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 Polen (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 Polen. 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 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.
Polen is located in Ringgold 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 Ringgold County: Decatur, Taylor, Union, Harrison (MO) & Worth (MO).
Below are the counties that are near Polen. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Polen:
- Ringgold County (The home county of Polen)
- The following are listed by their distance from Polen, with the one closest to Polen listed first.
- Diagonal
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Knowlton ‑ Historic
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Knowlton is located in Ringgold County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knowlton
- Tingley
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Benton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Benton is located in Ringgold County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 40 people
- Maloy
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Maloy is located in Ringgold County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maloy
- Population from the 2020 Census: 27 people
- Mount Ayr
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Ellston
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Ellston is located in Ringgold County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellston
- Population from the 2020 Census: 38 people
- Delphos
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Delphos is located in Ringgold County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Delphos
- Estimated population in 2019: 24 people
- Beaconsfield
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Beaconsfield is located in Ringgold County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaconsfield
- Population from the 2020 Census: 15 people
- Redding
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Redding is located in Ringgold County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redding
- Population from the 2020 Census: 77 people
- Kellerton
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Adair County
- The following are listed by their distance from Polen, with the one closest to Polen listed first.
- Orient
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Zion
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Zion is located in Adair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zion
- Gilead
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Gilead is located in Adair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilead
- Hebron
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Hebron is located in Adair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hebron
- Bridgewater
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Fontanelle
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Fontanelle is located in Adair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fontanelle
- Population from the 2020 Census: 612 people
- Greenfield
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Stanzel
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Stanzel is located in Adair County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanzel
- Adams County
- The following are listed by their distance from Polen, with the one closest to Polen listed first.
- Stringtown
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Stringtown is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stringtown
- Mercer
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Mercer is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mercer
- Prescott
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Queen City ‑ Historic
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Queen City is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Queen City
- Williamson
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Williamson is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamson
- Corning
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Iveyville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Iveyville is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iveyville
- Carl
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Carl is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carl
- Brooks
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Brooks is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brooks
- Quincy
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Quincy is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quincy
- Mount Etna
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Mount Etna is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Etna
- Carbon
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Carbon is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 31 people
- Cass County
- Dewey
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Dewey is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewey
- Clarke County
- The following are listed by their distance from Polen, with the one closest to Polen listed first.
- Hopeville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Hopeville is located in Clarke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopeville
- Murray
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Murray is located in Clarke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Murray
- Population from the 2020 Census: 681 people
- Lacelle
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Lacelle is located in Clarke County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lacelle
- Decatur County
- The following are listed by their distance from Polen, with the one closest to Polen listed first.
- Grand River
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Grand River is located in Decatur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand River
- Population from the 2020 Census: 215 people
- Lamoni
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Madison County
- The following are listed by their distance from Polen, with the one closest to Polen listed first.
- Macksburg
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Macksburg is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macksburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 122 people
- Barney
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Barney is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barney
- Ord
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Ord is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ord
- Montgomery County
- Villisca
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Page County
- Hawleyville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Hawleyville is located in Page County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawleyville
- Taylor County
- The following are listed by their distance from Polen, with the one closest to Polen listed first.
- Clearfield
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Lenox
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Sharpsburg
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Sharpsburg is located in Taylor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharpsburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 86 people
- Conway
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Conway is located in Taylor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conway
- Population from the 2020 Census: 40 people
- Blockton
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Blockton is located in Taylor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blockton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 184 people
- Gravity
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Gravity is located in Taylor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gravity
- Population from the 2020 Census: 181 people
- Athelstan
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Athelstan is located in Taylor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Athelstan
- Bedford
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Ladoga
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Ladoga is located in Taylor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ladoga
- Guss
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Guss is located in Taylor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guss
- New Market
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- New Market is located in Taylor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Market
- Population from the 2020 Census: 397 people
- Union County
- The following are listed by their distance from Polen, with the one closest to Polen listed first.
- Kent
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Kent is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
- Shannon City
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Shannon City is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shannon City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 69 people
- Arispe
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Arispe is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arispe
- Population from the 2020 Census: 96 people
- Cromwell
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Cromwell is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cromwell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 105 people
- Creston
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- East Creston
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- East Creston is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Creston
- Afton
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Thayer
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Thayer is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thayer
- Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
- Lorimor
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Lorimor is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lorimor
- Population from the 2020 Census: 341 people
- Harrison County (MO)
- Hatfield
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Hatfield is located in Harrison County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatfield
- Worth County (MO)
- The following are listed by their distance from Polen, with the one closest to Polen listed first.
- Irena
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Irena is located in Worth County (MO)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irena
- Population from the 2020 Census: 16 people
- Grant City
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Sheridan
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Allendale
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Polen, see our County-by-County Page for Polen.
Cemeteries Near Polen ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Polen.
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 Polen - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Polen covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Polen, with the one closest to Polen listed first.
- Rising Sun Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Tindle Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Bruening Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Mortimor Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Grove Chapel Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Morgan Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Keller Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Harmony Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- McDuthies Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Centenary Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centenary Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Centenary Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located less than 2 miles<2> to the northeast of Diagonal.
- The Centenary Cemetery has also been known as:
- Knowlton Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2153874 <3>
- Clearfield Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Cabaret Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Continue List (235 more) ...
- Bethel Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Quinn Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Oakland Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakland Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Oakland Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the south of Shannon City.
- The Oakland Cemetery has also been known as:
- Shannon City Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1977705 <3>
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.<4>
While we didn't find Polen in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Polen.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Polen, with the one closest to Polen listed first.
- Mortimer ‑ Historic
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Mortimer is located in Ringgold County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mortimer
- Diagonal
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Knowlton ‑ Historic
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Knowlton is located in Ringgold County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knowlton
- Kent
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Kent is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
- Clearfield
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Shannon City
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Shannon City is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shannon City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 69 people
- Lenox
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Tingley
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Arispe
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Arispe is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arispe
- Population from the 2020 Census: 96 people
- Cromwell
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Cromwell is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cromwell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 105 people
- Benton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Benton is located in Ringgold County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 40 people
- East Creston
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- East Creston is located in Union County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Creston
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Creston
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Sharpsburg
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Sharpsburg is located in Taylor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharpsburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 86 people
- Conway
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Conway is located in Taylor County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conway
- Population from the 2020 Census: 40 people
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Polen. See our List of 1890's Communities around Polen.
Newspapers Published in Polen ...
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 150 newspapers that have been published in the area around Polen.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Polen, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Polen.
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 Polen:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Ringgold County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Adair County
- Adams County
- Cass County
- Clarke County
- Decatur County
- Madison County
- Montgomery County
- Page County
- Taylor County
- Union County
- Harrison County
- Worth 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> | 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Polen) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <4> | 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 Polen, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |