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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 Alvord (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 Alvord. 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 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.

Alvord is located in Lyon County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Lyon County: Osceola, Sioux, Nobles (MN), Rock (MN), Lincoln (SD) & Minnehaha (SD).

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

  • Lyon County     (The home county of Alvord)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alvord, with the one closest to Alvord listed first.
    • Doon
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Lester
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Lester is located in Lyon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lester
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
    • Inwood
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Rock Rapids
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Edna
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Larchwood
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Klondike
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Beloit
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • George
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Little Rock
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
  • O'Brien County
    • Sheldon
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Osceola County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alvord, with the one closest to Alvord listed first.
    • Ashton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Sibley
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Plymouth County
    • Craig
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Craig is located in Plymouth County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Craig
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
  • Sioux County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alvord, with the one closest to Alvord listed first.
    • Rock Valley
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Perkins
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Hull
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Hull is located in Sioux County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hull
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,296 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hull <1>
    • Lebanon
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Westbrook Village
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Westbrook Village is located in Sioux County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westbrook Village
    • Boyden
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Matlock
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Sioux Center
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Middleburg
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Hawarden
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Ireton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Maurice
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Maurice is located in Sioux County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maurice
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 270 people
  • Nobles County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alvord, with the one closest to Alvord listed first.
    • Ellsworth
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Adrian
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Ransom
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Rock County (MN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alvord, with the one closest to Alvord listed first.
    • Hills
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Hills is located in Rock County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 647 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hills <1>
    • Steen
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Bruce
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Bruce is located in Rock County (MN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bruce
    • Ash Creek
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Beaver Creek
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Manley
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Kanaranzi
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Luverne
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Magnolia
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Hardwick
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Kenneth
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Lincoln County (SD)
  • Minnehaha County (SD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Alvord, with the one closest to Alvord listed first.
    • Rowena
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Valley Springs
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Split Rock Heights
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Split Rock Heights is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Split Rock Heights
      • Estimated population in 2014: 216 people
    • Brandon
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Brandon is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brandon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,168 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brandon <1>
    • Pine Lakes Addition
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Pine Lakes Addition is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Lakes Addition
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 314 people
    • Norton Acres
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Norton Acres is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norton Acres
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 342 people
    • Sioux Falls
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Garretson
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Garretson is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garretson
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,147 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Garretson <1>
    • Hayward Addition
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Hayward Addition is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayward Addition
      • Estimated population in 2014: 380 people
    • Meadow View Addition
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Meadow View Addition is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadow View Addition
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 538 people
    • Silver Valley Addition
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Silver Valley Addition is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Valley Addition
      • Estimated population in 2014: 112 people
    • Renner Corner
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Renner Corner is located in Minnehaha County (SD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Renner Corner
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 305 people
  • Union County (SD)

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

Cemeteries Near Alvord ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Alvord.

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

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Alvord, with the one closest to Alvord 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.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Alvord had a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Alvord had a population of 210 people.

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

  • Doon
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Inwood
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Lester
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Lester is located in Lyon County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lester
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
  • Rock Valley
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Rock Rapids
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Edna
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Larchwood
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Hills
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Hills is located in Rock County (MN)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hills
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 647 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hills <1>
  • Fairview
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Perkins
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Steen
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Bruce
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Bruce is located in Rock County (MN)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bruce
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Alvord ...

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 91 newspapers that have been published in the area around Alvord.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Alvord. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Alvord and those printed in the larger area surrounding Alvord.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Alvord.

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 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 Alvord:

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 Alvord, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Alvord) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.