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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 Menlo (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 Menlo. 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 doctors and hospitals 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.

Menlo is located in Guthrie County.

To see how the shape of Iowa's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Guthrie County: Adair, Audubon, Carroll, Cass, Dallas, Greene & Madison.

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

  • Guthrie County     (The home county of Menlo)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
    • Stuart
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stuart have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stuart
      • Stuart is located in Guthrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,756 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stuart <2>
    • Dale
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dale
      • Dale is located in Guthrie County
    • Casey
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Casey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Casey
      • Casey is located in Guthrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 402 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Casey <2>
    • Panora
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Guthrie Center
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Guthrie Center have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guthrie Center
      • Guthrie Center is located in Guthrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,487 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Guthrie Center <2>
    • Adair
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Adair have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adair
      • Adair is located in Guthrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 701 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Adair <2>
    • Yale
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yale
      • Yale is located in Guthrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 239 people
    • North Branch
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Branch
      • North Branch is located in Guthrie County
    • Bagley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bagley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bagley
      • Bagley is located in Guthrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 285 people
    • Herndon
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herndon
      • Herndon is located in Guthrie County
    • Jamaica
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Bayard
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
  • Adair County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
    • Greenfield
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Stanzel
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanzel
      • Stanzel is located in Adair County
    • Fontanelle
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fontanelle
      • Fontanelle is located in Adair County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 612 people
    • Hebron
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hebron have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hebron
      • Hebron is located in Adair County
    • Orient
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Zion
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zion
      • Zion is located in Adair County
    • Bridgewater
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
  • Adams County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
    • Williamson
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williamson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamson
      • Williamson is located in Adams County
    • Carl
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carl have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carl
      • Carl is located in Adams County
  • Audubon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
    • Exira
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Exira have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Exira
      • Exira is located in Audubon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 775 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Exira <2>
    • Brayton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Hamlin
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamlin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlin
      • Hamlin is located in Audubon County
    • Audubon
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Carroll County
    • Coon Rapids
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coon Rapids have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coon Rapids
      • Coon Rapids is located in Carroll County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,221 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Coon Rapids <2>
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
    • Anita
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Anita have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Anita
      • Anita is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 898 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Anita <2>
    • Massena
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Wiota
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wiota have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wiota
      • Wiota is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 107 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wiota <2>
    • Norway Center
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norway Center
      • Norway Center is located in Cass County
    • Cumberland
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cumberland
      • Cumberland is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 246 people
    • Dewey
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewey
      • Dewey is located in Cass County
    • Grove City ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grove City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove City
      • Grove City is located in Cass County
  • Dallas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
    • Dexter
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Linden
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linden
      • Linden is located in Dallas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 214 people
    • Wiscotta
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wiscotta
      • Wiscotta is located in Dallas County
    • Redfield
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Adel
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Adel have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adel
      • Adel is located in Dallas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,607 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Adel <2>
    • DeSoto
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Van Meter
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Dawson
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawson
      • Dawson is located in Dallas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 127 people
    • Dallas Center
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Minburn
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Minburn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Minburn
      • Minburn is located in Dallas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 357 people
    • Booneville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Perry
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
  • Greene County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
    • Cooper
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cooper have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooper
      • Cooper is located in Greene County
    • Rippey
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rippey
      • Rippey is located in Greene County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 269 people
  • Madison County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Menlo, with the one closest to Menlo listed first.
    • Earlham
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Earlham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earlham
      • Earlham is located in Madison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,409 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Earlham <2>
    • Pitzer
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pitzer have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pitzer
      • Pitzer is located in Madison County
    • Webster
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Webster
      • Webster is located in Madison County
    • Winterset
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Macksburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macksburg
      • Macksburg is located in Madison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 122 people
    • Ord
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ord have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ord
      • Ord is located in Madison County
    • Patterson
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Patterson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patterson
      • Patterson is located in Madison County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 163 people

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Menlo ...

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 70 newspapers that have been published in the area around Menlo.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Menlo. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Menlo and those printed in the larger area surrounding Menlo.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Menlo.

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 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 Menlo:

Cemeteries Near Menlo ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Menlo.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Menlo Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Menlo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Menlo Cemetery
  • Rosehill Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rosehill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rosehill Cemetery
  • Timber Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Timber Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Timber Cemetery
  • Jefferson Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • South Oak Grove Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the South Oak Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the South Oak Grove Cemetery
  • North Oak Grove Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Oak Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Oak Grove Cemetery
  • St. Josephs Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Oakwood Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Glendon Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Glendon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Glendon Cemetery
  • Quaker Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Quaker Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Quaker Cemetery
  • Stanfield Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Stanfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Stanfield Cemetery
  • Continue List   (207 more) ...
    • Loucks Grove Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Morrisburg Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Morrisburg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Morrisburg Cemetery
    • Monteith Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Monteith Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Monteith Cemetery

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Menlo had a population of 389 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Menlo had a population of 347 people.

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

  • Stuart
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stuart have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stuart
    • Stuart is located in Guthrie County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,756 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stuart <2>
  • Glendon
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glendon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glendon
    • Glendon is located in Guthrie County
  • Dale
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dale
    • Dale is located in Guthrie County
  • Casey
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Casey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Casey
    • Casey is located in Guthrie County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 402 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Casey <2>
  • Monteith
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monteith have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monteith
    • Monteith is located in Guthrie County
  • Dexter
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
  • Linden
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linden
    • Linden is located in Dallas County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 214 people
  • Canby
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Canby have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canby
    • Canby is located in Adair County
  • Arbor Hill
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arbor Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arbor Hill
    • Arbor Hill is located in Adair County
  • Guthrie Center
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Guthrie Center have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guthrie Center
    • Guthrie Center is located in Guthrie County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,487 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Guthrie Center <2>
  • Redfield
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Panora
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Adair
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Adair have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adair
      • Adair is located in Guthrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 701 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Adair <2>
    • Greenfield
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Pitzer
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pitzer have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pitzer
      • Pitzer is located in Madison County

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Menlo. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Iowa: https://www.iowa.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Menlo) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Menlo. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.5217, Longitude: -94.4045    
<4>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.
<5>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 Menlo, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024