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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 Monticello (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 Monticello. 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 and hospitals 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.

Monticello is located in Jones 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 Jones County: Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson & Linn.

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

  • Jones County     (The home county of Monticello)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Monticello, with the one closest to Monticello listed first.
    • Langworthy
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Langworthy is located in Jones County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Langworthy
    • Amber
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Amber is located in Jones County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amber
    • Center Junction
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Center Junction is located in Jones County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center Junction
      • Estimated population in 2015: 111 people
    • Anamosa
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Argand
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Argand is located in Jones County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Argand
    • Stone City
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Stone City is located in Jones County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stone City
    • Clay Mills
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Clay Mills is located in Jones County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clay Mills
    • Onslow
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Fairview
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Fairview is located in Jones County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview
    • Wyoming
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Morley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Morley is located in Jones County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 110 people
    • Olin
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Hale
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Hale is located in Jones County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hale
  • Buchanan County
    • Monti
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Monti is located in Buchanan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monti
  • Cedar County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Monticello, with the one closest to Monticello listed first.
    • Mechanicsville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Mechanicsville is located in Cedar County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mechanicsville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,116 people
    • Stanwood
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Clarence
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Lowden
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Clayton County
    • Wood
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Wood is located in Clayton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wood
  • Clinton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Monticello, with the one closest to Monticello listed first.
    • Lost Nation
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Toronto
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Toronto is located in Clinton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toronto
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 119 people
    • Elwood
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Elwood is located in Clinton County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elwood
  • Delaware County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Monticello, with the one closest to Monticello listed first.
    • Hopkinton
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Rockville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Rockville is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockville
    • Delhi
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Earlville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Ryan
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Ryan is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ryan
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 343 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ryan <1>
    • Ehler
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Ehler is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ehler
    • Delaware
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Delaware is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delaware
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 149 people
    • Golden
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Golden is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golden
    • Almoral
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Almoral is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Almoral
    • Robinson
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Robinson is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Robinson
    • Petersburg
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Petersburg is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petersburg
    • Manchester
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Oneida
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Oneida is located in Delaware County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oneida
  • Dubuque County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Monticello, with the one closest to Monticello listed first.
    • Cascade
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Worthington
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Worthington is located in Dubuque County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Worthington
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 395 people
    • Fillmore
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Fillmore is located in Dubuque County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fillmore
    • Dyersville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Summit Village Dyersville Park
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Farley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Bernard
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Epworth
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Washington Mills
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Washington Mills is located in Dubuque County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washington Mills
    • New Vienna
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • New Vienna is located in Dubuque County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Vienna
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 412 people
    • Bankston
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Bankston is located in Dubuque County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bankston
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 27 people
    • Peosta
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Centralia
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Centralia is located in Dubuque County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centralia
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 128 people
  • Jackson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Monticello, with the one closest to Monticello listed first.
    • Canton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Canton is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canton
    • Emeline
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Emeline is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emeline
    • Garry Owen
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Garry Owen is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garry Owen
    • Monmouth
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Monmouth is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monmouth
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
    • Crab Town
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Crab Town is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crab Town
    • Baldwin
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Ironhills
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Ironhills is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ironhills
    • Buckhorn
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Buckhorn is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckhorn
    • Fulton
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Fulton is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fulton
    • La Motte
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Maquoketa
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Cottonville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Cottonville is located in Jackson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cottonville
    • Andrew
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Linn County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Monticello, with the one closest to Monticello listed first.
    • Prairieburg
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Prairieburg is located in Linn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairieburg
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 190 people
    • Viola
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Viola is located in Linn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Viola
    • Springville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Central City
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Coggon
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Paris ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Paris is located in Linn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paris
    • Squaw Creek Village
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Squaw Creek Village is located in Linn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Squaw Creek Village
    • Lisbon
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Alburnett
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Mount Vernon
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Marion
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Troy Mills
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Bertram
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Bertram is located in Linn County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bertram
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 278 people

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

Cemeteries Near Monticello ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Monticello.

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 Monticello - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Oakwood Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • St. Johns Evangelical Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • East Monticello Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Sacred Heart Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Langworthy Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Wayne Zion Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Kiburz Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Zimmerman Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Bowens Prairie Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Four Horn Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Amber Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Sand Springs Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (310 more) ...

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Monticello had a population of 1,938 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Monticello had a population of 3,873 people.

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

  • Langworthy
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Langworthy is located in Jones County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Langworthy
  • Junction Switch
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Junction Switch is located in Jones County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Junction Switch
  • Scotch Grove
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Sand Springs
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Sand Springs is located in Delaware County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sand Springs
  • Amber
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Amber is located in Jones County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amber
  • Castle Grove
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Castle Grove is located in Jones County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Castle Grove
  • Hopkinton
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Anamosa
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Center Junction
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Center Junction is located in Jones County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center Junction
    • Estimated population in 2015: 111 people
  • Cascade
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Argand
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Argand is located in Jones County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Argand
  • Temple Hill
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Temple Hill is located in Jones County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Temple Hill
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Stone City
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Stone City is located in Jones County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stone City
    • Worthington
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Worthington is located in Dubuque County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Worthington
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 395 people
    • Fairview
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Fairview is located in Jones County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Monticello ...

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 123 newspapers that have been published in the area around Monticello.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Monticello. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Monticello and those printed in the larger area surrounding Monticello.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<4> of Monticello.

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 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 Monticello:

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 Monticello, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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- Monticello) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.