Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
So far, we found very little information about Crain Creek. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>
We've added Crain Creek to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Crain Creek, please Contact Us.
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 Crain Creek (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 Crain Creek. 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 Crain Creek ...
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.
For example, a typical abbreviation for Crain Creek: Crain Crk. (or less commonly used: Crain Ck. or Crain Cr.)
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 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.
Although our information shows that the community of Crain Creek is historic, it would have been located within present day 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 Crain Creek. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Crain Creek:
- Black Hawk County (The home county of Crain Creek)
- The following are listed by their distance from Crain Creek, with the one closest to Crain Creek listed first.
- Edwards ‑ Historic
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Edwards is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
- Dewar
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Dewar is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewar
- Evansdale
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Dunkerton
(5 miles [8 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
- Elk Run Heights
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- 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
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Raymond is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond
- Population from the 2020 Census: 788 people
- Waterloo
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Gilbertville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Gilbertville is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilbertville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 725 people
- Cedar City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Cedar City is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar City
- Cedar Falls
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- North Cedar
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- North Cedar is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Cedar
- Jesup
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Benton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Crain Creek, with the one closest to Crain Creek listed first.
- Mount Auburn
(21 miles [33.8 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
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Spencers Grove is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spencers Grove
- Garrison
(28 miles [45.1 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
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Vinton
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Bremer County
- The following are listed by their distance from Crain Creek, with the one closest to Crain Creek listed first.
- Klinger
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Klinger is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klinger
- Denver
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Readlyn
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Knittel
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Knittel is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knittel
- Bremer
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Bremer is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bremer
- Waverly
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- 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
- Sumner
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Frederika
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Frederika is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frederika
- Population from the 2020 Census: 205 people
- Horton
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Horton is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horton
- Plainfield
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Buchanan County
- The following are listed by their distance from Crain Creek, with the one closest to Crain Creek listed first.
- Fairbank
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Shady Grove
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Shady Grove is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shady Grove
- Hazleton
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Independence
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Brandon
(20 miles [32.2 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
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Doris is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doris
- Stanley
(23 miles [37 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
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Hamerville is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamerville
- Rowley
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Aurora
(27 miles [43.5 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
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Winthrop
(27 miles [43.5 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 Crain Creek, with the one closest to Crain Creek listed first.
- New Hartford
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Shell Rock
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Coster
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Coster is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coster
- Sinclair
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Sinclair is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinclair
- Clarksville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Parkersburg
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Butler Center
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Butler Center is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butler Center
- Allison
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Chickasaw County
- The following are listed by their distance from Crain Creek, with the one closest to Crain Creek 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
- Fayette County
- The following are listed by their distance from Crain Creek, with the one closest to Crain Creek listed first.
- Oran
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Oran is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oran
- Oelwein
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Westgate
(20 miles [32.2 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
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Randalia
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Randalia is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Randalia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 60 people
- Donnan
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Donnan is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Donnan
- Fayette
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Grundy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Crain Creek, with the one closest to Crain Creek listed first.
- Fredsville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Fredsville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredsville
- Dike
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Reinbeck
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Stout
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Stout is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stout
- Population from the 2020 Census: 214 people
- Morrison
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Fern
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Fern is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern
- Grundy Center
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Holland
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Buck Grove
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Buck Grove is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buck Grove
- Linn County
- Walker
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Walker is located in Linn County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
- Population from the 2020 Census: 782 people
- Tama County
- The following are listed by their distance from Crain Creek, with the one closest to Crain Creek listed first.
- Dinsdale
(24 miles [38.6 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 southwest)
- 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 southwest)
- Lincoln
(29 miles [46.7 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 Crain Creek, see our County-by-County Page for Crain Creek.
Cemeteries Near Crain Creek ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Crain Creek.
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 Crain Creek - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Crain Creek covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Crain Creek, with the one closest to Crain Creek listed first.
- Mt. Zion Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Bennington Twp. Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- St. Johns Lutheran Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- St. Francis Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- 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)
- Garden of Memories
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Fairview Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Fairview - Lester Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Gresham Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Continue List (242 more) ...
- Calvary Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Elmwood Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 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 <3>
- St. Josephs Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
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.
While we didn't find Crain Creek in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Crain Creek.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Crain Creek, with the one closest to Crain Creek listed first.
- Edwards ‑ Historic
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Edwards is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
- Dewar
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Dewar is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewar
- Waterloo
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Raymond
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Raymond is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond
- Population from the 2020 Census: 788 people
- Dunkerton
(5 miles [8 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
- Canfield
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Canfield is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canfield
- Klinger
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Klinger is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klinger
- Washburn
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Gilbertville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Gilbertville is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilbertville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 725 people
- Denver
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Cedar Falls
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Jesup
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Wapsie
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Wapsie is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wapsie
- Knittel
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Knittel is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knittel
- Littleton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Littleton is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Littleton
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Crain Creek. See our List of 1890's Communities around Crain Creek.
Newspapers Published in Crain Creek ...
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 166 newspapers that have been published in the area around Crain Creek.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Crain Creek, 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 Crain Creek.
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 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 Crain Creek:
- 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
- Linn County
- Tama County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Iowa
Footnotes ...
| <1> | 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 Crain Creek, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <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> | 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- Crain Creek) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |