Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
So far, we found very little information about West Union. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>
We've added West Union to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with West Union, please Contact Us.
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 West Union (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 West Union. 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 West Union ...
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.
For example, a typical abbreviation for West Union: W. Union
You might be interested in other communities that are also named West Union. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for West Union.
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.
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 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.
Although our information shows that the community of West Union is historic, it would have been located within present day Tama 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 Tama County: Benton, Black Hawk, Grundy, Iowa, Jasper, Marshall & Poweshiek.
Below are the counties that are near West Union. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to West Union:
- Tama County (The home county of West Union)
- The following are listed by their distance from West Union, with the one closest to West Union listed first.
- Traer
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Buckingham
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Buckingham is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckingham
- Dinsdale
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Dinsdale is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dinsdale
- Dysart
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Clutier
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Garwin
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Garwin is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garwin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 490 people
- Gladbrook
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Lincoln
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Lincoln is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln
- Population from the 2020 Census: 148 people
- Vining
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Vining is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vining
- Population from the 2020 Census: 49 people
- Elberon
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Gladstone
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Gladstone is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gladstone
- Toledo
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Tama
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Benton County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Union, with the one closest to West Union listed first.
- Garrison
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Garrison is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrison
- Population from the 2020 Census: 355 people
- Mount Auburn
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Mount Auburn is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Auburn
- Population from the 2020 Census: 144 people
- Irving
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Irving is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irving
- Keystone
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Vinton
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Belle Plaine
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Van Horne
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Van Horne is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Horne
- Population from the 2020 Census: 646 people
- Luzerne
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Luzerne is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luzerne
- Population from the 2020 Census: 92 people
- Benton City ‑ Historic
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Benton City is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benton City
- Blairstown
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Urbana
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Newhall
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Shellsburg
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Black Hawk County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Union, with the one closest to West Union listed first.
- Blessing
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Blessing is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blessing
- Voorhies
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Voorhies is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Voorhies
- Eagle Center
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Eagle Center is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Center
- Hudson
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- La Porte City
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Gilbertville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Gilbertville is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilbertville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 725 people
- Evansdale
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Waterloo
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Elk Run Heights
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- 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
- Jubilee
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Jubilee is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jubilee
- Raymond
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Raymond is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymond
- Population from the 2020 Census: 788 people
- Cedar Falls
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Cedar City
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Cedar City is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar City
- Buchanan County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Union, with the one closest to West Union listed first.
- Shady Grove
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Shady Grove is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shady Grove
- Brandon
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Brandon is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brandon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 320 people
- Hamerville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Hamerville is located in Buchanan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamerville
- Butler County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Union, with the one closest to West Union listed first.
- Sinclair
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Sinclair is located in Butler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinclair
- New Hartford
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Grundy County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Union, with the one closest to West Union listed first.
- Reinbeck
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Morrison
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Beaman
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Beaman is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaman
- Population from the 2020 Census: 183 people
- Grundy Center
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Fredsville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Fredsville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredsville
- Dike
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Conrad
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Holland
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Fern
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Fern is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern
- Stout
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Stout is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stout
- Population from the 2020 Census: 214 people
- Wellsburg
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Buck Grove
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Buck Grove is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buck Grove
- Hardin County
- Whitten
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Whitten is located in Hardin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whitten
- Population from the 2020 Census: 140 people
- Iowa County
- Dayton
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Dayton is located in Iowa County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dayton
- Jasper County
- Newburg
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Newburg is located in Jasper County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newburg
- Marshall County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Union, with the one closest to West Union listed first.
- Green Mountain
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Green Mountain is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Mountain
- Le Grand
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Dillon
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Dillon is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dillon
- Dunbar
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Dunbar is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunbar
- Marshalltown
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Ferguson
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Ferguson is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ferguson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 122 people
- Gilman
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Gilman is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilman
- Population from the 2020 Census: 484 people
- Albion
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Liscomb
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Liscomb is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liscomb
- Population from the 2020 Census: 296 people
- Marietta
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Marietta is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marietta
- Poweshiek County
- The following are listed by their distance from West Union, with the one closest to West Union listed first.
- Sheridan
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Sheridan is located in Poweshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sheridan
- Hartwick
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Hartwick is located in Poweshiek County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartwick
- Population from the 2020 Census: 81 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to West Union, see our County-by-County Page for West Union.
Cemeteries Near West Union ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of West Union.
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 West Union - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for West Union covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from West Union, with the one closest to West Union listed first.
- West Union Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- St. Paul's Catholic Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Buckingham Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Bakers Grove Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Larch Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Dinsdale Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Oneida Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Dysart Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- St. Vaclav Catholic Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- St. Joseph Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Spencer Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Geneseo Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Continue List (255 more) ...
- Pleasant Hill Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Wheaton Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Clutier Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
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.
While we didn't find West Union in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of West Union.
These communities are listed based on their distance from West Union, with the one closest to West Union listed first.
- Traer
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Dinsdale
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Dinsdale is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dinsdale
- Dysart
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Mooreville ‑ Historic
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Mooreville is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mooreville
- Eagle Center
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Eagle Center is located in Black Hawk County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Center
- Reinbeck
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Garwin
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Garwin is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garwin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 490 people
- Gladbrook
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Vining
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Vining is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vining
- Population from the 2020 Census: 49 people
- Hudson
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Toledo
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Gladstone
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Gladstone is located in Tama County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gladstone
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Garrison
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Garrison is located in Benton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrison
- Population from the 2020 Census: 355 people
- La Porte City
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Morrison
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around West Union. See our List of 1890's Communities around West Union.
Newspapers Published in West Union ...
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 90 newspapers that have been published in the area around West Union.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of West Union, 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 West Union.
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 helpful 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 West Union:
- Websites specific to Iowa
- Pages specific to Tama County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Benton County
- Black Hawk County
- Buchanan County
- Butler County
- Grundy County
- Hardin County
- Iowa County
- Jasper County
- Marshall County
- Poweshiek County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Iowa
Footnotes ...
| <1> | 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 West Union, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <3> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- West Union) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |