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 Big Rock (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 Big Rock. 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 Big Rock ...
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.
Another variation: Bigrock.
You might be interested in other communities that are also named Big Rock. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Big Rock.
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.
Big Rock is located in Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County: Benton, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Fayette, Grundy & Tama.
Below are the counties that are near Big Rock. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Big Rock:
- Black Hawk County (The home county of Big Rock)
- The following are listed by their distance from Big Rock, with the one closest to Big Rock listed first.
- Edwards ‑ Historic
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Edwards is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
- Evansdale
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Dewar
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Dewar is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewar
- Waterloo
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Elk Run Heights
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Elk Run Heights is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk Run Heights
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,135 people
- Raymond
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Raymond is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond
- Population from the 2020 Census: 788 people
- Dunkerton
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Dunkerton is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunkerton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 851 people
- Cedar City
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Cedar City is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar City
- Cedar Falls
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- North Cedar
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- North Cedar is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Cedar
- Janesville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Gilbertville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Gilbertville is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilbertville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 725 people
- Hudson
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Benton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Big Rock, with the one closest to Big Rock listed first.
- Mount Auburn
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Mount Auburn is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Auburn
- Population from the 2020 Census: 144 people
- Spencers Grove
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Spencers Grove is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spencers Grove
- Garrison
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Garrison is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrison
- Population from the 2020 Census: 355 people
- Urbana
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Vinton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Bremer County
- The following are listed by their distance from Big Rock, with the one closest to Big Rock listed first.
- Denver
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Klinger
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Klinger is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klinger
- Knittel
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Knittel is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knittel
- Readlyn
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Waverly
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Bremer
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Bremer is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bremer
- Tripoli
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Seigel
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Seigel is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seigel
- Frederika
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Frederika is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frederika
- Population from the 2020 Census: 205 people
- Sumner
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Horton
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Horton is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horton
- Plainfield
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Buchanan County
- The following are listed by their distance from Big Rock, with the one closest to Big Rock listed first.
- Fairbank
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Shady Grove
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Shady Grove is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shady Grove
- Hazleton
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Independence
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Brandon
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Brandon is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brandon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 320 people
- Doris
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Doris is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doris
- Stanley
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Stanley is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
- Hamerville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Hamerville is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamerville
- Rowley
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Aurora
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Aurora is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aurora
- Population from the 2020 Census: 162 people
- Quasqueton
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Winthrop
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Winthrop is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winthrop
- Population from the 2020 Census: 848 people
- Butler County
- The following are listed by their distance from Big Rock, with the one closest to Big Rock listed first.
- New Hartford
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Shell Rock
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Coster
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Coster is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coster
- Sinclair
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Sinclair is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinclair
- Clarksville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Parkersburg
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Butler Center
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Butler Center is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butler Center
- Allison
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Aplington
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Chickasaw County
- The following are listed by their distance from Big Rock, with the one closest to Big Rock listed first.
- Fredericksburg
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Republic
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Republic is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Republic
- Bradford
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Bradford is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradford
- Nashua
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Fayette County
- The following are listed by their distance from Big Rock, with the one closest to Big Rock listed first.
- Oran
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Oran is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oran
- Oelwein
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Westgate
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Westgate is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westgate
- Population from the 2020 Census: 209 people
- Maynard
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Randalia
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Randalia is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Randalia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 60 people
- Grundy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Big Rock, with the one closest to Big Rock listed first.
- Fredsville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Fredsville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredsville
- Dike
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Stout
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Stout is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stout
- Population from the 2020 Census: 214 people
- Reinbeck
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Morrison
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Fern
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Fern is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern
- Grundy Center
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Holland
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Buck Grove
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Buck Grove is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buck Grove
- Tama County
- The following are listed by their distance from Big Rock, with the one closest to Big Rock listed first.
- Dinsdale
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Dinsdale is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dinsdale
- Buckingham
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Buckingham is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckingham
- Dysart
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Traer
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Lincoln
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Lincoln is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln
- Population from the 2020 Census: 148 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Big Rock, see our County-by-County Page for Big Rock.
Cemeteries Near Big Rock ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Big Rock.
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 Big Rock - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Big Rock covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Big Rock, with the one closest to Big Rock listed first.
- Mt. Zion Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Garden of Memories
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Fairview Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Bennington Twp. Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- St. Johns Lutheran Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Calvary Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Sons of Jacob Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Hillcrest Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Muslim Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Mt. Vernon Evangelical Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- George Wyth Memorial State Park
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Continue List (241 more) ...
- Elmwood Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmwood Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Elmwood Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the west of Waterloo.
- The Elmwood Cemetery has also been known as:
- Waterloo Elmwood Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #94674 <2>
- St. Francis Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Pioneer Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
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 Big Rock in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Big Rock.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Big Rock, with the one closest to Big Rock listed first.
- Edwards ‑ Historic
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Edwards is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
- Waterloo
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Dewar
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Dewar is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewar
- Raymond
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Raymond is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond
- Population from the 2020 Census: 788 people
- Dunkerton
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Dunkerton is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunkerton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 851 people
- Cedar Falls
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Denver
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Canfield
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Canfield is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canfield
- Klinger
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Klinger is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klinger
- Washburn
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Gilbertville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Gilbertville is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilbertville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 725 people
- Janesville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Knittel
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Knittel is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knittel
- Hudson
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Jesup
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Big Rock. See our List of 1890's Communities around Big Rock.
Newspapers Published in Big Rock ...
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 158 newspapers that have been published in the area around Big Rock.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Big Rock, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Big Rock.
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 Big Rock:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Black Hawk County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Benton County
- Bremer County
- Buchanan County
- Butler County
- Chickasaw County
- Fayette County
- Grundy County
- Tama County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Iowa
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 Big Rock, 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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Big Rock) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |