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 Calmar (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 Calmar. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.
Calmar is located in Winneshiek 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 Winneshiek County: Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, Fillmore (MN) & Houston (MN).
Below are the counties that are near Calmar. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Calmar:
- Winneshiek County (The home county of Calmar)
- The following are listed by their distance from Calmar, with the one closest to Calmar listed first.
- Festina
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Fort Atkinson
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Spillville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Ossian
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Decorah
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Ridgeway
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Castalia
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Castalia is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Castalia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 156 people
- Jackson Junction
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Jackson Junction is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackson Junction
- Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
- Navan
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Navan is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Navan
- Frankville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Frankville is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankville
- Bluffton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Bluffton is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluffton
- Burr Oak
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Kendallville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Kendallville is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kendallville
- Allamakee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Calmar, with the one closest to Calmar listed first.
- Postville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Waukon
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Quandahl
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Quandahl is located in Allamakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quandahl
- Rossville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Rossville is located in Allamakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rossville
- Lycurgus
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Lycurgus is located in Allamakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lycurgus
- Volney
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Volney is located in Allamakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Volney
- Dorchester
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Elon
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Elon is located in Allamakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elon
- Waterville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Waterville is located in Allamakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 142 people
- Dalby
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Dalby is located in Allamakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dalby
- Ion
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Ion is located in Allamakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ion
- Bremer County
- The following are listed by their distance from Calmar, with the one closest to Calmar listed first.
- Sumner
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Frederika
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Frederika is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frederika
- Population from the 2020 Census: 205 people
- Chickasaw County
- The following are listed by their distance from Calmar, with the one closest to Calmar listed first.
- Lawler
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Jerico
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Jerico is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jerico
- Fredericksburg
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- New Hampton
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Alta Vista
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- North Washington
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- North Washington is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Washington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 137 people
- Clayton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Calmar, with the one closest to Calmar listed first.
- Hardin
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Hardin is located in Clayton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hardin
- Luana
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Gunder
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Gunder is located in Clayton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gunder
- Monona
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Watson
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Watson is located in Clayton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watson
- Farmersburg
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Farmersburg is located in Clayton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farmersburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 264 people
- Saint Olaf
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Beulah
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Beulah is located in Clayton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beulah
- Volga
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Volga is located in Clayton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Volga
- Population from the 2020 Census: 193 people
- Fayette County
- The following are listed by their distance from Calmar, with the one closest to Calmar listed first.
- Saint Lucas
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Saint Lucas is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Lucas
- Population from the 2020 Census: 134 people
- Douglass
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Douglass is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Douglass
- Waucoma
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- West Union
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Alpha
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Alpha is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alpha
- Clermont
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Hawkeye
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Hawkeye is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawkeye
- Population from the 2020 Census: 399 people
- Donnan
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Donnan is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Donnan
- Brainard
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Brainard is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brainard
- Elgin
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Randalia
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Randalia is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Randalia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 60 people
- Illyria
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Illyria is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Illyria
- Fayette
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Howard County
- The following are listed by their distance from Calmar, with the one closest to Calmar listed first.
- Protivin
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Vernon Springs
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Vernon Springs is located in Howard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vernon Springs
- Cresco
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Davis Corners
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Davis Corners is located in Howard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davis Corners
- Florenceville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Florenceville is located in Howard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florenceville
- Lime Springs
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Forest City ‑ Historic
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Forest City is located in Howard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
- Elma
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Fillmore County (MN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Calmar, with the one closest to Calmar listed first.
- Canton
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Mabel
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Harmony
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Newburg
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Newburg is located in Fillmore County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newburg
- Granger
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Granger is located in Fillmore County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granger
- Houston County (MN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Calmar, with the one closest to Calmar listed first.
- Bee
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Bee is located in Houston County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bee
- Riceford
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Riceford is located in Houston County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riceford
- Spring Grove
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Wilmington
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Wilmington is located in Houston County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmington
- Eitzen
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Eitzen is located in Houston County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eitzen
- Population from the 2020 Census: 248 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Calmar, see our County-by-County Page for Calmar.
Cemeteries Near Calmar ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Calmar.
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 Calmar - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Calmar covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Calmar, with the one closest to Calmar listed first.
- Calmar Community Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- St. Aloysius Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- St. Johns Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Kruse Farm Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Springfield Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- St. Peters Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Oak Hill Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- St. Marys Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Smallest Church Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- St. Wenceslaus of Spillville Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- St. Clement Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Young Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (317 more) ...
- St. Anthonys Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Ossian Community Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Union Prairie 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>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Calmar had a population of 813 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Calmar had a population of 934 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Calmar, with the one closest to Calmar listed first.
- Conover
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Conover is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conover
- Fort Atkinson
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Festina
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Spillville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Ossian
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Nordness
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Nordness is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nordness
- Saint Lucas
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Saint Lucas is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Lucas
- Population from the 2020 Census: 134 people
- Eldorado
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Eldorado is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eldorado
- Decorah
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Jackson Junction
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Jackson Junction is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackson Junction
- Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
- Castalia
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Castalia is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Castalia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 156 people
- Freeport
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Freeport is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeport
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Ridgeway
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Navan
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Navan is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Navan
- Douglass
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Douglass is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Douglass
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Calmar. See our List of 1890's Communities around Calmar.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Calmar ...
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 119 newspapers that have been published in the area around Calmar.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Calmar. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Calmar and those printed in the larger area surrounding Calmar.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Calmar.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with 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 Calmar:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Winneshiek County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Allamakee County
- Bremer County
- Chickasaw County
- Clayton County
- Fayette County
- Howard County
- Fillmore County
- Houston 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 Calmar, 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Calmar) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |