RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Iowa >> Bremer County >> Spring Fountain >> Genealogy HelperIndex...

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 Spring Fountain (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 Spring Fountain. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors 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.

Spring Fountain is located in Bremer 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 Bremer County: Black Hawk, Buchanan, Butler, Chickasaw, Fayette & Floyd.

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

  • Bremer County     (The home county of Spring Fountain)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spring Fountain, with the one closest to Spring Fountain listed first.
    • Sumner
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Tripoli
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Frederika
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Frederika is located in Bremer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frederika
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 205 people
    • Seigel
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Seigel is located in Bremer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seigel
    • Readlyn
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Knittel
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Knittel is located in Bremer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knittel
    • Bremer
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Bremer is located in Bremer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bremer
    • Klinger
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Klinger is located in Bremer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klinger
    • Denver
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Horton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Horton is located in Bremer County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horton
    • Waverly
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Plainfield
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
  • Black Hawk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spring Fountain, with the one closest to Spring Fountain listed first.
    • Dunkerton
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Dunkerton is located in Black Hawk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunkerton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 851 people
    • Edwards ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Edwards is located in Black Hawk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edwards
    • Janesville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Dewar
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Dewar is located in Black Hawk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewar
    • Finchford
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Finchford is located in Black Hawk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Finchford
    • North Cedar
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • North Cedar is located in Black Hawk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Cedar
    • Evansdale
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Waterloo
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Cedar City
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Cedar City is located in Black Hawk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar City
    • Cedar Falls
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Elk Run Heights
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Elk Run Heights is located in Black Hawk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk Run Heights
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,135 people
    • Jesup
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Jesup is located in Black Hawk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jesup
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,711 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jesup <1>
  • Buchanan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spring Fountain, with the one closest to Spring Fountain listed first.
    • Fairbank
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Hazleton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Stanley
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Stanley is located in Buchanan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stanley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
    • Aurora
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Aurora is located in Buchanan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aurora
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 162 people
    • Independence
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Doris
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Doris is located in Buchanan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Doris
  • Butler County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spring Fountain, with the one closest to Spring Fountain listed first.
    • Shell Rock
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Clarksville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • New Hartford
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Coster
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Coster is located in Butler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coster
  • Chickasaw County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spring Fountain, with the one closest to Spring Fountain listed first.
    • Fredericksburg
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Republic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Republic is located in Chickasaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Republic
    • Lawler
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • New Hampton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Bradford
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Bradford is located in Chickasaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradford
    • Ionia
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Ionia is located in Chickasaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ionia
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 273 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ionia <1>
    • Nashua
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Nashua is located in Chickasaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nashua
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,571 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nashua <1>
    • Chickasaw
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Chickasaw is located in Chickasaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chickasaw
    • Bassett
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Bassett is located in Chickasaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassett
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 62 people
    • North Washington
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • North Washington is located in Chickasaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Washington
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 137 people
    • Jerico
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Jerico is located in Chickasaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jerico
    • Alta Vista
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Fayette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spring Fountain, with the one closest to Spring Fountain listed first.
    • Oran
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Oran is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oran
    • Westgate
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Westgate is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westgate
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 209 people
    • Alpha
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Alpha is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alpha
    • Hawkeye
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Hawkeye is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawkeye
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 399 people
    • Maynard
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Randalia
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Randalia is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Randalia
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 60 people
    • Donnan
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Donnan is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Donnan
    • Waucoma
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Oelwein
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Fayette
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Douglass
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Douglass is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Douglass
    • Saint Lucas
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Saint Lucas is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Lucas
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 134 people
  • Floyd County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spring Fountain, with the one closest to Spring Fountain listed first.
    • Carrville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Carrville is located in Floyd County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carrville
    • Charles City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Colwell
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Howard County
    • Protivin
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
  • Winneshiek County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Spring Fountain, with the one closest to Spring Fountain listed first.
    • Jackson Junction
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Jackson Junction is located in Winneshiek County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jackson Junction
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
    • Navan
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Navan is located in Winneshiek County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Navan
    • Fort Atkinson
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Festina
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Calmar
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Spillville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Ossian
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Spring Fountain ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Spring Fountain.

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 Spring Fountain - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • St. Johns Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Mt. Olivet Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Pinhook Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Grace Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Pauls UCC Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Mt. Calvary Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Union Mound Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Zion Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Faith Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Fremont Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Mentor Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • St. John Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Continue List   (255 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.<2>

While we didn't find Spring Fountain in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Spring Fountain.

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

  • Tripoli
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Sumner
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Wapsie
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Wapsie is located in Bremer County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wapsie
  • Seigel
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Seigel is located in Bremer County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seigel
  • Knittel
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Knittel is located in Bremer County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knittel
  • Fredericksburg
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Westgate
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Westgate is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westgate
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 209 people
  • Richfield
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Richfield is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richfield
  • Bremer
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Bremer is located in Bremer County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bremer
  • Williamstown
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Williamstown is located in Chickasaw County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamstown
  • Klinger
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Klinger is located in Bremer County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klinger
  • Roxie
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Roxie is located in Bremer County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roxie
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Denver
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Boyd
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Boyd is located in Chickasaw County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
    • Hawkeye
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Hawkeye is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawkeye
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 399 people

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

Newspapers Published in Spring Fountain ...

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 50 newspapers that have been published in the area around Spring Fountain.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Spring Fountain, 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 Spring Fountain.

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 either 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 Spring Fountain:

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 Spring Fountain, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Spring Fountain) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.