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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 Peru (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 Peru. 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 doctors and hospitals 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.

Peru is located in Randolph County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Randolph County: Clay, Greene, Lawrence, Sharp, Oregon (MO) & Ripley (MO).

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

  • Randolph County     (The home county of Peru)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Peru, with the one closest to Peru listed first.
    • Biggers
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Reyno
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Reyno is located in Randolph County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reyno
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 391 people
      • Former names for Reyno:
      • Cherokee Bay
      • Esselwood
      • Needmore
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Reyno
      • From Peru to Reyno
    • Brockett
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Skaggs
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Maynard
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Serene
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Pocahontas
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Attica
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Ingram
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Ingram is located in Randolph County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ingram
      • Ingram has also been known as:
      • Gooberhull
    • Middlebrook
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • O'Kean
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Manson
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Peru, with the one closest to Peru listed first.
    • Datto
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Datto is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Datto
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 89 people
    • Peach Orchard
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Success
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Success is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Success
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 132 people
    • Current View
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Knobel
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Knobel is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knobel
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
    • Corning
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Moark
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • McDougal
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • McDougal is located in Clay County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McDougal
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 163 people
  • Craighead County
    • Bono
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Bono is located in Craighead County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bono
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,595 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bono <1>
  • Greene County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Peru, with the one closest to Peru listed first.
    • Delaplaine
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Delaplaine is located in Greene County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delaplaine
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 116 people
    • Beech Grove
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Beech Grove is located in Greene County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beech Grove
    • Stonewall
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Light
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Light is located in Greene County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Light
    • Lafe
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Lafe is located in Greene County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lafe
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 458 people
    • Crowley
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Walcott
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Oak Grove Heights
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Oak Grove Heights is located in Greene County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove Heights
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,095 people
    • Finch
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Pine Knot
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Marmaduke
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Paragould
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Lawrence County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Peru, with the one closest to Peru listed first.
    • College City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • College City is located in Lawrence County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for College City
      • Estimated population in 2016: 506 people
    • Walnut Ridge
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Hoxie
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Black Rock
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Imboden
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Portia
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Powhatan
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Sedgwick
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Ravenden
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Annieville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Minturn
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Minturn is located in Lawrence County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minturn
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
    • Smithville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Sharp County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Peru, with the one closest to Peru listed first.
    • Williford
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Williford is located in Sharp County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williford
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 80 people
    • Wirth
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Butler County (MO)
    • Neelyville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
  • Oregon County (MO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Peru, with the one closest to Peru listed first.
    • Calm
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Myrtle
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Ripley County (MO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Peru, with the one closest to Peru listed first.
    • Current View
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Ponder
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Doniphan
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • Oxly
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Oxly is located in Ripley County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oxly
    • Naylor
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Naylor is located in Ripley County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Naylor
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 585 people
    • Gatewood
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Gatewood is located in Ripley County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gatewood
    • Briar
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Briar is located in Ripley County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briar
    • Gamburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Fairdealing
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Fairdealing is located in Ripley County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairdealing
    • Bennett
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Bardley
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Bardley is located in Ripley County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bardley

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

Cemeteries Near Peru ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Peru.

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

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

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

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 Peru had a population of 50 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Reyno
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Reyno is located in Randolph County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reyno
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 391 people
    • Former names for Reyno:
    • Cherokee Bay
    • Esselwood
    • Needmore
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Reyno
    • From Peru to Reyno
  • Brockett
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Pocahontas
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Maynard
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Attica
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • O'Kean
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Middlebrook
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Peach Orchard
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Ingram
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Ingram is located in Randolph County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ingram
    • Ingram has also been known as:
    • Gooberhull
  • Supply
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Birdell
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Knobel
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Knobel is located in Clay County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knobel
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Noland
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Noland is located in Randolph County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Noland
    • Poynor
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Poynor is located in Ripley County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poynor
    • Murta
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Murta is located in Lawrence County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murta

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

Newspapers Published in Peru ...

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 38 newspapers that have been published in the area around Peru.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Peru, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Peru.

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 websites either 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 Peru:

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>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 from Point A (ie- Peru) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<3>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.
<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 Peru, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.