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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 Ayers (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 Ayers. 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 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.

Ayers is located in Carroll County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Carroll County: Clinton (IA), Jackson (IA), Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson & Whiteside.

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

  • Carroll County     (The home county of Ayers)
  • Jo Daviess County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ayers, with the one closest to Ayers listed first.
    • Pleasant Valley
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Hanover
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hanover have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanover
      • Hanover is located in Jo Daviess County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 769 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hanover <2>
    • Elizabeth
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elizabeth have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elizabeth
      • Elizabeth is located in Jo Daviess County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 722 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elizabeth <2>
    • Stockton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stockton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stockton
      • Stockton is located in Jo Daviess County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,709 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stockton <2>
    • Aiken
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Galena Junction
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Nora
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nora have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nora
      • Nora is located in Jo Daviess County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 116 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nora <2>
    • Bremen
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Scales Mound
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scales Mound have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scales Mound
      • Scales Mound is located in Jo Daviess County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 356 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scales Mound <2>
    • Galena
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Apple River
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Warren
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Warren have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warren
      • Warren is located in Jo Daviess County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,300 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Warren <2>
  • Lee County
    • Prairieville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prairieville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairieville
      • Prairieville is located in Lee County
  • Ogle County
  • Rock Island County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ayers, with the one closest to Ayers listed first.
    • Cordova
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cordova have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cordova
      • Cordova is located in Rock Island County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 640 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cordova <2>
    • Hillsdale
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hillsdale have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillsdale
      • Hillsdale is located in Rock Island County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 502 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hillsdale <2>
  • Stephenson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ayers, with the one closest to Ayers listed first.
    • Loran
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Kent
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kent have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
      • Kent is located in Stephenson County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kent <2>
    • Pearl City
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Yellow Creek
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Bolton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bolton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolton
      • Bolton is located in Stephenson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bolton
      • From Ayers to Bolton
    • Florence
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Florence have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Florence
      • Florence is located in Stephenson County
    • Eleroy
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Lena
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Salem
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Salem have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salem
      • Salem is located in Stephenson County
    • Freeport
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Freeport have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeport
      • Freeport is located in Stephenson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 23,447 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Freeport <2>
  • Whiteside County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ayers, with the one closest to Ayers listed first.
    • Spring Valley
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Fulton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fulton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fulton
      • Fulton is located in Whiteside County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,285 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fulton <2>
    • East Clinton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for East Clinton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Clinton
      • East Clinton is located in Whiteside County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to East Clinton
      • From Ayers to East Clinton
    • Union Grove
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • White Pigeon
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for White Pigeon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Pigeon
      • White Pigeon is located in Whiteside County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to White Pigeon
      • From Ayers to White Pigeon
    • Malvern
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Malvern. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Malvern
      • Malvern is located in Whiteside County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Malvern
      • From Ayers to Malvern
    • Morrison
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morrison have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morrison
      • Morrison is located in Whiteside County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,950 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Morrison <2>
    • Albany
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Albany have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albany
      • Albany is located in Whiteside County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 856 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Albany <2>
    • Coleta
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coleta have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coleta
      • Coleta is located in Whiteside County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 151 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Coleta <2>
    • Fenton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fenton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fenton
      • Fenton is located in Whiteside County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fenton <2>
    • Newton Corners
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Galt
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Galt have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galt
      • Galt is located in Whiteside County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Galt <2>
    • Lyndon
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lyndon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyndon
      • Lyndon is located in Whiteside County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 604 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lyndon <2>
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lyndon
      • From Ayers to Lyndon
  • Clinton County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ayers, with the one closest to Ayers listed first.
    • Elk River Junction
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elk River Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk River Junction
      • Elk River Junction is located in Clinton County (IA)
    • Teeds Grove
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Andover
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Bryant
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bryant have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bryant
      • Bryant is located in Clinton County (IA)
    • Sixmile
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Tenmile
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Clinton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Goose Lake
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Goose Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goose Lake
      • Goose Lake is located in Clinton County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 220 people
    • Elvira
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Charlotte
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Camanche
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Low Moor
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Shaffton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
  • Jackson County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ayers, with the one closest to Ayers listed first.
    • Sabula
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sabula have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sabula
      • Sabula is located in Jackson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 545 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sabula <2>
    • Miles
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Miles have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miles
      • Miles is located in Jackson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 430 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Miles <2>
    • Green Island
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Green Island have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Island
      • Green Island is located in Jackson County (IA)
    • Van Buren
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Preston
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Preston have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Preston
      • Preston is located in Jackson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 941 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Preston <2>
    • Spragueville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spragueville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spragueville
      • Spragueville is located in Jackson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 78 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Spragueville <2>
    • Springbrook
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Springbrook have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springbrook
      • Springbrook is located in Jackson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 140 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Springbrook <2>
    • Bellevue
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellevue have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellevue
      • Bellevue is located in Jackson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,185 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bellevue <2>
    • North Bellevue
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Smiths
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Smiths. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smiths
      • Smiths is located in Jackson County (IA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Smiths
      • From Ayers to Smiths
    • Andrew
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Maquoketa
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Fulton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Scott County (IA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Ayers, with the one closest to Ayers listed first.
    • McCausland
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McCausland have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McCausland
      • McCausland is located in Scott County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 311 people
    • Princeton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Ayers ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ayers.

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

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

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>

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

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

  • Hickory Grove
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • Savanna
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Sabula
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sabula have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sabula
    • Sabula is located in Jackson County (IA)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 545 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sabula <2>
  • Elk River Junction
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elk River Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk River Junction
    • Elk River Junction is located in Clinton County (IA)
  • Thomson
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Lainsville
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lainsville have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lainsville
    • Lainsville is located in Jackson County (IA)
  • Teeds Grove
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Almont
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Almont have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Almont
    • Almont is located in Clinton County (IA)
  • Daggett ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Daggett have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Daggett
    • Daggett is located in Carroll County
  • Mount Carroll
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Sterling
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sterling have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sterling
    • Sterling is located in Jackson County (IA)
  • Andover
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Ideal
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Marcus
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Miles
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Miles have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miles
      • Miles is located in Jackson County (IA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 430 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Miles <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Ayers ...

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 145 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ayers.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Ayers, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Ayers.

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 Ayers:

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

The official website for Carroll County: visitcarrollcountyil.com/

The official website for State of Illinois: https://illinois.gov

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Ayers, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Ayers) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Ayers. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.0557, Longitude: -90.1135    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025