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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 Exira (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 Exira. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals 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.

Exira is located in Audubon 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 Audubon County: Adair, Carroll, Cass, Crawford, Guthrie & Shelby.

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

  • Audubon County     (The home county of Exira)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Exira, with the one closest to Exira listed first.
    • Brayton
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Hamlin
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Hamlin is located in Audubon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlin
    • Audubon
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Kimballton
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Ross
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Ross is located in Audubon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ross
    • Fiscus
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Fiscus is located in Audubon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fiscus
    • Gray
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
  • Adair County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Exira, with the one closest to Exira listed first.
    • Bridgewater
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Fontanelle
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Fontanelle is located in Adair County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fontanelle
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 612 people
    • Greenfield
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Carroll County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Exira, with the one closest to Exira listed first.
    • Dedham
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Templeton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Coon Rapids
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Manning
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Willey
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Willey is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willey
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 97 people
    • Halbur
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Halbur is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halbur
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 252 people
    • Roselle
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Roselle is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roselle
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Exira, with the one closest to Exira listed first.
    • Anita
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Wiota
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Grove City ‑ Historic
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Grove City is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove City
    • Sycamore Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Sycamore Village is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sycamore Village
    • Atlantic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Marne
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Norway Center
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Norway Center is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norway Center
    • Cumberland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Cumberland is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cumberland
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 246 people
    • Lewis
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Massena
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Lyman
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Lyman is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyman
    • Dewey
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Dewey is located in Cass County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewey
    • Griswold
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Crawford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Exira, with the one closest to Exira listed first.
    • Aspinwall
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Aspinwall is located in Crawford County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aspinwall
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 40 people
    • Astor
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Astor is located in Crawford County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Astor
    • Manilla
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Guthrie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Exira, with the one closest to Exira listed first.
    • North Branch
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • North Branch is located in Guthrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Branch
    • Adair
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Casey
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Guthrie Center
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Glendon
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Glendon is located in Guthrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glendon
    • Bayard
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Menlo
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Dale
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Dale is located in Guthrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dale
    • Panora
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Stuart
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
    • Bagley
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Bagley is located in Guthrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bagley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 285 people
    • Yale
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Yale is located in Guthrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yale
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 239 people
  • Pottawattamie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Exira, with the one closest to Exira listed first.
    • Walnut
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Walnut is located in Pottawattamie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 768 people
    • Avoca
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • 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>
    • Harlan Junction ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Harlan Junction is located in Pottawattamie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harlan Junction
    • Hancock
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Hancock is located in Pottawattamie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hancock
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 196 people
  • Shelby County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Exira, with the one closest to Exira listed first.
    • Elk Horn
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Irwin
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Botna
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Botna is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Botna
    • Kirkman
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Kirkman is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kirkman
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 61 people
    • Corley
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Corley is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corley
    • Harlan
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Westphalia
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Westphalia is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westphalia
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 117 people
    • Defiance
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Defiance is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Defiance
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
    • Tennant
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Tennant is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tennant
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 63 people
    • Shelby
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • Earling
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Earling is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earling
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 403 people

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

Cemeteries Near Exira ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Exira.

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

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

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Exira, with the one closest to Exira 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 Exira had a population of 575 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Exira had a population of 775 people.

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

  • Brayton
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Hamlin
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Hamlin is located in Audubon County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlin
  • Lorah
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Lorah is located in Cass County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lorah
  • Audubon
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • North Branch
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • North Branch is located in Guthrie County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Branch
  • Elk Horn
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Kimballton
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Anita
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Ross
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Ross is located in Audubon County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ross
  • Wiota
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
  • Adair
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Fiscus
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Fiscus is located in Audubon County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fiscus
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Marne
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Atlantic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Viola Center
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Viola Center is located in Audubon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viola Center

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Exira ...

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 108 newspapers that have been published in the area around Exira.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Exira. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Exira and those printed in the larger area surrounding Exira.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4> of Exira.

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 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 Exira:

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 Exira, 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- Exira) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.