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 Medora (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 Medora. 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 northwest 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 north.
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 north 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.
Medora is located in Warren 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 Warren County: Clarke, Dallas, Lucas, Madison, Marion & Polk.
Below are the counties that are near Medora. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Medora:
- Warren County (The home county of Medora)
- The following are listed by their distance from Medora, with the one closest to Medora listed first.
- Cool
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Cool is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cool
- Liberty Center
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Liberty Center is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Center
- New Virginia
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Milo
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Saint Marys
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Marys is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Marys
- Population from the 2020 Census: 127 people
- Lacona
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Indianola
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Clarkson ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Clarkson is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarkson
- Ackworth
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Ackworth is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ackworth
- Population from the 2020 Census: 105 people
- Martensdale
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Spring Hill
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Spring Hill is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Hill
- Population from the 2020 Census: 65 people
- Bevington
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Clarke County
- The following are listed by their distance from Medora, with the one closest to Medora listed first.
- Liberty
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Liberty is located in Clarke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty
- Woodburn
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Osceola
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Green Bay ‑ Historic
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Green Bay is located in Clarke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Bay
- Murray
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Murray is located in Clarke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murray
- Population from the 2020 Census: 681 people
- Weldon
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Weldon is located in Clarke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weldon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
- Lacelle
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Lacelle is located in Clarke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacelle
- Hopeville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Hopeville is located in Clarke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopeville
- Dallas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Medora, with the one closest to Medora listed first.
- Booneville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Van Meter
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Decatur County
- The following are listed by their distance from Medora, with the one closest to Medora listed first.
- Le Roy
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Le Roy is located in Decatur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Le Roy
- Population from the 2020 Census: 14 people
- Garden Grove
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Garden Grove is located in Decatur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden Grove
- Population from the 2020 Census: 200 people
- Van Wert
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Van Wert is located in Decatur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Wert
- Population from the 2020 Census: 208 people
- Jasper County
- Vandalia
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Vandalia is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vandalia
- Lucas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Medora, with the one closest to Medora listed first.
- Lucas
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Lucas is located in Lucas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lucas
- Population from the 2020 Census: 207 people
- Williamson
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Chariton
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Derby
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Derby is located in Lucas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Derby
- Population from the 2020 Census: 111 people
- Olmitz
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Olmitz is located in Lucas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olmitz
- Russell
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Zero
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Zero is located in Lucas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zero
- Madison County
- The following are listed by their distance from Medora, with the one closest to Medora listed first.
- Saint Charles
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Truro
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- East Peru
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- East Peru is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Peru
- Population from the 2020 Census: 133 people
- Patterson
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Patterson is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patterson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 163 people
- Barney
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Barney is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barney
- Winterset
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Ord
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Ord is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ord
- Macksburg
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Macksburg is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macksburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 122 people
- Marion County
- The following are listed by their distance from Medora, with the one closest to Medora listed first.
- Bauer
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Bauer is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bauer
- Newbern
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Newbern is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newbern
- Melcher - Dallas
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Melcher - Dallas is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melcher - Dallas
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,236 people
- Pleasantville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Columbia
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Columbia is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Columbia
- Swan
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Swan is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swan
- Population from the 2020 Census: 74 people
- Knoxville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Percy ‑ Historic
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Percy is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Percy
- Attica
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Attica is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Attica
- Indiana
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Indiana is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indiana
- Cordova
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Cordova is located in Marion County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cordova
- Polk County
- The following are listed by their distance from Medora, with the one closest to Medora listed first.
- Norwalk
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Carlisle
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Adelphi
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Adelphi is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adelphi
- Commerce
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Commerce is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Commerce
- Levey
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Levey is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Levey
- Runnells
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Pleasant Hill
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- West Des Moines
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Des Moines
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Rising Sun
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Rising Sun is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rising Sun
- Windsor Heights
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Country Estate Village
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Union County
- The following are listed by their distance from Medora, with the one closest to Medora listed first.
- Lorimor
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Lorimor is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lorimor
- Population from the 2020 Census: 341 people
- Thayer
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Thayer is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thayer
- Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
- Wayne County
- The following are listed by their distance from Medora, with the one closest to Medora listed first.
- Humeston
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Millerton
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Millerton is located in Wayne County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millerton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 42 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Medora, see our County-by-County Page for Medora.
Cemeteries Near Medora ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Medora.
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 Medora - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Medora covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Medora, with the one closest to Medora listed first.
- Indian Valley Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Smith Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Rhoades Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Rhodes Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Bethel Chapel Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Mt. Tabor Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Liberty Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Harrison Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Christian Neck Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Liberty Center Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Shaver Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shaver Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Shaver Cemetery is located 8 miles [12.9 km]<3> to the south of Indianola.
- The Shaver Cemetery has also been known as:
- Schaver Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #196269 <2>
- Walker Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (301 more) ...
- Hewitt Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Twyford Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Fletcher Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
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.<4>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Medora had a population of 61 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Medora, with the one closest to Medora listed first.
- Cool
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Cool is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cool
- Liberty
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Liberty is located in Clarke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty
- Jay
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Jay is located in Clarke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jay
- Liberty Center
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Liberty Center is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Center
- New Virginia
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Jamison
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Jamison is located in Clarke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamison
- Norwood
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Norwood is located in Lucas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norwood
- Milo
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Saint Marys
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Marys is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Marys
- Population from the 2020 Census: 127 people
- Lacona
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Woodburn
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Clarkson ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Clarkson is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarkson
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Wick
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Wick is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wick
- Indianola
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Saint Charles
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Medora. See our List of 1890's Communities around Medora.
Newspapers Published in Medora ...
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 170 newspapers that have been published in the area around Medora.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Medora, 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 Medora.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These 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 Medora:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Warren County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Clarke County
- Dallas County
- Decatur County
- Jasper County
- Lucas County
- Madison County
- Marion County
- Polk County
- Union County
- Wayne 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> | 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Medora) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <4> | 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 Medora, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |