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 Homer (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 Homer. 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.
Homer is located in Hamilton 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 Hamilton County: Boone, Franklin, Hardin, Story, Webster & Wright.
Below are the counties that are near Homer. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Homer:
- Hamilton County (The home county of Homer)
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Stratford
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Webster City
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Stanhope
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Stanhope is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanhope
- Population from the 2020 Census: 394 people
- Kamrar
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Jewell
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Jewell is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jewell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,138 people
- Jewell has also been known as:
- Jewell Junction
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jewell <1>
- Blairsburg
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Blairsburg is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blairsburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 199 people
- Ellsworth
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Randall
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Randall is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Randall
- Population from the 2020 Census: 166 people
- Williams
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Boone County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Pilot Mound
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Pilot Mound is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pilot Mound
- Population from the 2020 Census: 170 people
- Mackey
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Mackey is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mackey
- Boxholm
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Fraser
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Fraser is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fraser
- Population from the 2020 Census: 103 people
- Centerville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Centerville is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
- Boone
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Jordan
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Jordan is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jordan
- Ogden
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Moingona
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Moingona is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moingona
- Beaver
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Beaver is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver
- Population from the 2020 Census: 50 people
- Luther
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Luther is located in Boone County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luther
- Population from the 2020 Census: 133 people
- Calhoun County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Farnhamville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Farnhamville is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farnhamville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 335 people
- Somers
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Somers is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Somers
- Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
- Knierim
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Knierim is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knierim
- Population from the 2020 Census: 57 people
- Rinard
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Rinard is located in Calhoun County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rinard
- Population from the 2020 Census: 48 people
- Franklin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Oakland
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Oakland is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakland
- Popejoy
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Popejoy is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Popejoy
- Population from the 2020 Census: 74 people
- Greene County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Paton
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Dana
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Dana is located in Greene County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dana
- Population from the 2020 Census: 67 people
- Grand Junction
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Hardin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Radcliffe
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Buckeye
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Buckeye is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckeye
- Population from the 2020 Census: 107 people
- Garden City
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Garden City is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
- Sherman
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Sherman is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherman
- Alden
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Humboldt County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Thor
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Dakota City
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Humboldt
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Hardy
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Hardy is located in Humboldt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hardy
- Population from the 2020 Census: 41 people
- Pioneer
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Pioneer is located in Humboldt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pioneer
- Population from the 2020 Census: 22 people
- Story County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Story City
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Zenorsville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Zenorsville is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zenorsville
- Gilbert
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Roland
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Roland is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,252 people
- Ontario
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Ontario is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ontario
- Ames
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- McCallsburg
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- McCallsburg is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCallsburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 320 people
- Webster County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Brushy
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Brushy is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brushy
- Border Plains
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Border Plains is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Border Plains
- Lehigh
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Duncombe
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Evanston
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Evanston is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evanston
- Burnside
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Burnside is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burnside
- Dayton
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Coalville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Coalville is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coalville
- Kalo
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Kalo is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kalo
- Cypsum City ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Cypsum City is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cypsum City
- Otho
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Palm Grove
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Palm Grove is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palm Grove
- Wright County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Woolstock
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Woolstock is located in Wright County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woolstock
- Population from the 2020 Census: 159 people
- Eagle Grove
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Goldfield
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Holmes
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Holmes is located in Wright County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holmes
- Clarion
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Galt
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Dows
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Solberg ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Solberg is located in Wright County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Solberg
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Homer, see our County-by-County Page for Homer.
Cemeteries Near Homer ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Homer.
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 Homer - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Homer covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Homer Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Vegars Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Neese Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Ober & Scott Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Hartman Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- McGuire Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Blanchard Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Hooks Point Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Oakwood Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Saratoga Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Washington Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Oak Grove Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Continue List (188 more) ...
- Border Plains Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Low Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Washington Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
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 Homer had a population of 99 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Brushy
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Brushy is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brushy
- Flugstad ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Flugstad is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flugstad
- Border Plains
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Border Plains is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Border Plains
- Lehigh
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Stratford
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Duncombe
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Stanhope
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Stanhope is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanhope
- Population from the 2020 Census: 394 people
- Webster City
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Evanston
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Evanston is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evanston
- Burnside
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Burnside is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burnside
- Kamrar
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Judd
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Judd is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Judd
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Dayton
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Coalville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Coalville is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coalville
- Kalo
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Kalo is located in Webster County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kalo
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Homer. See our List of 1890's Communities around Homer.
Newspapers Published in Homer ...
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 137 newspapers that have been published in the area around Homer.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Homer, 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 Homer.
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 professional and volunteer 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 Homer:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Hamilton County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Boone County
- Calhoun County
- Franklin County
- Greene County
- Hardin County
- Humboldt County
- Story County
- Webster County
- Wright 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 Homer, 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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Homer) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |