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 Cross Plains (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 Cross Plains. 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 Cross Plains ...
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 Cross Plains: Cross Plns.
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 northeast 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 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 east 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.
Cross Plains is located in Dane County.
To see how the shape of Wisconsin's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Dane County: Columbia, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock & Sauk.
Below are the counties that are near Cross Plains. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Cross Plains:
- Dane County (The home county of Cross Plains)
- The following are listed by their distance from Cross Plains, with the one closest to Cross Plains listed first.
- Ashton
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashton
- Ashton is located in Dane County
- Marxville
(5 miles [8 km] to the north) - Martinsville
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martinsville
- Martinsville is located in Dane County
- Black Earth
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Earth
- Black Earth is located in Dane County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,422 people
- Ashton Corners
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashton Corners
- Ashton Corners is located in Dane County
- Klevenville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Klevenville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klevenville
- Klevenville is located in Dane County
- Middleton
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east) - Mazomanie
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest) - Mount Horeb
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Horeb have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Horeb
- Mount Horeb is located in Dane County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 7,563 people
- Elvers
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west) - Pilgrim Village
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pilgrim Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pilgrim Village
- Pilgrim Village is located in Dane County
- Shorewood Hills
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shorewood Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shorewood Hills
- Shorewood Hills is located in Dane County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,999 people
- Verona
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Columbia County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cross Plains, with the one closest to Cross Plains listed first.
- Lodi
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lodi
- Lodi is located in Columbia County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,109 people
- Okee
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Okee
- Okee is located in Columbia County
- Harmony Grove
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harmony Grove
- Harmony Grove is located in Columbia County
- Lake Wisconsin
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Wisconsin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Wisconsin
- Lake Wisconsin is located in Columbia County
- Arlington
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arlington
- Arlington is located in Columbia County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 818 people
- Durwards Glen ‑ Historic
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Durwards Glen
- Durwards Glen is located in Columbia County
- North Leeds
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Leeds have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Leeds
- North Leeds is located in Columbia County
- Poynette
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast) - Keyeser
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast) - Rio
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Green County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cross Plains, with the one closest to Cross Plains listed first.
- Dayton
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dayton
- Dayton is located in Green County
- New Glarus
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Glarus
- New Glarus is located in Green County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,136 people
- Attica
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Attica
- Attica is located in Green County
- Monticello
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monticello
- Monticello is located in Green County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,185 people
- Mineral Point
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mineral Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mineral Point
- Mineral Point is located in Green County
- Albany
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Iowa County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cross Plains, with the one closest to Cross Plains listed first.
- Cassell
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest) - Arena
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arena
- Arena is located in Iowa County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 831 people
- Barneveld
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest) - Hyde
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hyde
- Hyde is located in Iowa County
- Ridgeway
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest) - Helena
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helena
- Helena is located in Iowa County
- Hollandale
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hollandale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollandale
- Hollandale is located in Iowa County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 273 people
- Pleasant Ridge
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Ridge
- Pleasant Ridge is located in Iowa County
- Moscow
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moscow
- Moscow is located in Iowa County
- Dodgeville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dodgeville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dodgeville
- Dodgeville is located in Iowa County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 4,677 people
- Lafayette County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cross Plains, with the one closest to Cross Plains listed first.
- Blanchardville
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blanchardville
- Blanchardville is located in Lafayette County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 788 people
- Argyle
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Richland County
- Lone Rock
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Lone Rock
- Rock County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cross Plains, with the one closest to Cross Plains listed first.
- Union
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast) - Cooksville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooksville
- Cooksville is located in Rock County
- Evansville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evansville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evansville
- Evansville is located in Rock County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,556 people
- Sauk County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cross Plains, with the one closest to Cross Plains listed first.
