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 Garwin (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 Garwin. 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.
Garwin is located in Tama 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 Tama County: Benton, Black Hawk, Grundy, Iowa, Jasper, Marshall & Poweshiek.
Below are the counties that are near Garwin. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Garwin:
- Tama County (The home county of Garwin)
- The following are listed by their distance from Garwin, with the one closest to Garwin listed first.
- Gladbrook
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Montour
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Toledo
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Tama
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Lincoln
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Lincoln is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln
- Population from the 2020 Census: 148 people
- Traer
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Gladstone
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Gladstone is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gladstone
- Buckingham
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Buckingham is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckingham
- Dinsdale
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Dinsdale is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dinsdale
- Clutier
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Long Point
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Long Point is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Point
- Vining
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Vining is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vining
- Population from the 2020 Census: 49 people
- Benton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Garwin, with the one closest to Garwin listed first.
- Irving
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Irving is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irving
- Belle Plaine
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Keystone
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Garrison
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Garrison is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrison
- Population from the 2020 Census: 355 people
- Luzerne
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Luzerne is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luzerne
- Population from the 2020 Census: 92 people
- Van Horne
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Van Horne is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Horne
- Population from the 2020 Census: 646 people
- Black Hawk County
- The following are listed by their distance from Garwin, with the one closest to Garwin listed first.
- Blessing
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Blessing is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blessing
- Voorhies
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Voorhies is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Voorhies
- Eagle Center
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Eagle Center is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Center
- Hudson
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- La Porte City
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Butler County
- Sinclair
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Sinclair is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinclair
- Grundy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Garwin, with the one closest to Garwin listed first.
- Beaman
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Beaman is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaman
- Population from the 2020 Census: 183 people
- Conrad
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Reinbeck
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Morrison
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Grundy Center
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Holland
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Dike
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Wellsburg
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Fern
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Fern is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern
- Fredsville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Fredsville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredsville
- Stout
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Stout is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stout
- Population from the 2020 Census: 214 people
- Buck Grove
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Buck Grove is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buck Grove
- Hardin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Garwin, with the one closest to Garwin listed first.
- Whitten
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Whitten is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitten
- Population from the 2020 Census: 140 people
- Union
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Union is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
- Population from the 2020 Census: 373 people
- Gifford
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Eldora
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- New Providence
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- New Providence is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Providence
- Population from the 2020 Census: 220 people
- Steamboat Rock
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Iowa County
- Dayton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Dayton is located in Iowa County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dayton
- Jasper County
- The following are listed by their distance from Garwin, with the one closest to Garwin listed first.
- Newburg
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Newburg is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newburg
- Oakland Acres
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Oakland Acres is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakland Acres
- Population from the 2020 Census: 161 people
- Kellogg
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Baxter
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Marshall County
- The following are listed by their distance from Garwin, with the one closest to Garwin listed first.
- Le Grand
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Green Mountain
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Green Mountain is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Mountain
- Dillon
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Dillon is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dillon
- Dunbar
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Dunbar is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunbar
- Marshalltown
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Ferguson
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Ferguson is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ferguson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 122 people
- Gilman
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Gilman is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilman
- Population from the 2020 Census: 484 people
- Albion
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Marietta
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Marietta is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marietta
- Haverhill
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Luray
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Luray is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luray
- LaMoille
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- LaMoille is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for LaMoille
- Poweshiek County
- The following are listed by their distance from Garwin, with the one closest to Garwin listed first.
- Sheridan
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Sheridan is located in Poweshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheridan
- Grinnell
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Malcom
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Brooklyn
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Hartwick
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Hartwick is located in Poweshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartwick
- Population from the 2020 Census: 81 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Garwin, see our County-by-County Page for Garwin.
Cemeteries Near Garwin ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Garwin.
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 Garwin - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Garwin covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Garwin, with the one closest to Garwin listed first.
- Garwin Union Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Conant Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Rock Creek Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Rock Valley Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Union Grove Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Dodson Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Turner Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Crystal Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Murty Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Rose Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Chapel Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Rouse Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Continue List (253 more) ...
- Pleasant Hill Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Gethman Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Iowa River Brethren Church Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
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 Garwin had a population of 107 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Garwin had a population of 490 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Garwin, with the one closest to Garwin listed first.
- Gladbrook
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Le Grand
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Green Mountain
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Green Mountain is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Mountain
- Rockton
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Rockton is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockton
- Quarry
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Quarry is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quarry
- Montour
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Toledo
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Potter
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Potter is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Potter
- Dillon
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Dillon is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dillon
- Tama
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Dunbar
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Dunbar is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunbar
- Beaman
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Beaman is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaman
- Population from the 2020 Census: 183 people
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Marshalltown
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Pickering
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Pickering is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pickering
- Gladstone
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Gladstone is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gladstone
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Garwin. See our List of 1890's Communities around Garwin.
Newspapers Published in Garwin ...
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 143 newspapers that have been published in the area around Garwin.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Garwin, 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 Garwin.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Garwin:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Tama County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Benton County
- Black Hawk County
- Butler County
- Grundy County
- Hardin County
- Iowa County
- Jasper County
- Marshall County
- Poweshiek 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 Garwin, 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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Garwin) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |