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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 Bird City (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 Bird City. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

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 north 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.

Bird City is located in Cheyenne County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Cheyenne County: Kit Carson (CO), Yuma (CO), Rawlins, Sherman & Dundy (NE).

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

  • Cheyenne County     (The home county of Bird City)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bird City, with the one closest to Bird City listed first.
    • Wheeler
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheeler
      • Wheeler is located in Cheyenne County
    • Saint Francis
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
  • Rawlins County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bird City, with the one closest to Bird City listed first.
    • McDonald
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McDonald have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McDonald
      • McDonald is located in Rawlins County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 156 people
    • Beardsley
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beardsley
      • Beardsley is located in Rawlins County
    • Atwood
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Atwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atwood
      • Atwood is located in Rawlins County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,208 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Atwood <1>
  • Sherman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bird City, with the one closest to Bird City listed first.
    • Edson
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edson
      • Edson is located in Sherman County
    • Goodland
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
  • Thomas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bird City, with the one closest to Bird City listed first.
    • Brewster
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brewster have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brewster
      • Brewster is located in Thomas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 289 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brewster <1>
    • Levant
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Levant have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Levant
      • Levant is located in Thomas County
  • Dundy County (NE)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Bird City, with the one closest to Bird City listed first.
    • Benkelman
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Parks
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Max
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Haigler
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Bird City ...

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 71 newspapers that have been published in the area around Bird City.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Bird City. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Bird City and those printed in the larger area surrounding Bird City.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<3> of Bird City.

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 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 Bird City:

Cemeteries Near Bird City ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Bird City.

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

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

  • Bird City Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bird City Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bird City Cemetery
  • Greisler Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greisler Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greisler Cemetery
  • Evergreen Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • 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.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Cemetery
  • Grace Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grace Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grace Cemetery
  • Wheeler Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wheeler Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wheeler Cemetery
  • Barley Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Barley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Barley Cemetery
  • St. Pauls Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Pauls Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Pauls Cemetery
  • Sunnyside Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sunnyside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sunnyside Cemetery
  • St. Francis Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Francis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Francis Cemetery
  • Gar Cemetery
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gar Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gar Cemetery
  • Mayflower Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mayflower Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mayflower Cemetery
  • Lawn Ridge Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lawn Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lawn Ridge Cemetery
  • Continue List   (38 more) ...
    • Shermanville Cemetery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shermanville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shermanville Cemetery
    • Immaculate Conception Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Immaculate Conception Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Immaculate Conception Cemetery
    • Zion Evangelical Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Evangelical Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Evangelical Cemetery

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Bird City had a population of 145 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Bird City had a population of 423 people.

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

  • McDonald
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McDonald have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McDonald
    • McDonald is located in Rawlins County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 156 people
  • Wheeler
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheeler
    • Wheeler is located in Cheyenne County
  • Saint Francis
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
  • Beardsley
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beardsley
    • Beardsley is located in Rawlins County
  • Benkelman
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
  • Blakeman
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blakeman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blakeman
    • Blakeman is located in Rawlins County
  • Chardon
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chardon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chardon
    • Chardon is located in Rawlins County
  • Atwood
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Atwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atwood
    • Atwood is located in Rawlins County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,208 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Atwood <1>
  • Max
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
  • Brewster
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brewster have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brewster
    • Brewster is located in Thomas County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 289 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brewster <1>
  • Edson
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edson
    • Edson is located in Sherman County
  • Haigler
    (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Goodland
    (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)

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

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

The official website for Cheyenne County: www.cheyennecounty.org/

The official website for State of Kansas: https://portal.kansas.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>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- Bird City) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Bird City. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.7497, Longitude: -101.5328    
<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 Bird City, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024