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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 Monta Vista (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 Monta Vista. 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.

Name Variations for Monta Vista ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Monta Vista: Monta Vis.

You might be interested in other communities that are also named Monta Vista. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Monta Vista.

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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.

Monta Vista is located in Pierce County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Pierce County: King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Lewis, Mason, Thurston & Yakima.

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

  • Pierce County     (The home county of Monta Vista)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Monta Vista, with the one closest to Monta Vista listed first.
    • Lakewood
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Parkland
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Clover Park
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Clover Park is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clover Park
    • Midland
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Midland is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midland
    • Lake City
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Lake City is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake City
    • Fircrest
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • University Place
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Waller
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Waller is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waller
    • Tacoma
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Spanaway
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Tillicum
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Tillicum is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tillicum
    • Steilacoom
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • King County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Monta Vista, with the one closest to Monta Vista listed first.
    • Milton
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Tahlequah
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Tahlequah is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tahlequah
    • Algona
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Buenna
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Buenna is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buenna
    • Federal Way
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Pacific
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Magnolia Beach
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Magnolia Beach is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnolia Beach
    • Redondo
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Redondo is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redondo
    • Auburn
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Woodmont Beach
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Woodmont Beach is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodmont Beach
    • Star Lake
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Star Lake is located in King County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Star Lake
    • Des Moines
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Kitsap County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Monta Vista, with the one closest to Monta Vista listed first.
    • Olalla
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Burley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Bethel
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Southworth
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Southworth is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southworth
    • South Colby
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • South Colby is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Colby
    • Colby
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Colby is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colby
    • East Port Orchard
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • East Port Orchard is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Port Orchard
    • South Park Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Colchester
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Colchester is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colchester
    • Parkwood
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Parkwood is located in Kitsap County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkwood
    • Port Orchard
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Gorst
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Mason County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Monta Vista, with the one closest to Monta Vista listed first.
    • Grapeview
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Allyn
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Belfair
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Bayshore
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Bayshore is located in Mason County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bayshore
    • New Kamilche
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • New Kamilche is located in Mason County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Kamilche
    • Tahuya
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Shelton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Thurston County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Monta Vista, with the one closest to Monta Vista listed first.
    • Puget
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Puget is located in Thurston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Puget
    • Nisqually Indian Community
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • North Yelm
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • North Yelm is located in Thurston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Yelm
    • Tanglewilde
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Tanglewilde is located in Thurston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tanglewilde
    • Yelm
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Yelm is located in Thurston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yelm
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,591 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Yelm <1>
    • Lacey
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Lacey is located in Thurston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacey
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 54,178 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lacey <1>
    • Kellys Korner
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Kellys Korner is located in Thurston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kellys Korner
    • Olympia
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • East Olympia
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Rainier
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Tumwater
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • McIntosh
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • McIntosh is located in Thurston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McIntosh

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

Cemeteries Near Monta Vista ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Monta Vista.

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.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Monta Vista - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Monta Vista covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Mountain View Memorial Park
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Oakwood Hill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood Hill Cemetery
    • The Oakwood Hill Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Oak Wood Cemetery
    • Oak Wood Hill Cemetery
    • Oakwood Cemetery
    • Prairie Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1996538 <2>
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Old Pioneer Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Pioneer Cemetery
    • The Old Pioneer Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Rigney Cemetery
  • Home of Peace Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Pauper Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Tacoma Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tacoma Cemetery
    • The Tacoma Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Oaklawn Cemetery
    • Old Tacoma Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #77080 <2>
  • Byrd Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Old Settlers Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Settlers Cemetery
    • The Old Settlers Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Gravelly Lake Cemetery
  • New Tacoma Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Ft. Steilacoom Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Western State Hospital Memorial Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (89 more) ...

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.<4>

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

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

  • Lakeview
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Lakeview is located in Pierce County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeview
  • Parkland
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Fern Hill
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Fern Hill is located in Pierce County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern Hill
  • Excelsior
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Excelsior is located in Pierce County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Excelsior
  • Lake City
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Lake City is located in Pierce County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake City
  • Midland
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Midland is located in Pierce County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midland
  • Tacoma
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Steilacoom
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Hillhurst
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Hillhurst is located in Pierce County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillhurst
  • Wollochet
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Wollochet is located in Pierce County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wollochet
  • Fox Island
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Puyallup
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Meeker
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Meeker is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meeker
    • Artondale
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Artondale is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Artondale
    • Gig Harbor
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Monta Vista ...

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 224 newspapers that have been published in the area around Monta Vista.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Monta Vista, there are papers which were published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Monta Vista.

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 helpful 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 Monta Vista:

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 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.
<3>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- Monta Vista) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<4>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 Monta Vista, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.