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 Union Center (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 Union Center. 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.
Name Variations for Union Center ...
When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.
Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might occur.
For example, a typical abbreviation for Union Center: Union Ctr. (or less commonly used: Union Cen., Union Cent. or Union Cntr.)
You might see Union Centre instead of Union Center.
You might be interested in other communities that are also named Union Center. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Union Center.
If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.
For more information about how community names might have been affected by the Board of Geographic Names (BGN), see our page about Placename Rules.
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 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 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.
Union Center is located in Plymouth 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 Plymouth County: Cherokee, Sioux, Woodbury & Union (SD).
Below are the counties that are near Union Center. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Union Center:
- Plymouth County (The home county of Union Center)
- The following are listed by their distance from Union Center, with the one closest to Union Center listed first.
- O'Leary
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- O'Leary is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for O'Leary
- Oyens
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Oyens is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oyens
- Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
- Le Mars
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Kingsley
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Remsen
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Merrill
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Hinton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Brunsville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Brunsville is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brunsville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 152 people
- Struble
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Struble is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Struble
- Population from the 2020 Census: 77 people
- James
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- James is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for James
- Craig
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Craig is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Craig
- Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
- Adaville
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Adaville is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adaville
- Millnerville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Millnerville is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millnerville
- Cherokee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Union Center, with the one closest to Union Center listed first.
- Fielding
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Fielding is located in Cherokee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fielding
- Marcus
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Mary Hill
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Mary Hill is located in Cherokee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mary Hill
- Cleghorn
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Cleghorn is located in Cherokee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cleghorn
- Population from the 2020 Census: 214 people
- Washta
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Washta is located in Cherokee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washta
- Population from the 2020 Census: 222 people
- Quimby
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Quimby is located in Cherokee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quimby
- Population from the 2020 Census: 291 people
- Meriden
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Meriden is located in Cherokee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meriden
- Population from the 2020 Census: 144 people
- Cherokee
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Larrabee
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Larrabee is located in Cherokee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Larrabee
- Population from the 2020 Census: 130 people
- Ida County
- Holstein
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- O'Brien County
- The following are listed by their distance from Union Center, with the one closest to Union Center listed first.
- Germantown
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Germantown is located in O'Brien County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Germantown
- Paullina
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Paullina is located in O'Brien County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paullina
- Population from the 2020 Census: 965 people
- Sioux County
- The following are listed by their distance from Union Center, with the one closest to Union Center listed first.
- Maurice
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Maurice is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maurice
- Population from the 2020 Census: 270 people
- Alton
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Orange City
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Granville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Granville is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
- Ireton
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- McNally
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- McNally is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McNally
- Hospers
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Sioux Center
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Westbrook Village
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Westbrook Village is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westbrook Village
- Chatsworth
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Chatsworth is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatsworth
- Population from the 2020 Census: 81 people
- Middleburg
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Middleburg is located in Sioux County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middleburg
- Hawarden
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Woodbury County
- The following are listed by their distance from Union Center, with the one closest to Union Center listed first.
- Moville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Pierson
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Pierson is located in Woodbury County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pierson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 349 people
- Lawton
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Lawton is located in Woodbury County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 979 people
- Evergreen Village
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Evergreen Village is located in Woodbury County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evergreen Village
- Holiday Village
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Holiday Village is located in Woodbury County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holiday Village
- Correctionville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Regency of Sioux City
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Bronson
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Bronson is located in Woodbury County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bronson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 318 people
- Sioux City
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Anthon
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Glen Ellen
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Glen Ellen is located in Woodbury County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glen Ellen
- Climbing Hill
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Climbing Hill is located in Woodbury County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Climbing Hill
- Cushing
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Cushing is located in Woodbury County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cushing
- Population from the 2020 Census: 215 people
- Dakota County (NE)
- The following are listed by their distance from Union Center, with the one closest to Union Center listed first.
- South Sioux City
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Dakota City
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Union County (SD)
- The following are listed by their distance from Union Center, with the one closest to Union Center listed first.
- North Sioux City
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- McCook Lake
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- McCook Lake is located in Union County (SD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCook Lake
- Dakota Dunes
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Jefferson
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Richland
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Richland is located in Union County (SD)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richland
- Estimated population in 2014: 215 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Union Center, see our County-by-County Page for Union Center.
Cemeteries Near Union Center ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Union Center.
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 Union Center - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Union Center covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Union Center, with the one closest to Union Center listed first.
- Union Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- St. Josephs Catholic Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Stanton Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Family Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Elkhorn Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Lincoln Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Lincoln Cemetery is located 6 miles [9.7 km]<2> to the east of Hinton.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #95301 <3>
- Kingsley Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Remsen Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Remsen Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Remsen Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the southwest of Remsen.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #95928 <3>
- St. Marys Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Marys Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Marys Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the southwest of Remsen.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #96194 <3>
- St. Catherines Catholic Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Le Mars Memorial Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (123 more) ...
- St. Josephs Catholic Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- St. Michaels Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Pleasant Hill Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
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>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Union Center had a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Union Center, with the one closest to Union Center listed first.
- O'Leary
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- O'Leary is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for O'Leary
- Neptune
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Neptune is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neptune
- Kingsley
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Oyens
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Oyens is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oyens
- Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
- Le Mars
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Remsen
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Merrill
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Seney
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Seney is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seney
- Hinton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Moville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Fielding
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Fielding is located in Cherokee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fielding
- Pierson
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Pierson is located in Woodbury County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pierson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 349 people
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- James
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- James is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for James
- Struble
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Struble is located in Plymouth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Struble
- Population from the 2020 Census: 77 people
- Marcus
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Union Center. See our List of 1890's Communities around Union Center.
Newspapers Published in Union Center ...
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 125 newspapers that have been published in the area around Union Center.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Union Center, 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 Union Center.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we 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 Union Center:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Plymouth County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Cherokee County
- Ida County
- O'Brien County
- Sioux County
- Woodbury County
- Dakota County
- Union 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 '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- Union Center) 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 Union Center, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |