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 Minerva (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 Minerva. 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 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.
Minerva is located in Marshall 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 Marshall County: Grundy, Hardin, Jasper, Poweshiek, Story & Tama.
Below are the counties that are near Minerva. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Minerva:
- Marshall County (The home county of Minerva)
- The following are listed by their distance from Minerva, with the one closest to Minerva listed first.
- Bangor
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Bangor is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bangor
- Clemons
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Clemons is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clemons
- Population from the 2020 Census: 141 people
- Albion
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Marietta
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Marietta is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marietta
- Saint Anthony
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Saint Anthony is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Anthony
- Population from the 2020 Census: 101 people
- Liscomb
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Liscomb is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liscomb
- Population from the 2020 Census: 296 people
- LaMoille
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- LaMoille is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for LaMoille
- State Center
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Luray
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Luray is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luray
- Malta
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Malta is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Malta
- Marshalltown
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Melbourne
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- State Center Junction
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Grundy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Minerva, with the one closest to Minerva listed first.
- Conrad
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Beaman
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Beaman is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaman
- Population from the 2020 Census: 183 people
- Wellsburg
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Grundy Center
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Holland
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Morrison
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Reinbeck
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Buck Grove
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Buck Grove is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buck Grove
- Fern
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Fern is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern
- Hamilton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Minerva, with the one closest to Minerva listed first.
- Randall
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Randall is located in Hamilton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Randall
- Population from the 2020 Census: 166 people
- Ellsworth
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Hardin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Minerva, with the one closest to Minerva listed first.
- Union
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Union is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
- Population from the 2020 Census: 373 people
- Whitten
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Whitten is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitten
- Population from the 2020 Census: 140 people
- Gifford
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- New Providence
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- New Providence is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Providence
- Population from the 2020 Census: 220 people
- Eldora
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Hubbard
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Garden City
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Garden City is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
- Steamboat Rock
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Sherman
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Sherman is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherman
- Owasa
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Owasa is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Owasa
- Population from the 2020 Census: 41 people
- Radcliffe
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Cleves
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Cleves is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleves
- Eagle City
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Eagle City is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle City
- Jasper County
- The following are listed by their distance from Minerva, with the one closest to Minerva listed first.
- Baxter
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Clyde
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Clyde is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clyde
- Ira
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Ira is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ira
- Mingo
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Newburg
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Newburg is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newburg
- Green Castle
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Green Castle is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Castle
- Goddard
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Goddard is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goddard
- Lambs Grove
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Lambs Grove is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lambs Grove
- Population from the 2020 Census: 165 people
- Newton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Kellogg
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Valeria
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Valeria is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Valeria
- Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
- Oswalt
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Oswalt is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oswalt
- Oakland Acres
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Oakland Acres is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakland Acres
- Population from the 2020 Census: 161 people
- Polk County
- Loring
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Loring is located in Polk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loring
- Story County
- The following are listed by their distance from Minerva, with the one closest to Minerva listed first.
- Zearing
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Colo
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- McCallsburg
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- McCallsburg is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCallsburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 320 people
- Fernald
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Fernald is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fernald
- Collins
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Collins is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collins
- Population from the 2020 Census: 472 people
- Nevada
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Iowa Center
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Iowa Center is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iowa Center
- Roland
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Roland is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roland
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,252 people
- Maxwell
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Shipley
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Shipley is located in Story County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shipley
- Story City
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Cambridge
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Ames
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Tama County
- The following are listed by their distance from Minerva, with the one closest to Minerva listed first.
- Gladbrook
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Garwin
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Garwin is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garwin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 490 people
- Montour
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Lincoln
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Lincoln is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln
- Population from the 2020 Census: 148 people
- Toledo
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Tama
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Dinsdale
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Dinsdale is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dinsdale
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Minerva, see our County-by-County Page for Minerva.
Cemeteries Near Minerva ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Minerva.
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 Minerva - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Minerva covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Minerva, with the one closest to Minerva listed first.
- Everist Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Whitaker Family Burying Ground
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Hartland Friends Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartland Friends Cemetery
- The Hartland Friends Cemetery has also been known as:
- Hartland Cemetery
- Gaer Ballard Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Bethel Grove Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Bangor Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Hixite Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Bevins Grove Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Clemons Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- St. Johns Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Marietta Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Albion Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Continue List (266 more) ...
- Liscomb Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Bunch Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Miller Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
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, Minerva had a post office and railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Minerva, with the one closest to Minerva listed first.
- Moningers
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Moningers is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moningers
- Bromley
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Bromley is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bromley
- Bangor
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Bangor is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bangor
- Clemons
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Clemons is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clemons
- Population from the 2020 Census: 141 people
- Marietta
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Marietta is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marietta
- Albion
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Saint Anthony
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Saint Anthony is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Anthony
- Population from the 2020 Census: 101 people
- LaMoille
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- LaMoille is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for LaMoille
- Liscomb
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Liscomb is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liscomb
- Population from the 2020 Census: 296 people
- State Center
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Union
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Union is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
- Population from the 2020 Census: 373 people
- Luray
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Luray is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luray
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Malta
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Malta is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Malta
- Marshalltown
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Whitten
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Whitten is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitten
- Population from the 2020 Census: 140 people
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Minerva. See our List of 1890's Communities around Minerva.
Newspapers Published in Minerva ...
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 185 newspapers that have been published in the area around Minerva.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Minerva, 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 Minerva.
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 Minerva:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Marshall County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Grundy County
- Hamilton County
- Hardin County
- Jasper County
- Polk County
- Story County
- Tama 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 Minerva, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <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 from Point A (ie- Minerva) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |