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 Magill (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 Magill. 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 doctors 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.
Magill is located in Harrison 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 Harrison County: Crawford, Monona, Pottawattamie, Shelby, Burt (NE) & Washington (NE).
Below are the counties that are near Magill. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Magill:
- Harrison County (The home county of Magill)
- The following are listed by their distance from Magill, with the one closest to Magill listed first.
- Yorkshire
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Yorkshire is located in Harrison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorkshire
- Persia
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Persia is located in Harrison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Persia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 281 people
- Logan
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Woodbine
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Missouri Valley
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Magnolia
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Magnolia is located in Harrison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magnolia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 170 people
- Dunlap
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- California Junction
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- California Junction is located in Harrison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for California Junction
- Modale
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Mondamin
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Orson
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Orson is located in Harrison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orson
- Pisgah
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Audubon County
- The following are listed by their distance from Magill, with the one closest to Magill listed first.
- Kimballton
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Fiscus
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Fiscus is located in Audubon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fiscus
- Brayton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Cass County
- The following are listed by their distance from Magill, with the one closest to Magill listed first.
- Marne
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Atlantic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Lewis
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Sycamore Village
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Sycamore Village is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sycamore Village
- Griswold
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Grove City ‑ Historic
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Grove City is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove City
- Crawford County
- The following are listed by their distance from Magill, with the one closest to Magill listed first.
- Astor
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Astor is located in Crawford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Astor
- Buck Grove
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Buck Grove is located in Crawford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buck Grove
- Population from the 2020 Census: 43 people
- Dow City
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Arion
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Arion is located in Crawford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arion
- Population from the 2020 Census: 107 people
- Manilla
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Bell
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Bell is located in Crawford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bell
- Mills County
- The following are listed by their distance from Magill, with the one closest to Magill listed first.
- Henderson
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Mineola
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Silver City
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Silver City is located in Mills County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 246 people
- Pottawattamie County
- The following are listed by their distance from Magill, with the one closest to Magill listed first.
- Minden
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Harlan Junction ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Harlan Junction is located in Pottawattamie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harlan Junction
- Neola
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Avoca
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- 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>
- Hancock
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Hancock is located in Pottawattamie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hancock
- Population from the 2020 Census: 196 people
- Underwood
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Walnut
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Walnut is located in Pottawattamie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut
- Population from the 2020 Census: 768 people
- Oakland
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Pigeon
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Pigeon is located in Pottawattamie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pigeon
- McClelland
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Weston
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Weston is located in Pottawattamie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weston
- Honey Creek
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Honey Creek is located in Pottawattamie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Honey Creek
- Loveland
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Loveland is located in Pottawattamie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loveland
- Shelby County
- The following are listed by their distance from Magill, with the one closest to Magill listed first.
- Shelby
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Tennant
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Tennant is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tennant
- Population from the 2020 Census: 63 people
- Portsmouth
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Corley
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Corley is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corley
- Harlan
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Panama
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Westphalia
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Westphalia is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westphalia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 117 people
- Earling
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Earling is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earling
- Population from the 2020 Census: 403 people
- Kirkman
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Kirkman is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kirkman
- Population from the 2020 Census: 61 people
- Defiance
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Defiance is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Defiance
- Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
- Elk Horn
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Irwin
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Botna
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Botna is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Botna
- Douglas County (NE)
- The following are listed by their distance from Magill, with the one closest to Magill listed first.
- Home Park
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Home Park is located in Douglas County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Home Park
- Briggs
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Briggs is located in Douglas County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briggs
- Washington County (NE)
- The following are listed by their distance from Magill, with the one closest to Magill listed first.
- Fort Calhoun
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- De Soto ‑ Historic
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- De Soto is located in Washington County (NE)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Soto
- De Soto has also been known as:
- DeSoto
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Magill, see our County-by-County Page for Magill.
Cemeteries Near Magill ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Magill.
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 Magill - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Magill covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Magill, with the one closest to Magill listed first.
- Shelby Twp. Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Minden Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Schley Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Lytle Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Champlin Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Graybill Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Spears Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Olson Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Chambers Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Neola Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- St. Patricks Catholic Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- St. Patricks Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Patricks Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Patricks Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the north of Neola.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1960110 <2>
- Continue List (178 more) ...
- Silver Valley Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Cass Twp. Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Valley View 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>
While we didn't find Magill in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Magill.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Magill, with the one closest to Magill listed first.
- Shelby
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Yorkshire
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Yorkshire is located in Harrison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorkshire
- Minden
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Persia
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Persia is located in Harrison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Persia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 281 people
- Neola
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Harlan Junction ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Harlan Junction is located in Pottawattamie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harlan Junction
- Union Burg ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Union Burg is located in Harrison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union Burg
- Avoca
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- 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>
- Corley
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Corley is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corley
- Portsmouth
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- York Center
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- York Center is located in Pottawattamie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for York Center
- Hancock
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Hancock is located in Pottawattamie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hancock
- Population from the 2020 Census: 196 people
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Underwood
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Beebeetown
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Beebeetown is located in Harrison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beebeetown
- Harlan
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Magill. See our List of 1890's Communities around Magill.
Newspapers Published in Magill ...
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 41 newspapers that have been published in the area around Magill.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Magill, 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 Magill.
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 Magill:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Harrison County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Audubon County
- Cass County
- Crawford County
- Mills County
- Pottawattamie County
- Shelby County
- Douglas County
- Washington 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 Magill, 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- Magill) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |