Aberdeen
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Oakville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Grayland
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Aberdeen
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Chehalis Village
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chehalis Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chehalis Village
- Chehalis Village is located in Grays Harbor County
- Bay City
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bay City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay City
- Bay City is located in Grays Harbor County
- Laidlow
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Lewis County
- The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
- Doty
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Pe Ell
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Curtis
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Fayette
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fayette. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fayette
- Fayette is located in Lewis County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Fayette
- From Menlo to Fayette
- Adna
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Claquato
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Galvin
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Thurston County
- The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
- Independence
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Rochester
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Wahkiakum County
- The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
- Grays River
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Rosburg
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Altoona
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Altoona. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altoona
- Altoona is located in Wahkiakum County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Altoona
- From Menlo to Altoona
- Brookfield
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Brookfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookfield
- Brookfield is located in Wahkiakum County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Brookfield
- From Menlo to Brookfield
- Dahlia
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Skamokawa
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Clatsop County (OR)
- The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
- Brownsmead
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Clifton
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Tongue Point Village
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tongue Point Village have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tongue Point Village
- Tongue Point Village is located in Clatsop County (OR)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Menlo, see our County-by-County Page for Menlo.
Cemeteries Near Menlo ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Menlo.
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 Menlo covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
- Fern Hill Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fern Hill Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fern Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Giesy Family Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Washington Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Washington Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Washington Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Salmon Creek Cemetery
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Deep River Pioneer Cemetery
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Grays River Grange Cemetery
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Sylvan Cemetery
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Paceful Hill Cemetery
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Paceful Hill Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Paceful Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Rosburg Cemetery
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Seal River Cemetery
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Eden Valley Cemetery
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Forest Hill Cemetery
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Hill Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Finnish Cemetery
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Finnish Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Finnish Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Fern Hill Cemetery
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Oakville Pioneer Cemetery
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oakville Pioneer Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oakville Pioneer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
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 Menlo in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Menlo.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
- Willapa
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willapa have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willapa
- Willapa is located in Pacific County
- Lebam
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- South Bend
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Bay Center
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Pe Ell
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Oysterville
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Grays River
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Artic
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Artic have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Artic
- Artic is located in Grays Harbor County
- Naselle
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Deep River
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deep River have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deep River
- Deep River is located in Wahkiakum County
- North Cove
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Cove have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Cove
- North Cove is located in Pacific County
- Melbourne
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Cosmopolis
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Cedarville
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cedarville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedarville
- Cedarville is located in Grays Harbor County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Cedarville
- From Menlo to Cedarville
- Frankfort ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Frankfort have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankfort
- Frankfort is located in Pacific County
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Menlo. See our List of 1890's Communities around Menlo.
Newspapers Published in Menlo ...
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 98 newspapers that have been published in the area around Menlo.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Menlo, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Menlo.
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 professional and volunteer 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 Menlo:
- Websites specific to Washington
- Pages specific to Pacific County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Grays Harbor County
- Lewis County
- Thurston County
- Wahkiakum County
- Clatsop County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Washington
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Menlo. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Pacific County: www.co.pacific.wa.us/
The official website for State of Washington: https://wa.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> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Menlo) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Menlo. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.6243, Longitude: -123.6491 |
<5> | 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. |
<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 Menlo, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |