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 Lourdes (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 Lourdes. 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.
Lourdes is located in Howard 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 Howard County: Chickasaw, Floyd, Mitchell, Winneshiek, Fillmore (MN) & Mower (MN).
Below are the counties that are near Lourdes. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Lourdes:
- Howard County (The home county of Lourdes)
- The following are listed by their distance from Lourdes, with the one closest to Lourdes listed first.
- Davis Corners
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Davis Corners is located in Howard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davis Corners
- Elma
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Protivin
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Vernon Springs
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Vernon Springs is located in Howard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vernon Springs
- Cresco
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Lime Springs
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Riceville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Forest City ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Forest City is located in Howard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
- Chester
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Florenceville
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Florenceville is located in Howard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florenceville
- Bremer County
- The following are listed by their distance from Lourdes, with the one closest to Lourdes listed first.
- Frederika
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Frederika is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frederika
- Population from the 2020 Census: 205 people
- Horton
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Horton is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horton
- Seigel
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Seigel is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seigel
- Sumner
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Chickasaw County
- The following are listed by their distance from Lourdes, with the one closest to Lourdes listed first.
- Jerico
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Jerico is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jerico
- Alta Vista
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- North Washington
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- North Washington is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Washington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 137 people
- Deerfield
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Deerfield is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deerfield
- New Hampton
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Lawler
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Bassett
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Bassett is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassett
- Population from the 2020 Census: 62 people
- Ionia
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Chickasaw
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Chickasaw is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chickasaw
- Fredericksburg
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Republic
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Republic is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Republic
- Bradford
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Bradford is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradford
- Fayette County
- The following are listed by their distance from Lourdes, with the one closest to Lourdes listed first.
- Waucoma
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Alpha
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Alpha is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alpha
- Saint Lucas
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Saint Lucas is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Lucas
- Population from the 2020 Census: 134 people
- Douglass
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Douglass is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Douglass
- Hawkeye
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Hawkeye is located in Fayette County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawkeye
- Population from the 2020 Census: 399 people
- Floyd County
- The following are listed by their distance from Lourdes, with the one closest to Lourdes listed first.
- Colwell
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Carrville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Carrville is located in Floyd County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carrville
- Charles City
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Floyd
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Oakwood
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Oakwood is located in Floyd County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood
- Mitchell County
- The following are listed by their distance from Lourdes, with the one closest to Lourdes listed first.
- New Haven
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- New Haven is located in Mitchell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Haven
- McIntire
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- McIntire is located in Mitchell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McIntire
- Population from the 2020 Census: 127 people
- Little Cedar
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Little Cedar is located in Mitchell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Cedar
- Meyer
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Meyer is located in Mitchell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meyer
- Orchard
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Orchard is located in Mitchell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orchard
- Population from the 2020 Census: 71 people
- Osage
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Stacyville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Stacyville is located in Mitchell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stacyville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 466 people
- Mitchell
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Mitchell is located in Mitchell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mitchell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 128 people
- Winneshiek County
- The following are listed by their distance from Lourdes, with the one closest to Lourdes listed first.
- Ridgeway
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Jackson Junction
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Jackson Junction is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackson Junction
- Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
- Navan
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Navan is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Navan
- Spillville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Kendallville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Kendallville is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kendallville
- Fort Atkinson
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Bluffton
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Bluffton is located in Winneshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluffton
- Calmar
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Festina
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Decorah
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Burr Oak
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Ossian
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Fillmore County (MN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Lourdes, with the one closest to Lourdes listed first.
- York
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- York is located in Fillmore County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for York
- Granger
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Granger is located in Fillmore County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granger
- Etna
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Etna is located in Fillmore County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Etna
- Harmony
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Ostrander
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Canton
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Carimona
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Carimona is located in Fillmore County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carimona
- Spring Valley
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Preston
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Wykoff
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Mower County (MN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Lourdes, with the one closest to Lourdes listed first.
- Le Roy
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Taopi
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Taopi is located in Mower County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taopi
- Population from the 2020 Census: 65 people
- Johnsburg
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Johnsburg is located in Mower County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnsburg
- Adams
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Lourdes, see our County-by-County Page for Lourdes.
Cemeteries Near Lourdes ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Lourdes.
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 Lourdes - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Lourdes covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Lourdes, with the one closest to Lourdes listed first.
- Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Holy Cross Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Jerico Lutheran Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- St. Patricks Catholic Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Maple Leaf Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Sargeant Farm Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Calvary Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Union Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Yankee Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Saude Lutheran Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Calvary Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Howard Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Continue List (254 more) ...
- Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Howard Center Twp. Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Saratoga Twp. Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 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.<2>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Lourdes had a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Lourdes, with the one closest to Lourdes listed first.
- Jerico
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Jerico is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jerico
- Alta Vista
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Davis Corners
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Davis Corners is located in Howard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davis Corners
- Elma
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Saude
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Saude is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saude
- Saratoga
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Saratoga is located in Howard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saratoga
- Devon
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Devon is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Devon
- Protivin
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- North Washington
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- North Washington is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Washington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 137 people
- Cresco
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Deerfield
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Deerfield is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deerfield
- Bonair
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Bonair is located in Howard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonair
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Lime Springs
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Little Turkey
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Little Turkey is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Turkey
- New Hampton
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Lourdes. See our List of 1890's Communities around Lourdes.
Newspapers Published in Lourdes ...
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 99 newspapers that have been published in the area around Lourdes.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Lourdes, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Lourdes.
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 Lourdes:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Howard County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Bremer County
- Chickasaw County
- Fayette County
- Floyd County
- Mitchell County
- Winneshiek County
- Fillmore County
- Mower 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> | 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 Lourdes, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <3> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Lourdes) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |