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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 Swaledale (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 Swaledale. 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 and hospitals 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.

Swaledale is located in Cerro Gordo County.

To see how the shape of Iowa's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Cerro Gordo County: Butler, Floyd, Franklin, Hancock, Mitchell, Winnebago, Worth & Wright.

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

  • Cerro Gordo County     (The home county of Swaledale)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Swaledale, with the one closest to Swaledale listed first.
    • Thornton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Rockwell
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Burchinal
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Cameron
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cameron. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cameron
      • Cameron is located in Cerro Gordo County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cameron
      • From Swaledale to Cameron
    • Meservey
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meservey have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meservey
      • Meservey is located in Cerro Gordo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 237 people
    • Cartersville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Clear Lake
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Mason City Junction
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Ventura
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ventura have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ventura
      • Ventura is located in Cerro Gordo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 706 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ventura <1>
    • Mason City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Dougherty
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dougherty have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dougherty
      • Dougherty is located in Cerro Gordo County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 56 people
    • Portland
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Creamery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Creamery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creamery
      • Creamery is located in Cerro Gordo County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Creamery
      • From Swaledale to Creamery
  • Butler County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Swaledale, with the one closest to Swaledale listed first.
    • Aredale
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Dumont
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dumont have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dumont
      • Dumont is located in Butler County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 595 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dumont <1>
    • Bristow
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Greene
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Kesley
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Allison
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Allison have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allison
      • Allison is located in Butler County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 965 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Allison <1>
  • Floyd County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Swaledale, with the one closest to Swaledale listed first.
    • Rockford
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Nora Springs
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nora Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nora Springs
      • Nora Springs is located in Floyd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,342 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nora Springs <1>
    • Aureola
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Aureola have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aureola
      • Aureola is located in Floyd County
    • Marble Rock
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marble Rock have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marble Rock
      • Marble Rock is located in Floyd County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 287 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marble Rock <1>
    • Rudd
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Roseville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Oakwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Floyd
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Franklin County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Swaledale, with the one closest to Swaledale listed first.
    • Sheffield
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sheffield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheffield
      • Sheffield is located in Franklin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,096 people
    • Chapin
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Alexander
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Latimer
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Latimer have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Latimer
      • Latimer is located in Franklin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 463 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Latimer <1>
    • Coulter
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Hampton
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hampton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hampton
      • Hampton is located in Franklin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,162 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hampton <1>
    • Hansell
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Reeve
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Reeve. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reeve
      • Reeve is located in Franklin County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Reeve
      • From Swaledale to Reeve
    • Geneva
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Geneva have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Geneva
      • Geneva is located in Franklin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 154 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Geneva <1>
    • Bradford
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bradford have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradford
      • Bradford is located in Franklin County
    • Popejoy
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Popejoy have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Popejoy
      • Popejoy is located in Franklin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 74 people
    • Faulkner
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Faulkner. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Faulkner
      • Faulkner is located in Franklin County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Faulkner
      • From Swaledale to Faulkner
    • Oakland
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
  • Hancock County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Swaledale, with the one closest to Swaledale listed first.
    • Klemme
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Klemme have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klemme
      • Klemme is located in Hancock County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 455 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Klemme <1>
    • Goodell
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Garner
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garner have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garner
      • Garner is located in Hancock County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,031 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Garner <1>
    • Duncan
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Kanawha
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Britt
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Crystal Lake
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crystal Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Lake
      • Crystal Lake is located in Hancock County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 228 people
    • Hutchins
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hutchins. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hutchins
      • Hutchins is located in Hancock County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hutchins
      • From Swaledale to Hutchins
  • Mitchell County
  • Winnebago County
  • Worth County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Swaledale, with the one closest to Swaledale listed first.
    • Fertile
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fertile have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fertile
      • Fertile is located in Worth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 356 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fertile <1>
    • Hanlontown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hanlontown have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanlontown
      • Hanlontown is located in Worth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 220 people
    • Manly
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Kensett
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kensett have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kensett
      • Kensett is located in Worth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 249 people
    • Joice
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Joice have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joice
      • Joice is located in Worth County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 209 people
    • Grafton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Bolan
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Bristol
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Wright County

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

Cemeteries Near Swaledale ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Swaledale.

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 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 Swaledale covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Pleasant Valley Twp. Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
  • Pleasant View Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant View Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant View Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Vernon Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Vernon Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Vernon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Richland Lutheran Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Shobes Grove Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shobes Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shobes Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sacred Heart Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sacred Heart Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sacred Heart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Linn Grove Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Linn Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Linn Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillside Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillside Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Meservey Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Meservey Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Meservey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Zion Reformed Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Reformed Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Reformed Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. John Zion Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Clear Lake Municipal Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (150 more) ...
    • Holland Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holland Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Old Chapin Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Chapin Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Chapin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Way Side Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Way Side Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Way Side Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Swaledale had a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Swaledale had a population of 157 people.

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

  • Thornton
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Rockwell
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Burchinal
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Sheffield
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sheffield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheffield
    • Sheffield is located in Franklin County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,096 people
  • Cameron
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cameron. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cameron
    • Cameron is located in Cerro Gordo County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Cameron
    • From Swaledale to Cameron
  • Chapin
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Clear Lake
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Mason City Junction
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Mason City
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Alexander
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Portland
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Klemme
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Klemme have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Klemme
    • Klemme is located in Hancock County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 455 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Klemme <1>
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...
    • Goodell
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Latimer
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Latimer have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Latimer
      • Latimer is located in Franklin County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 463 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Latimer <1>
    • Creamery
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Creamery. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creamery
      • Creamery is located in Cerro Gordo County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Creamery
      • From Swaledale to Creamery

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

Newspapers Published in Swaledale ...

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 106 newspapers that have been published in the area around Swaledale.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Swaledale, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Swaledale.

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 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 Swaledale:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Swaledale. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Cerro Gordo County: www.co.cerro-gordo.ia.us/

The official website for State of Iowa: https://www.iowa.gov/

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>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<4>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.
<5>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 Swaledale, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Swaledale) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Swaledale. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.9785, Longitude: -93.3149    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025