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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 Vail (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 Vail. 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.

Vail is located in Thurston 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 Thurston County: Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason & Pierce.

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

  • Thurston County     (The home county of Vail)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vail, with the one closest to Vail listed first.
    • Rainier
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • McIntosh
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • McIntosh is located in Thurston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McIntosh
    • Yelm
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • 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>
    • North Yelm
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • North Yelm is located in Thurston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Yelm
    • Tenino
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Bucoda
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Nisqually Indian Community
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Kellys Korner
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Kellys Korner is located in Thurston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kellys Korner
    • East Olympia
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Lacey
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • 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>
    • Tanglewilde
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Tanglewilde is located in Thurston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tanglewilde
    • Tumwater
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Grand Mound
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
  • Grays Harbor County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vail, with the one closest to Vail listed first.
    • Chehalis Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Chehalis Village is located in Grays Harbor County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chehalis Village
    • Oakville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Cedarville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Cedarville is located in Grays Harbor County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedarville
  • Lewis County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vail, with the one closest to Vail listed first.
    • Centralia
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Cinebar
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Fords Prairie
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Fords Prairie is located in Lewis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fords Prairie
    • Onalaska
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Galvin
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Lacamas
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Lacamas is located in Lewis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacamas
    • Chehalis
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Ethel
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Salkum
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Newaukum
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Newaukum is located in Lewis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newaukum
    • Silver Creek
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Claquato
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Claquato is located in Lewis County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claquato
    • Napavine
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Mason County
    • New Kamilche
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • New Kamilche is located in Mason County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Kamilche
  • Pierce County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vail, with the one closest to Vail listed first.
    • McKenna
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Mock City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Mock City is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mock City
    • Roy
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Roy is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roy
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 823 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Roy <1>
    • La Grande
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • South Creek
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • South Creek is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Creek
    • Alder
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Alder is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alder
    • DuPont
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Fort Lewis
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Eatonville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Elk Plain
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Elk Plain is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk Plain
    • Clay City
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Clay City is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clay City
    • Tillicum
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Tillicum is located in Pierce County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tillicum
    • Spanaway
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Vail ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Vail.

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 Vail - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Rainier Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Yelm Rainier Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Forest Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Roy Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • King Hill Pioneer Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for King Hill Pioneer Cemetery
    • The King Hill Pioneer Cemetery has also been known as:
    • King Hill Indian Cemetery
  • Ross Family Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Mashel Prairie Indian Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Smith Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smith Cemetery
    • The Smith Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Henry Smith Cemetery
  • Jeschke Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Alpha Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
  • Rainier Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rainier Cemetery
    • The Rainier Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Old Indian Cemetery
    • Old Pioneer Cemetery
    • Rainer Free Cemetery
    • Stringtown Cemetery
  • Continue List   (54 more) ...
    • Jensen Pioneer Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Ft. Lewis Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Washington Lawn Cemetery
      (16 miles [25.7 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.<3>

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

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

  • McIntosh
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • McIntosh is located in Thurston County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McIntosh
  • Yelm
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • 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>
  • Tenino
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Bucoda
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Plumb
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Plumb is located in Thurston County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plumb
  • Roy
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Roy is located in Pierce County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roy
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 823 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Roy <1>
  • Lacey
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • 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>
  • Centralia
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Alpha
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Alpha is located in Lewis County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alpha
  • Leber
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Leber is located in Pierce County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leber
  • Tumwater
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Cinebar
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Olympia
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Belmore
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Belmore is located in Thurston County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belmore
    • Littlerock
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)

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

Newspapers Published in Vail ...

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 113 newspapers that have been published in the area around Vail.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Vail, there are papers which were published within 23 miles [37 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Vail.

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 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 Vail:

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