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 Parkersburg (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 Parkersburg. 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.
Parkersburg is located in Butler 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 Butler County: Black Hawk, Bremer, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Floyd, Franklin, Grundy & Hardin.
Below are the counties that are near Parkersburg. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Parkersburg:
- Butler County (The home county of Parkersburg)
- The following are listed by their distance from Parkersburg, with the one closest to Parkersburg listed first.
- Sinclair
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Sinclair is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinclair
- Aplington
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Coster
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Coster is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coster
- New Hartford
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Butler Center
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Butler Center is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butler Center
- Kesley
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Kesley is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kesley
- Austinville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Austinville is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Austinville
- Allison
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Shell Rock
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Clarksville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Bristow
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Bristow is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bristow
- Population from the 2020 Census: 147 people
- Dumont
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Black Hawk County
- The following are listed by their distance from Parkersburg, with the one closest to Parkersburg listed first.
- Finchford
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Finchford is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finchford
- Janesville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- North Cedar
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- North Cedar is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Cedar
- Cedar City
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Cedar City is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar City
- Cedar Falls
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Hudson
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Waterloo
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Voorhies
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Voorhies is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Voorhies
- Blessing
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Blessing is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blessing
- Evansdale
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Edwards ‑ Historic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Edwards is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
- Eagle Center
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Eagle Center is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Center
- Bremer County
- The following are listed by their distance from Parkersburg, with the one closest to Parkersburg listed first.
- Waverly
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Plainfield
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Denver
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Bremer
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Bremer is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bremer
- Horton
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Horton is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horton
- Knittel
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Knittel is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knittel
- Seigel
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Seigel is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seigel
- Klinger
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Klinger is located in Bremer County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klinger
- Readlyn
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Tripoli
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Cerro Gordo County
- Dougherty
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Dougherty is located in Cerro Gordo County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dougherty
- Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
- Chickasaw County
- The following are listed by their distance from Parkersburg, with the one closest to Parkersburg listed first.
- Nashua
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Bradford
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Bradford is located in Chickasaw County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradford
- Floyd County
- The following are listed by their distance from Parkersburg, with the one closest to Parkersburg listed first.
- Aureola
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Aureola is located in Floyd County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aureola
- Marble Rock
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Oakwood
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Oakwood is located in Floyd County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood
- Roseville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Roseville is located in Floyd County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roseville
- Franklin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Parkersburg, with the one closest to Parkersburg listed first.
- Faulkner
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Faulkner is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Faulkner
- Geneva
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Hansell
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Hampton
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Bradford
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Bradford is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradford
- Reeve
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Reeve is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reeve
- Chapin
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Chapin is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapin
- Grundy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Parkersburg, with the one closest to Parkersburg listed first.
- Stout
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Stout is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stout
- Population from the 2020 Census: 214 people
- Buck Grove
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Buck Grove is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buck Grove
- Fern
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Fern is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern
- Dike
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Holland
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Fredsville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Fredsville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredsville
- Wellsburg
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Grundy Center
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Morrison
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Reinbeck
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Beaman
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Beaman is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaman
- Population from the 2020 Census: 183 people
- Conrad
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Hardin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Parkersburg, with the one closest to Parkersburg listed first.
- Ackley
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Abbott
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Abbott is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abbott
- Cleves
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Cleves is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleves
- Steamboat Rock
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Robertson
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Robertson is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Robertson
- Eagle City
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Eagle City is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle City
- Eldora
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Owasa
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Owasa is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Owasa
- Population from the 2020 Census: 41 people
- Whitten
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Whitten is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitten
- Population from the 2020 Census: 140 people
- Iowa Falls
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Gifford
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Union
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Union is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
- Population from the 2020 Census: 373 people
- Marshall County
- Liscomb
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Liscomb is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liscomb
- Population from the 2020 Census: 296 people
- Tama County
- The following are listed by their distance from Parkersburg, with the one closest to Parkersburg listed first.
- Lincoln
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Lincoln is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln
- Population from the 2020 Census: 148 people
- Dinsdale
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Dinsdale is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dinsdale
- Gladbrook
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Buckingham
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Buckingham is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckingham
- Traer
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Parkersburg, see our County-by-County Page for Parkersburg.
Cemeteries Near Parkersburg ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Parkersburg.
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 Parkersburg - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Parkersburg covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Parkersburg, with the one closest to Parkersburg listed first.
- St. Patricks Catholic Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Parker Burial Grounds
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Oak Hill Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Codner Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- St. Clair Gravel Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Salem Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Monroe Twp. Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Reformed Church of Stout Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Buck Grove Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- New Albion Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Pleasant Valley Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Pleasant Valley Reformed Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Continue List (239 more) ...
- Beaver Twp. Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Fairfield Twp. Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Behrends Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
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 Parkersburg had a population of 760 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Parkersburg had a population of 1,913 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Parkersburg, with the one closest to Parkersburg listed first.
- Aplington
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Swanton
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Swanton is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swanton
- Coster
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Coster is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coster
- Butler Center
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Butler Center is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Butler Center
- Dairyville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Dairyville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dairyville
- New Hartford
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Lincoln
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Lincoln is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln
- Wellsburg
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Holland
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Fredsville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Fredsville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredsville
- Finchford
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Finchford is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finchford
- Allison
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Shell Rock
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Ackley
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Grundy Center
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Parkersburg. See our List of 1890's Communities around Parkersburg.
Newspapers Published in Parkersburg ...
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 58 newspapers that have been published in the area around Parkersburg.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Parkersburg, 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 Parkersburg.
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 Parkersburg:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Butler County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Black Hawk County
- Bremer County
- Cerro Gordo County
- Chickasaw County
- Floyd County
- Franklin County
- Grundy County
- Hardin County
- Marshall 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 Parkersburg, 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- Parkersburg) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |