RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Washington >> King County >> South Seattle >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Washington

The Commemorative Quarter for Washington





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 South Seattle (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 South Seattle. 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 South Seattle ...

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.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

For example, a typical abbreviation for South Seattle: S. Seattle

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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and 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.

South Seattle is located in King 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 King County: Chelan, Kittitas, Pierce & Snohomish.

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

  • King County     (The home county of South Seattle)
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Seattle, with the one closest to South Seattle listed first.
    • Columbia City
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Columbia City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Columbia City
      • Columbia City is located in King County
    • Van Asselt
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Van Asselt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Asselt
      • Van Asselt is located in King County
    • Hillman City ‑ Historic
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hillman City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillman City
      • Hillman City is located in King County
    • Seward Park
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seward Park
      • Seward Park is located in King County
    • Seattle
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Mercer Island Town
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mercer Island Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mercer Island Town
      • Mercer Island Town is located in King County
    • White Center
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White Center have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Center
      • White Center is located in King County
    • Mercer Island
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mercer Island
      • Mercer Island is located in King County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 25,912 people
    • Riverton-Boulevard Park
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Riverton-Boulevard Park. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverton-Boulevard Park
      • Riverton-Boulevard Park is located in King County
    • Alki
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alki
      • Alki is located in King County
    • Beaux Arts Village
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beaux Arts Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaux Arts Village
      • Beaux Arts Village is located in King County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 322 people
    • Medina
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Medina have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medina
      • Medina is located in King County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,308 people
  • Island County
  • Jefferson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Seattle, with the one closest to South Seattle listed first.
    • Brinnon
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Port Ludlow
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Kitsap County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Seattle, with the one closest to South Seattle listed first.
    • Yeomalt
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yeomalt
      • Yeomalt is located in Kitsap County
    • Fort Ward
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Ward
      • Fort Ward is located in Kitsap County
    • Southworth
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southworth
      • Southworth is located in Kitsap County
    • Bainbridge Island
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bainbridge Island
      • Bainbridge Island is located in Kitsap County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 25,358 people
      • Bainbridge Island has also been known as:
      • Winslow
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bainbridge Island <2>
    • Colchester
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colchester
      • Colchester is located in Kitsap County
    • Manchester
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • South Colby
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Colby
      • South Colby is located in Kitsap County
    • Manitou Beach
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manitou Beach
      • Manitou Beach is located in Kitsap County
    • Rolling Bay
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rolling Bay
      • Rolling Bay is located in Kitsap County
    • Colby
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colby
      • Colby is located in Kitsap County
    • South Park Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Parkwood
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Parkwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkwood
      • Parkwood is located in Kitsap County
  • Mason County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Seattle, with the one closest to South Seattle listed first.
    • Belfair
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Allyn
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Grapeview
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Pierce County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Seattle, with the one closest to South Seattle listed first.
    • Dash Point
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dash Point
      • Dash Point is located in Pierce County
    • Northeast Tacoma
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northeast Tacoma
      • Northeast Tacoma is located in Pierce County
    • Wauna
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wauna
      • Wauna is located in Pierce County
    • Gig Harbor
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Ruston
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ruston have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruston
      • Ruston is located in Pierce County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 848 people
    • Edgewood
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Fife
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fife
      • Fife is located in Pierce County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,458 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fife <2>
    • Gardenville ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gardenville
      • Gardenville is located in Pierce County
    • Lake Tapps
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Tapps
      • Lake Tapps is located in Pierce County
    • Tacoma
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Rosedale
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosedale
      • Rosedale is located in Pierce County
    • Artondale
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Artondale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Artondale
      • Artondale is located in Pierce County
  • Snohomish County
    • The following are listed by their distance from South Seattle, with the one closest to South Seattle listed first.
    • Brier
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brier
      • Brier is located in Snohomish County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,955 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brier <2>
    • Esperance
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Esperance have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Esperance
      • Esperance is located in Snohomish County
    • Mountlake Terrace
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Woodway
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodway
      • Woodway is located in Snohomish County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,391 people
    • Canyon Park
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canyon Park
      • Canyon Park is located in Snohomish County
    • Edmonds
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Lynnwood
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Alderwood Manor
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alderwood Manor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alderwood Manor
      • Alderwood Manor is located in Snohomish County
    • North Creek
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Creek
      • North Creek is located in Snohomish County
    • Echo Lake
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Echo Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Echo Lake
      • Echo Lake is located in Snohomish County
    • Maltby
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maltby
      • Maltby is located in Snohomish County
    • Clearview
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clearview
      • Clearview is located in Snohomish County

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

Newspapers Published in South Seattle ...

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 665 newspapers that have been published in the area around South Seattle.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of South Seattle, there are papers which were published within 6 miles [9.7 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for South Seattle.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to 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 South Seattle:

Cemeteries Near South Seattle ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of South Seattle.

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

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

  • Comet Lodge Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • The Comet Lodge Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Georgetown Cemetery
    • Graham Street Burying Ground
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Comet Lodge Cemetery
  • Forest Lawn Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Highview Recreational Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Highview Recreational Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Highview Recreational Cemetery
  • Riverton Crest Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Riverton Crest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Riverton Crest Cemetery
  • Gar Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gar Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gar Cemetery
  • Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Lake View Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Lake View Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Seattle.
    • The Lake View Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Masonic Cemetery
    • Seattle Masonic Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lake View Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #76890 <5>
  • Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Washington Memorial Park
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Washington Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Washington Memorial Park
  • Mt. Olivet Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Olivet Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Olivet Cemetery
  • Sunset Hills Memorial Park
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sunset Hills Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sunset Hills Memorial Park
  • Calvary Catholic Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (96 more) ...
    • Greenwood Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenwood Cemetery
    • Ft. Lawton Military Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ft. Lawton Military Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ft. Lawton Military Cemetery
    • Episcopal Church Of The Holy Spirit Memory Garden
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)

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 South Seattle in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of South Seattle.

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

  • Van Asselt
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Van Asselt have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Asselt
    • Van Asselt is located in King County
  • Seattle
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Duwamish
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Duwamish have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duwamish
    • Duwamish is located in King County
  • West Seattle
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Seattle have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Seattle
    • West Seattle is located in King County
  • Latona ‑ Historic
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Latona have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Latona
    • Latona is located in King County
  • May Creek
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for May Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for May Creek
    • May Creek is located in King County
  • Edgewater ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edgewater have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgewater
    • Edgewater is located in King County
  • Fremont
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fremont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fremont
    • Fremont is located in King County
  • Sunnydale
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sunnydale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnydale
    • Sunnydale is located in King County
  • Ross ‑ Historic
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ross have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ross
    • Ross is located in King County
  • Renton
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Newcastle
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Ravenna
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ravenna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ravenna
      • Ravenna is located in King County
    • Orillia
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orillia
      • Orillia is located in King County
    • Ballard
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ballard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ballard
      • Ballard is located in King County

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

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

The official website for King County: www.metrokc.gov/

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>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>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 drawn from Point A (ie- South Seattle) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in South Seattle. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 47.5615, Longitude: -122.3129       In this case, the coordinates for South Seattle have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 South Seattle, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024