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 Sheldon (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 Sheldon. 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 and doctors 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.
Sheldon is primarily located in O'Brien County. A portion of Sheldon extends into Sioux 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 O'Brien County: Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Lyon, Osceola, Plymouth & Sioux.
Below are the counties that are near Sheldon. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Sheldon:
- O'Brien County (The home county of Sheldon)
- The following are listed by their distance from Sheldon, with the one closest to Sheldon listed first.
- Archer
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Sanborn
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Primghar
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Germantown
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Germantown is located in O'Brien County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Germantown
- Paullina
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Paullina is located in O'Brien County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paullina
- Population from the 2020 Census: 965 people
- Hartley
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Hartley is located in O'Brien County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,556 people
- Calumet
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Calumet is located in O'Brien County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calumet
- Population from the 2020 Census: 155 people
- Sutherland
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Moneta
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Moneta is located in O'Brien County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moneta
- Cherokee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Sheldon, with the one closest to Sheldon listed first.
- Marcus
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Cleghorn
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Cleghorn is located in Cherokee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleghorn
- Population from the 2020 Census: 214 people
- Larrabee
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Larrabee is located in Cherokee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Larrabee
- Population from the 2020 Census: 130 people
- Meriden
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Meriden is located in Cherokee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meriden
- Population from the 2020 Census: 144 people
- Clay County
- The following are listed by their distance from Sheldon, with the one closest to Sheldon listed first.
- Everly
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Everly is located in Clay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Everly
- Population from the 2020 Census: 541 people
- Royal
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Lyon County
- The following are listed by their distance from Sheldon, with the one closest to Sheldon listed first.
- George
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Little Rock
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Edna
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Edna is located in Lyon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edna
- Doon
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Rock Rapids
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Alvord
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Lester
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Lester is located in Lyon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lester
- Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
- Osceola County
- The following are listed by their distance from Sheldon, with the one closest to Sheldon listed first.
- Ashton
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Melvin
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Melvin is located in Osceola County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melvin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 197 people
- Cloverdale
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Cloverdale is located in Osceola County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cloverdale
- Sibley
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Allendorf
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Allendorf is located in Osceola County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allendorf
- May City
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- May City is located in Osceola County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for May City
- Ocheyedan
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Ocheyedan is located in Osceola County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocheyedan
- Population from the 2020 Census: 463 people
- Harris
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Harris is located in Osceola County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harris
- Population from the 2020 Census: 158 people
- Plymouth County
- The following are listed by their distance from Sheldon, with the one closest to Sheldon listed first.
- Remsen
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Struble
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Struble is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Struble
- Population from the 2020 Census: 77 people
- Oyens
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Oyens is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oyens
- Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
- Craig
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Craig is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Craig
- Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
- Sioux County
- The following are listed by their distance from Sheldon, with the one closest to Sheldon listed first.
- Matlock
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Hospers
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Boyden
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Boyden is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyden
- Population from the 2020 Census: 682 people
- Middleburg
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Middleburg is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middleburg
- Granville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Granville is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
- Hull
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Alton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Orange City
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Sioux Center
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Perkins
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Perkins is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perkins
- Westbrook Village
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Westbrook Village is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westbrook Village
- Maurice
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Maurice is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maurice
- Population from the 2020 Census: 270 people
- Rock Valley
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Nobles County (MN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Sheldon, with the one closest to Sheldon listed first.
- Bigelow
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Bigelow is located in Nobles County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bigelow
- Population from the 2020 Census: 226 people
- Ellsworth
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Ransom
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Ransom is located in Nobles County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ransom
- Org
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Org is located in Nobles County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Org
- Rushmore
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Rushmore is located in Nobles County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rushmore
- Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
- Round Lake
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Rock County (MN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Sheldon, with the one closest to Sheldon listed first.
- Ash Creek
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Ash Creek is located in Rock County (MN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ash Creek
- Kanaranzi
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Lincoln County (SD)
- Hudson
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Sheldon, see our County-by-County Page for Sheldon.
Cemeteries Near Sheldon ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sheldon.
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 Sheldon - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Sheldon covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Sheldon, with the one closest to Sheldon listed first.
- St. Paul Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- St. Patricks Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- East Lawn Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Greenwood Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Hospers Memorial Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Quaker Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Hospers Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- St. Anthonys Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Roseland Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Floyd Twp. Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- St. Cecilla Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Gilman Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Continue List (111 more) ...
- St. Marys Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- St. John Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Boyden Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
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 Sheldon had a population of 1,478 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Sheldon had a population of 5,071 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Sheldon, with the one closest to Sheldon listed first.
- Ritter
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Ritter is located in O'Brien County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ritter
- Archer
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Matlock
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Hospers
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Boyden
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Boyden is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyden
- Population from the 2020 Census: 682 people
- Sanborn
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Ashton
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Newkirk
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Newkirk is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newkirk
- Middleburg
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Middleburg is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middleburg
- Primghar
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Granville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Granville is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
- George
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Hull
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Alton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Paullina
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Paullina is located in O'Brien County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paullina
- Population from the 2020 Census: 965 people
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Sheldon. See our List of 1890's Communities around Sheldon.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Sheldon ...
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 104 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sheldon.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Sheldon. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Sheldon and those printed in the larger area surrounding Sheldon.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Sheldon.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we like to start 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 Sheldon:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to O'Brien County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Cherokee County
- Clay County
- Lyon County
- Osceola County
- Plymouth County
- Sioux County
- Nobles County
- Rock County
- Lincoln 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 Sheldon, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <3> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or 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- Sheldon) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |