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 Biggs (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 Biggs. 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 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.
Biggs is located in Mason County.
To see how the shape of Illinois' counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Mason County: Cass, Fulton, Logan, Menard, Schuyler & Tazewell.
Below are the counties that are near Biggs. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Biggs:
- Mason County (The home county of Biggs)
- The following are listed by their distance from Biggs, with the one closest to Biggs listed first.
- Poplar City
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Easton
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Teheran
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Teheran is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Teheran
- Topeka
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Long Branch
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Long Branch is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Branch
- Kilbourne
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Forest City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Forest City is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 222 people
- Buzzville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Buzzville is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buzzville
- Havana
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Goofy Ridge
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Goofy Ridge is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goofy Ridge
- Mason City
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Union
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Union is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
- Bath
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Cass County
- The following are listed by their distance from Biggs, with the one closest to Biggs listed first.
- Newmansville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Newmansville is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newmansville
- Chandlerville
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Sylvan ‑ Historic
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Sylvan is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvan
- Gurney ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Gurney is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gurney
- Philadelphia
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Philadelphia is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philadelphia
- Ashland
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Burlingame
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Burlingame is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burlingame
- Virginia
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Jules
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Jules is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jules
- Old Princeton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Old Princeton is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Princeton
- Bluff Springs
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Oak Grove
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Oak Grove is located in Cass County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
- Fulton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Biggs, with the one closest to Biggs listed first.
- Liverpool
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Sepo
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Sepo is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sepo
- Marbletown
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Marbletown is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marbletown
- Lewistown
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Banner
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Dunfermline
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Bryant
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Saint David
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Summum
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Summum is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summum
- Breeds
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Breeds is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Breeds
- Canton
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Cuba
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Astoria
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Logan County
- The following are listed by their distance from Biggs, with the one closest to Biggs listed first.
- New Holland
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Middletown
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Emden
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Hartsburg
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Elkhart
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Bell
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Bell is located in Logan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bell
- Broadwell
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Broadwell is located in Logan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Broadwell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 135 people
- Evans
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Evans is located in Logan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evans
- Lincoln
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Menard County
- The following are listed by their distance from Biggs, with the one closest to Biggs listed first.
- Oakford
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Greenview
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Petersburg
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Tallula
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Athens
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Croft
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Croft is located in Menard County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Croft
- Morgan County
- The following are listed by their distance from Biggs, with the one closest to Biggs listed first.
- Prentice
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Prentice is located in Morgan County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prentice
- Literberry
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Peoria County
- The following are listed by their distance from Biggs, with the one closest to Biggs listed first.
- Glasford
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Kingston Mines
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Mapleton
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Bartonville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Sangamon County
- The following are listed by their distance from Biggs, with the one closest to Biggs listed first.
- Salisbury
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Salisbury is located in Sangamon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salisbury
- Cantrall
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Pleasant Plains
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Williamsville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Sherman
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Schuyler County
- The following are listed by their distance from Biggs, with the one closest to Biggs listed first.
- Bluff City
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Bluff City is located in Schuyler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluff City
- Bader
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Bader is located in Schuyler County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bader
- Browning
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Frederick
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Tazewell County
- The following are listed by their distance from Biggs, with the one closest to Biggs listed first.
- Winkel ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Winkel is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winkel
- Radville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Radville is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Radville
- Green Valley
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Parkland
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Parkland is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkland
- Talbott
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Talbott is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Talbott
- Delavan
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- South Pekin
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- South Pekin is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Pekin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,081 people
- Stoehrs
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Stoehrs is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stoehrs
- Hawley ‑ Historic
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Hawley is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawley
- Midway
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Midway is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
- Powerton
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Powerton is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powerton
- Brownwood ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Brownwood is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownwood
- Crescent
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Crescent is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crescent
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Biggs, see our County-by-County Page for Biggs.
Cemeteries Near Biggs ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Biggs.
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 Biggs - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Biggs covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Biggs, with the one closest to Biggs listed first.
- Heater Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Samm's Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Chaney Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Baker Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- New Hope Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Easton Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Pleasant View Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- New Lebanon Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Sear's Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Steging Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Morgan Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Holstlaw Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Continue List (358 more) ...
- Carter Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Leases Grove Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Leveldale Cemetery
(5 miles [8 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.<2>
While we didn't find Biggs in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Biggs.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Biggs, with the one closest to Biggs listed first.
- Poplar City
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Easton
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Teheran
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Teheran is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Teheran
- Topeka
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Conover
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Conover is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conover
- Bishop
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Bishop is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bishop
- Kelsey
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Kelsey is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kelsey
- Kilbourne
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Forest City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Forest City is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 222 people
- Havana
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Oakford
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Matanzas
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Matanzas is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Matanzas
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Mason City
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Liverpool
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Union
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Union is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Biggs. See our List of 1890's Communities around Biggs.
Newspapers Published in Biggs ...
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 65 newspapers that have been published in the area around Biggs.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Biggs, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Biggs.
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 Biggs:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Mason County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Cass County
- Fulton County
- Logan County
- Menard County
- Morgan County
- Peoria County
- Sangamon County
- Schuyler County
- Tazewell County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Illinois
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 Biggs, 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- Biggs) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |