Our Genealogy Helper for Parnell ...
We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:
- That it be a tool that can help us with planning our trips.
- That it also helps us to understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
By learning about Parnell (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 Parnell. 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.
It's still very early in our research, but as we gather more information it will be added to this page.
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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.
Parnell is located in Iowa County.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Iowa County: Benton, Johnson, Keokuk, Linn, Poweshiek, Tama & Washington.
Below are the counties that are near Parnell. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Parnell:
| Dir | Distance | ||
| Iowa (The home county for Parnell) | |||
| Williamsburg [Map] | N | 5 miles [8 km]<1> | |
| North English [Map] | SW | 6 miles [9.7 km] | |
| Millersburg [Map] | W | 8 miles [12.9 km] | |
| Conroy [Map] | N | 10 miles [16.1 km] | |
| South Amana [Map] | N | 13 miles [20.9 km] | |
| Homestead [Map] | NE | 14 miles [22.5 km] | |
| Marengo [Map] | N | 15 miles [24.1 km] | |
| Middle Amana [Map] | N | 15 miles [24.1 km] | |
| Ladora [Map] | NW | 15 miles [24.1 km] | |
| Amana [Map] | NE | 16 miles [25.7 km] | |
| Victor [Map] | NW | 18 miles [29 km] | |
| Dayton [Map] | NW | 20 miles [32.2 km] | |
| Benton | |||
| Watkins [Map] | N | 21 miles [33.8 km] | |
| Walford [Map] | NE | 21 miles [33.8 km] | |
| Blairstown [Map] | N | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Norway [Map] | N | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Luzerne [Map] | NW | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Belle Plaine [Map] | NW | 25 miles [40.2 km] | |
| Newhall [Map] | N | 28 miles [45.1 km] | |
| Atkins [Map] | N | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Van Horne [Map] | N | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Irving [Map] | NW | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Keystone [Map] | N | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Shellsburg [Map] | N | 35 miles [56.3 km] | |
| Cedar | |||
| Downey [Map] | E | 33 miles [53.1 km] | |
| West Branch [Map] | E | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Centerdale [Map] | E | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Cedar Bluff [Map] | E | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Springdale [Map] | E | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Cedar Valley [Map] | E | 40 miles [64.4 km] | |
| Henry | |||
| Coppock [Map] | SE | 32 miles [51.5 km] | |
| Wayland [Map] | SE | 35 miles [56.3 km] | |
| Olds [Map] | SE | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Swedesburg [Map] | SE | 40 miles [64.4 km] | |
| Jasper | |||
| Lynnville [Map] | W | 40 miles [64.4 km] | |
| Jefferson | |||
| Linby [Map] | S | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Pekin [Map] | S | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Packwood [Map] | S | 31 miles [49.9 km] | |
| Pleasant Plain [Map] | S | 31 miles [49.9 km] | |
| Abingdon [Map] | S | 35 miles [56.3 km] | |
| Maharishi Vedic City [Map] | S | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Fairfield [Map] | S | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Johnson | |||
| Amish [Map] | E | 11 miles [17.7 km] | |
| Windham [Map] | E | 12 miles [19.3 km] | |
| Williamstown [Map] | E | 13 miles [20.9 km] | |
| Oxford [Map] | NE | 14 miles [22.5 km] | |
| Tiffin [Map] | NE | 19 miles [30.6 km] | |
| Coralville [Map] | E | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| North Liberty [Map] | NE | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Oakdale [Map] | NE | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| University Heights [Map] | E | 23 miles [37 km] | |
| Hills [Map] | E | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Iowa City [Map] | E | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Swisher [Map] | NE | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Keokuk | |||
| Kinross [Map] | S | 8 miles [12.9 km] | |
| South English [Map] | SW | 10 miles [16.1 km] | |
| Aurora [Map] | SW | 13 miles [20.9 km] | |
| Webster [Map] | SW | 13 miles [20.9 km] | |
| Harper [Map] | S | 15 miles [24.1 km] | |
| Keota [Map] | S | 15 miles [24.1 km] | |
| Keswick [Map] | SW | 15 miles [24.1 km] | |
| Thornburg [Map] | SW | 19 miles [30.6 km] | |
| Sigourney [Map] | SW | 20 miles [32.2 km] | |
| Gibson [Map] | W | 21 miles [33.8 km] | |
| What Cheer [Map] | SW | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Delta [Map] | SW | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Linn | |||
| Fairfax [Map] | NE | 26 miles [41.8 km] | |
| Grand View Village [Map] | NE | 28 miles [45.1 km] | |
| Ely [Map] | NE | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Lincolnway Village [Map] | NE | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Cedar Hills [Map] | NE | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Cedar Rapids [Map] | NE | 32 miles [51.5 km] | |
| Palo [Map] | N | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Bertram [Map] | NE | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Hiawatha [Map] | NE | 35 miles [56.3 km] | |
| Sunset Village [Map] | NE | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Mount Vernon [Map] | NE | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
| Marion [Map] | NE | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Louisa | |||
| Cotter [Map] | SE | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Wyman [Map] | SE | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Columbus City [Map] | SE | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Columbus Junction [Map] | SE | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Fredonia [Map] | SE | 40 miles [64.4 km] | |
| Mahaska | |||
| Barnes City [Map] | W | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Indianapolis [Map] | SW | 25 miles [40.2 km] | |
| Rose Hill [Map] | SW | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Union Mills [Map] | W | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Fremont [Map] | SW | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Keomah Village [Map] | SW | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| New Sharon [Map] | W | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Wright [Map] | SW | 35 miles [56.3 km] | |
| Lacey [Map] | W | 35 miles [56.3 km] | |
| Cedar [Map] | SW | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
| University Park [Map] | SW | 37 miles [59.5 km] | |
| Oskaloosa [Map] | SW | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Muscatine | |||
| Conesville [Map] | E | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Nichols [Map] | E | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| West Liberty [Map] | E | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Poweshiek | |||
| Guernsey [Map] | W | 18 miles [29 km] | |
| Deep River [Map] | W | 19 miles [30.6 km] | |
| Hartwick [Map] | NW | 22 miles [35.4 km] | |
| Brooklyn [Map] | NW | 24 miles [38.6 km] | |
| Montezuma [Map] | W | 27 miles [43.5 km] | |
| Malcom [Map] | W | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Sheridan [Map] | NW | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Searsboro [Map] | W | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Grinnell [Map] | W | 38 miles [61.2 km] | |
| Tama | |||
| Chelsea [Map] | NW | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Elberon [Map] | NW | 33 miles [53.1 km] | |
| Vining [Map] | NW | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Gladstone [Map] | NW | 36 miles [57.9 km] | |
| Clutier [Map] | NW | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Tama [Map] | NW | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Toledo [Map] | NW | 40 miles [64.4 km] | |
| Wapello | |||
| Competine [Map] | S | 34 miles [54.7 km] | |
| Kirkville [Map] | SW | 39 miles [62.8 km] | |
| Washington | |||
| Wellman [Map] | SE | 11 miles [17.7 km] | |
| Kalona [Map] | E | 17 miles [27.4 km] | |
| West Chester [Map] | SE | 19 miles [30.6 km] | |
| Riverside [Map] | E | 23 miles [37 km] | |
| Rubio [Map] | S | 25 miles [40.2 km] | |
| Washington [Map] | SE | 25 miles [40.2 km] | |
| Brighton [Map] | S | 29 miles [46.7 km] | |
| Ainsworth [Map] | SE | 30 miles [48.3 km] | |
| Crawfordsville [Map] | SE | 35 miles [56.3 km] | |
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Parnell, see our County-by-County Page for Parnell.
Cemeteries Near Parnell ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Parnell.
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 click on the [Map] that follows each cemetery's name, a Google map will open showing a satellite view of the area where the cemetery is located. We have tried to place the cemetery in the center of the map, but we're still working on our data and the map might not not be centered properly. If you don't see the cemetery right away, try zooming-in. Usually, but not always, you can see the outline of the cemetery or some of the headstones.
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 Parnell covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Parnell ...
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 155 newspapers that have been published in the area around Parnell.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Parnell. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Parnell and those printed in the larger area surrounding Parnell.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 31 miles [49.9 km] of Parnell.
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 in 1895, Parnell had a post office and railroad service. In 2018, Parnell had a population of 265 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Parnell, with the one closest to Parnell listed first.
| Holbrook [Map] | |
| - | Located 4 miles [6.4 km] to the East (E) from Parnell |
| - | Holbrook had a post office and no railroad service |
| Williamsburg [Map] | |
| - | Located 5 miles [8 km] to the North (N) from Parnell |
| - | 1895 population of 635 people (with 3,149 people in 2018) |
| - | Williamsburg had a post office and railroad service |
| North English [Map] | |
| - | Located 6 miles [9.7 km] to the Southwest (SW) from Parnell |
| - | 1895 population of 273 people (with 1,006 people in 2018) |
| - | North English had a post office and railroad service |
| Green Center [Map] | |
| - | Located 6 miles [9.7 km] to the East Southeast (ESE) from Parnell |
| - | Green Center had a post office and no railroad service |
| Kinross [Map] | |
| - | Located 8 miles [12.9 km] to the South (S) from Parnell |
| - | 1895 population of 30 people (with 72 people in 2018) |
| - | Kinross had a post office and railroad service |
| Millersburg [Map] | |
| - | Located 8 miles [12.9 km] to the West (W) from Parnell |
| - | 1895 population of 237 people (with 141 people in 2018) |
| - | Millersburg had a post office and no railroad service |
| Nira [Map] | |
| - | Located 9 miles [14.5 km] to the South Southeast (SSE) from Parnell |
| - | 1895 population of 29 people |
| - | Nira had a post office and railroad service |
| South English [Map] | |
| - | Located 10 miles [16.1 km] to the South Southwest (SSW) from Parnell |
| - | 1895 population of 389 people (with 206 people in 2018) |
| - | South English had a post office and railroad service |
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Parnell. The list can be found on our page for Communities Neighboring Parnell in the 1890's.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to all and free to view - although they might link to other websites which do charge.
To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Parnell:
These websites are specific to Iowa:
| Cyndi's List | Family Search | Genealogy Trails |
Website for the //iowaculture.gov/history/
Not to be confused with the official state website, we've found the Digital State Archives website for the State of Iowa to be a good source for additional links.
These pages are specific to Iowa County:
| Cyndi's List | Family Search | Genealogy Trails |
Genealogy information for nearby counties:
Cemetery Information and Directories for Iowa:
| Cyndi's List: | Cemeteries of Iowa, Cemeteries of Iowa County |
| Cemetery Junction: | Directory for Iowa |
| FamilySearch.org: | Cemetery Wiki for Iowa |
| Find-A-Grave: | Home Page |
| Internment.net: | Cemeteries for Iowa |
Of Special Interest ...
The GenDisasters website specializes in newspaper articles about tragedies and disasters. While it makes interesting reading all by itself, it should be of special interest to genealogists and family historians looking for people who were either affected by or directly involved in such tragedies.
| Disaster Stories from Iowa |
Miscellaneous References and Mentions for Parnell ...
While our initial data about Parnell came from various goverment sources, we have found mention of Parnell in old books and maps. When we do, we'll find a fact here or a snippet there. We've created the following list to keep track of the documents we found useful in adding to our knowledge about Parnell.
We hope that the following list of documents will be of interest to you.
Business Atlas and Shippers' Guide
Published by Rand McNally & Co.
(Document found on Google Books)
Notes for Parnell:
- Services available at that time (1895): had Post Office, Railroad Station, Express Office
We have found Parnell in these Censuses: 2010-1990. See our Census Page for Parnell for more information.
Both the GNIS and FIPS databases contain entries for Parnell. See our Misc Page for Parnell for more information.
Other Roadside Stops ...
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Parnell. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for State of Iowa: https://www.iowa.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Parnell) to Point B. If you need the driving distance (or directions), we recommend that you use one of the Mapping Services listed on our Map Page for Parnell. Since we usually use Google Maps, we've provided the following link for your convenience: Google Map and Driving Directions starting from Parnell Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Parnell. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.5837, Longitude: -92.0046 [Map]. In this case, the coordinates for Parnell have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
| <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 Parnell, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |