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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 Hanley (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 Hanley. 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 southeast 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 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 east 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.

Hanley is located in Madison 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 Madison County: Adair, Clarke, Dallas, Guthrie, Polk, Union & Warren.

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

  • Madison County     (The home county of Hanley)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hanley, with the one closest to Hanley listed first.
    • Saint Charles
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Patterson
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Patterson is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patterson
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 163 people
    • Truro
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • East Peru
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • East Peru is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Peru
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 133 people
    • Winterset
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Barney
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Barney is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barney
    • Ord
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Ord is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ord
    • Macksburg
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Macksburg is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macksburg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 122 people
    • Pitzer
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Pitzer is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pitzer
    • Earlham
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Webster
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Webster is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Webster
  • Adair County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hanley, with the one closest to Hanley listed first.
    • Stanzel
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Stanzel is located in Adair County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanzel
    • Hebron
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Hebron is located in Adair County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hebron
    • Zion
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Zion is located in Adair County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zion
    • Arbor Hill
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Arbor Hill is located in Adair County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arbor Hill
    • Orient
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Clarke County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hanley, with the one closest to Hanley listed first.
    • Liberty
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Liberty is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty
    • Osceola
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Murray
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Murray is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murray
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 681 people
    • Woodburn
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Lacelle
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Lacelle is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacelle
    • Green Bay ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Green Bay is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Bay
    • Hopeville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Hopeville is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopeville
    • Weldon
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Weldon is located in Clarke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weldon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
  • Dallas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hanley, with the one closest to Hanley listed first.
    • Booneville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Van Meter
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • DeSoto
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Waukee
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Adel
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Adel is located in Dallas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adel
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,607 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Adel <1>
    • Dexter
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Wiscotta
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Wiscotta is located in Dallas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wiscotta
    • Dallas Center
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Redfield
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Decatur County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hanley, with the one closest to Hanley listed first.
    • Van Wert
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Van Wert is located in Decatur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Wert
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 208 people
    • Le Roy
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Le Roy is located in Decatur County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Le Roy
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14 people
  • Guthrie County
    • Stuart
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Lucas County
    • Lucas
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Lucas is located in Lucas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lucas
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 207 people
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hanley, with the one closest to Hanley listed first.
    • Bauer
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Bauer is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bauer
    • Newbern
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Newbern is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newbern
    • Swan
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Swan is located in Marion County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 74 people
    • Pleasantville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Polk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hanley, with the one closest to Hanley listed first.
    • Norwalk
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Commerce
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Commerce is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Commerce
    • West Des Moines
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Clive
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Windsor Heights
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Carlisle
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Urbandale
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Des Moines
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Levey
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Levey is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Levey
    • Adelphi
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Adelphi is located in Polk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adelphi
    • Pleasant Hill
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Grimes
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Country Estate Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Union County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hanley, with the one closest to Hanley listed first.
    • Lorimor
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Lorimor is located in Union County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lorimor
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 341 people
    • Thayer
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Thayer is located in Union County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thayer
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
    • Afton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Arispe
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Arispe is located in Union County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arispe
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 96 people
  • Warren County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Hanley, with the one closest to Hanley listed first.
    • Saint Marys
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Saint Marys is located in Warren County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Marys
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 127 people
    • Bevington
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Martensdale
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Churchville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Churchville is located in Warren County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Churchville
    • New Virginia
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Prole
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Prole is located in Warren County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prole
    • Spring Hill
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Spring Hill is located in Warren County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Hill
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 65 people
    • Cool
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Cool is located in Warren County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cool
    • Cumming
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Indianola
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Orillia
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Orillia is located in Warren County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orillia
    • Lakewood
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Lakewood is located in Warren County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood
    • Liberty Center
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Liberty Center is located in Warren County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Center

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

Cemeteries Near Hanley ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Hanley.

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

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

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

  • St. Charles Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Viney Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Sayre Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Close Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Dillman Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • Farson Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Blair Chapel Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Brush Ridge Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Union Chapel Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • King Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Worthing Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Young Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (273 more) ...

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, Hanley had a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Saint Charles
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Patterson
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Patterson is located in Madison County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patterson
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 163 people
  • Truro
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Saint Marys
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Saint Marys is located in Warren County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Marys
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 127 people
  • Conger
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Conger is located in Warren County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conger
  • Bevington
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • East Peru
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • East Peru is located in Madison County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Peru
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 133 people
  • Wick
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Wick is located in Warren County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wick
  • Churchville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Churchville is located in Warren County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Churchville
  • New Virginia
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Winterset
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Prole
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Prole is located in Warren County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prole
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • McBride
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • McBride is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McBride
    • Ord
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Ord is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ord
    • Barney
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Barney is located in Madison County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barney

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

Newspapers Published in Hanley ...

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 216 newspapers that have been published in the area around Hanley.

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

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 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 Hanley:

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