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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 Corley (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 Corley. 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 hospitals and 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.

Corley is located in Shelby 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 Shelby County: Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Crawford, Harrison & Pottawattamie.

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

  • Shelby County     (The home county of Corley)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Corley, with the one closest to Corley listed first.
    • Harlan
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Tennant
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Shelby
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Kirkman
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Kirkman is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kirkman
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 61 people
    • Westphalia
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Westphalia is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westphalia
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 117 people
    • Portsmouth
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Panama
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Elk Horn
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Earling
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Earling is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earling
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 403 people
    • Irwin
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Defiance
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Defiance is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Defiance
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
    • Botna
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Audubon County
  • Carroll County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Corley, with the one closest to Corley listed first.
    • Manning
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Templeton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Cass County
  • Crawford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Corley, with the one closest to Corley listed first.
    • Astor
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Astor is located in Crawford County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Astor
    • Manilla
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Buck Grove
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Buck Grove is located in Crawford County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buck Grove
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 43 people
    • Dow City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Aspinwall
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Arion
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Arion is located in Crawford County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arion
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 107 people
    • Bell
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Bell is located in Crawford County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bell
    • Sunset Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Sunset Village is located in Crawford County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunset Village
    • Denison
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Harrison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Corley, with the one closest to Corley listed first.
    • Persia
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Persia is located in Harrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Persia
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 281 people
    • Yorkshire
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Woodbine
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Dunlap
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Logan
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Missouri Valley
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Magnolia
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Magnolia is located in Harrison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnolia
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 170 people
  • Mills County
    • Henderson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Montgomery County
    • Elliott
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Pottawattamie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Corley, with the one closest to Corley listed first.
    • Harlan Junction ‑ Historic
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Harlan Junction is located in Pottawattamie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harlan Junction
    • Avoca
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Avoca is located in Pottawattamie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avoca
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,537 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Avoca <1>
    • Walnut
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Walnut is located in Pottawattamie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 768 people
    • Hancock
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Hancock is located in Pottawattamie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hancock
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 196 people
    • Minden
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Minden is located in Pottawattamie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minden
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 597 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Minden <1>
    • Neola
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Oakland
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Underwood
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Carson
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Pigeon
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • McClelland
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Weston
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Corley ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Corley.

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

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

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

  • Fairview Twp. Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Lee Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Jacobson Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Altamont Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Olson Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Graceland Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Folck Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Harlan Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Lincoln Twp. Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Shelby Twp. Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Rabbit Hallow Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Newton Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (162 more) ...
    • Walnut Catholic Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Monroe Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Bowmans Grove
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)

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, Corley had a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Harlan Junction ‑ Historic
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Harlan Junction is located in Pottawattamie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harlan Junction
  • Harlan
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Avoca
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Avoca is located in Pottawattamie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avoca
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,537 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Avoca <1>
  • Shelby
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Walnut
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Walnut is located in Pottawattamie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 768 people
  • Westphalia
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Westphalia is located in Shelby County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westphalia
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 117 people
  • Kirkman
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Kirkman is located in Shelby County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kirkman
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 61 people
  • Portsmouth
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Hancock
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Hancock is located in Pottawattamie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hancock
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 196 people
  • Panama
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Persia
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Persia is located in Harrison County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Persia
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 281 people
  • Yorkshire
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Corley ...

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 96 newspapers that have been published in the area around Corley.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Corley, 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 Corley.

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 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 Corley:

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 Corley, 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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Corley) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.