- Sauk City
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north) - Prairie du Sac village
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie du Sac village
- Prairie du Sac village is located in Sauk County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 4,426 people
- Witwen
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Witwen
- Witwen is located in Sauk County
- Merrimac
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north) - Moon Valley
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moon Valley
- Moon Valley is located in Sauk County
- Denzer
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denzer
- Denzer is located in Sauk County
- Leland
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest) - Spring Green
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spring Green have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Green
- Spring Green is located in Sauk County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,630 people
- Plain
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest) - Baraboo
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Baraboo
- Baraboo is located in Sauk County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 12,121 people
- West Baraboo
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Baraboo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Baraboo
- West Baraboo is located in Sauk County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,416 people
- North Freedom
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Freedom have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Freedom
- North Freedom is located in Sauk County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 690 people
- Rock Springs
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rock Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Springs
- Rock Springs is located in Sauk County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 361 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Cross Plains, see our County-by-County Page for Cross Plains.
Newspapers Published in Cross Plains ...
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 227 newspapers that have been published in the area around Cross Plains.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Cross Plains, there are papers which were published within 25 miles [40.2 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Cross Plains.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These 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 Cross Plains:
- Websites specific to Wisconsin
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Website for the //www.wisconsinhistory.org/
- Pages specific to Dane County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Columbia County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Green County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Iowa County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Lafayette County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Richland County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Rock County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Sauk County
- Jump to Cyndi's List
- Jump to Family Search
- Jump to Genealogy Trails
- Columbia County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Wisconsin
- Cemetery Junction: Cemeteries of Wisconsin
- Cyndi's List
- Cemeteries of Wisconsin
- Cemeteries of Dane County
- FamilySearch.org: Cemeteries of Wisconsin
- Find-A-Grave: Home Page
- Interment.net
- Cemeteries of Wisconsin
- Cemeteries of Dane County
Cemeteries Near Cross Plains ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Cross Plains.
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 Cross Plains covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Cross Plains, with the one closest to Cross Plains listed first.
- St. Mary of Pine Bluff Catholic Church Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Mary of Pine Bluff Catholic Church Cemetery
- St. Johns Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
- Evergreen Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Evergreen Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Evergreen Hill Cemetery
- Sunning Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sunning Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sunning Hill Cemetery
- Oak Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Hill Cemetery
- Old Black Earth Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for the Old Black Earth Cemetery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
- The Old Black Earth Cemetery has also been known as:
- George Beaty Cemetery
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Black Earth Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2405349 <4>
- Middleton Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Middleton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Middleton Cemetery
- Kohlman Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kohlman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kohlman Cemetery
- St. Johns Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Cemetery
- North Side Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Side Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Side Cemetery
- St. Ignatius Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Ignatius Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Ignatius Cemetery
- Sunset Memory Gardens
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sunset Memory Gardens have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sunset Memory Gardens
- Continue List (191 more) ...
- St. Bernards Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Bernards Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Bernards Cemetery
- Dunlap Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dunlap Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dunlap Cemetery
- Union Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Cemetery
- St. Bernards 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.<5>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Cross Plains had a population of 371 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Cross Plains had a population of 4,280 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Cross Plains, with the one closest to Cross Plains listed first.
- Pine Bluff
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pine Bluff have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Bluff
- Pine Bluff is located in Dane County
- West Middleton
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Middleton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Middleton
- West Middleton is located in Dane County
- Ashton
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashton
- Ashton is located in Dane County
- Black Earth
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Earth
- Black Earth is located in Dane County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,422 people
- Marxville
(5 miles [8 km] to the north) - Klevenville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Klevenville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klevenville
- Klevenville is located in Dane County
- Riley
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south) - Springfield Corners
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Springfield Corners have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springfield Corners
- Springfield Corners is located in Dane County
- Middleton
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east) - Elvers
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west) - Mount Horeb
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Horeb have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Horeb
- Mount Horeb is located in Dane County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 7,563 people
- Pheasant Branch
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pheasant Branch have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pheasant Branch
- Pheasant Branch is located in Dane County
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Mazomanie
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest) - Roxbury
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north) - Verona
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Mazomanie
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Cross Plains. See our List of 1890's Communities around Cross Plains.
Off-the-Road Links ...
The official website for Cross Plains: www.cross-plains.wi.us/
The official website for Dane County: www.co.dane.wi.us/
The official website for State of Wisconsin: https://www.wisconsin.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> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Cross Plains) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Cross Plains. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.1139, Longitude: -89.6462 In this case, the coordinates for Cross Plains have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
| <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> | 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 Cross Plains, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |