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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 Rockford (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 Rockford. 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 doctors 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.

Rockford is located in Spokane 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 Spokane County: Benewah (ID), Bonner (ID), Kootenai (ID), Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Stevens & Whitman.

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

  • Spokane County     (The home county of Rockford)
  • Whitman County
  • Benewah County (ID)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rockford, with the one closest to Rockford listed first.
    • Plummer
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Willard
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Chatcolet
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Parkline
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Parkline have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkline
      • Parkline is located in Benewah County (ID)
    • Tensed
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • De Smet
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for De Smet have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Smet
      • De Smet is located in Benewah County (ID)
    • Saint Maries
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Maries have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Maries
      • Saint Maries is located in Benewah County (ID)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,465 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Maries <1>
  • Kootenai County (ID)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rockford, with the one closest to Rockford listed first.
    • Worley
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Bellgrove
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Harrison
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harrison have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrison
      • Harrison is located in Kootenai County (ID)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 215 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Harrison <1>
    • Conkling Park
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • State Line Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for State Line Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for State Line Village
      • State Line Village is located in Kootenai County (ID)
    • State Line
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for State Line have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for State Line
      • State Line is located in Kootenai County (ID)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 49 people
    • Post Falls
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Post Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Post Falls
      • Post Falls is located in Kootenai County (ID)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 38,933 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Post Falls <1>
    • Huetter
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Hauser
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hauser have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hauser
      • Hauser is located in Kootenai County (ID)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 726 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hauser <1>
    • Coeur d'Alene Junction
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Coeur d'Alene
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Fernan Lake Village
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fernan Lake Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fernan Lake Village
      • Fernan Lake Village is located in Kootenai County (ID)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 174 people
    • Medimont
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Medimont have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medimont
      • Medimont is located in Kootenai County (ID)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Medimont <1>

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

Cemeteries Near Rockford ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rockford.

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

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

  • Fairview Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mica Peak Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mica Peak Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mica Peak Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mica Creek Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mica Creek Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mica Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fairfield Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairfield Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Hope Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Hope Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Hope Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rosewood Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rosewood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rosewood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mica Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mica Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mica Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wood Memorial Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wood Memorial Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wood Memorial Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Farmington Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Farmington Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Farmington Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Coeur d'Alene Indian Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Coeur d'Alene Indian Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Coeur d'Alene Indian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Michaels Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (50 more) ...
    • Worley Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Latah Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Latah Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Latah Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Saltese Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Saltese Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Saltese Cemetery 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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Rockford had a population of 644 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Rockford had a population of 493 people.

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

  • Fairfield
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Freeman
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Freeman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeman
    • Freeman is located in Spokane County
  • Mica
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Waverly
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waverly have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waverly
    • Waverly is located in Spokane County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 110 people
  • Latah
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
  • Spangle
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Chester
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Chester. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chester
    • Chester is located in Spokane County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Chester
    • From Rockford to Chester
  • Plaza
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plaza have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plaza
    • Plaza is located in Spokane County
  • Lone Pine
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lone Pine. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Pine
    • Lone Pine is located in Whitman County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Lone Pine
    • From Rockford to Lone Pine
  • Tekoa
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Harrison
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harrison have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrison
    • Harrison is located in Kootenai County (ID)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 215 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Harrison <1>
  • East Spokane
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Spokane have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Spokane
    • East Spokane is located in Spokane County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Chatcolet
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Rosalia
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Lacon
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lacon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacon
      • Lacon is located in Kootenai County (ID)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Rockford ...

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 123 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rockford.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Rockford. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Rockford and those printed in the larger area surrounding Rockford.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<5> of Rockford.

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 Rockford:

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

The official website for Spokane County: www.spokanecounty.org/

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>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- Rockford) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Rockford. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 47.4523, Longitude: -117.1320    
<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 Rockford, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025