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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 Mentor (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 Mentor. 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 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.

Mentor is located in Garfield 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 Garfield County: Wallowa (OR), Asotin, Columbia & Whitman.

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

  • Garfield County     (The home county of Mentor)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mentor, with the one closest to Mentor listed first.
    • Pataha
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pataha
      • Pataha is located in Garfield County
    • Pomeroy
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Gould City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gould City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gould City
      • Gould City is located in Garfield County
    • Peola
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peola
      • Peola is located in Garfield County
    • Mayview
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mayview. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayview
      • Mayview is located in Garfield County
  • Asotin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mentor, with the one closest to Mentor listed first.
    • Silcott
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Silcott. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silcott
      • Silcott is located in Asotin County
    • Cloverland
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cloverland
      • Cloverland is located in Asotin County
    • Clarkston Heights - Vineland
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Clarkston Heights - Vineland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarkston Heights - Vineland
      • Clarkston Heights - Vineland is located in Asotin County
    • West Clarkston - Highland
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for West Clarkston - Highland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Clarkston - Highland
      • West Clarkston - Highland is located in Asotin County
    • Clarkston
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Asotin
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Anatone
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Columbia County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mentor, with the one closest to Mentor listed first.
    • Delaney
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Delaney. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delaney
      • Delaney is located in Columbia County
    • Dayton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Relief
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Relief. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Relief
      • Relief is located in Columbia County
  • Whitman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mentor, with the one closest to Mentor listed first.
    • Almota
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Almota. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Almota
      • Almota is located in Whitman County
    • Chambers
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chambers
      • Chambers is located in Whitman County
    • Colton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Uniontown
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Leon
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leon
      • Leon is located in Whitman County
    • Staley
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Staley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Staley
      • Staley is located in Whitman County
    • Pullman
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Albion
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Shawnee
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Shawnee. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shawnee
      • Shawnee is located in Whitman County
    • Colfax
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
  • Latah County (ID)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mentor, with the one closest to Mentor listed first.
    • Genesee
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Genesee have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Genesee
      • Genesee is located in Latah County (ID)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 976 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Genesee <1>
    • Moscow
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moscow have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moscow
      • Moscow is located in Latah County (ID)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 26,128 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moscow <1>
  • Nez Perce County (ID)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Mentor, with the one closest to Mentor listed first.
    • Leon
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leon
      • Leon is located in Nez Perce County (ID)
    • Lewiston
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewiston
      • Lewiston is located in Nez Perce County (ID)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 33,039 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lewiston <1>
    • North Lapwai
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)

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

Cemeteries Near Mentor ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Mentor.

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

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

  • Pataha Flat Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pataha Flat Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pataha Flat Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Kirby Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kirby Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kirby Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pomeroy City Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Holy Rosary Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holy Rosary Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holy Rosary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Peola Pioneer Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Pioneer Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pioneer Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pioneer Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mayview Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mayview Cemetery
    • The Mayview Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Chapel Hill Cemetery
    • Mayview / Chapel Hill Cemetery
  • Owsley Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Owsley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Owsley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Covello Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Covello Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Covello Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Spalding Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spalding Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spalding Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Turner Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Turner Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Turner Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cloverland Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cloverland Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cloverland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (28 more) ...
    • Vineland Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Vineland Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Vineland Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located outside and to the west of Clarkston.
      • The Vineland Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Clarkston Vineland Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #77100 <4>
    • Moys Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Moys Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Moys Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Pioneer Memorial Park
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pioneer Memorial Park
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pioneer Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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.<5>

While we didn't find Mentor in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Mentor.

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

  • Pomeroy
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Peola
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peola
    • Peola is located in Garfield County
  • Gould City
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gould City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gould City
    • Gould City is located in Garfield County
  • Zumwalt
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Zumwalt have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zumwalt
    • Zumwalt is located in Garfield County
  • Mayview
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mayview. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayview
    • Mayview is located in Garfield County
  • Silcott
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Silcott. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silcott
    • Silcott is located in Asotin County
  • Wawawai ‑ Historic
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wawawai have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wawawai
    • Wawawai is located in Whitman County
  • Marengo
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marengo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marengo
    • Marengo is located in Columbia County
  • Ping
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ping have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ping
    • Ping is located in Garfield County
  • Almota
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Almota. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Almota
    • Almota is located in Whitman County
  • Covello
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Covello have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Covello
    • Covello is located in Columbia County
  • Colton
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Uniontown
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Johnson
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Johnson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnson
      • Johnson is located in Whitman County
    • Penawawa
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Penawawa have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Penawawa
      • Penawawa is located in Whitman County

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

Newspapers Published in Mentor ...

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 80 newspapers that have been published in the area around Mentor.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Mentor, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Mentor.

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 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 Mentor:

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

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>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>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.
<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 Mentor, 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' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Mentor) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Mentor. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.4590, Longitude: -117.4727       In this case, the coordinates for Mentor have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025