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 Chapin (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 Chapin. 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 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.
Chapin is located in Macon 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 Macon County: Christian, De Witt, Logan, Moultrie, Piatt, Sangamon & Shelby.
Below are the counties that are near Chapin. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Chapin:
- Macon County (The home county of Chapin)
- The following are listed by their distance from Chapin, with the one closest to Chapin listed first.
- Sangamon
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Sangamon is located in Macon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sangamon
- Casner
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Casner is located in Macon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Casner
- Oreana
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Long Creek
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Long Creek is located in Macon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Creek
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,262 people
- Argenta
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Hervey City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Hervey City is located in Macon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hervey City
- Mount Zion
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Decatur
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Turpin
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Turpin is located in Macon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turpin
- Forsyth
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Bearsdale
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Bearsdale is located in Macon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bearsdale
- Elwin
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Maroa
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Champaign County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chapin, with the one closest to Chapin listed first.
- Ivesdale
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Sadorus
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Seymour
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Pesotum
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Bondville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Tolono
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Mahomet
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Staley
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Staley is located in Champaign County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Staley
- Savoy
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Christian County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chapin, with the one closest to Chapin listed first.
- Sandersville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Sandersville is located in Christian County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandersville
- Stonington
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Mount Auburn
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Assumption
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Grove City
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Grove City is located in Christian County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove City
- Coles County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chapin, with the one closest to Chapin listed first.
- Cooks Mills
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Cooks Mills is located in Coles County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cooks Mills
- Humboldt
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- De Witt County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chapin, with the one closest to Chapin listed first.
- Weldon
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Lane
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Rowell
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Rowell is located in De Witt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rowell
- Birkbeck
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Birkbeck is located in De Witt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Birkbeck
- De Witt
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- De Witt is located in De Witt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Witt
- Population from the 2020 Census: 175 people
- Clinton
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Fullerton
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Fullerton is located in De Witt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fullerton
- Kenney
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Parnell
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Parnell is located in De Witt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parnell
- Hallsville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Hallsville is located in De Witt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hallsville
- Wapella
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Farmer City
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Midland City
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Midland City is located in De Witt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midland City
- Douglas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chapin, with the one closest to Chapin listed first.
- Garrett
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Garrett is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrett
- Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
- Arthur
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Chicken Bristle
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Chicken Bristle is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicken Bristle
- Ficklin
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Ficklin is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ficklin
- Chesterville
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Chesterville is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chesterville
- Hayes
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Hayes is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayes
- Tuscola
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Arcola
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Logan County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chapin, with the one closest to Chapin listed first.
- Latham
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Chestnut
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Beason
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Mount Pulaski
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- McLean County
- Kumler
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Kumler is located in McLean County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kumler
- Moultrie County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chapin, with the one closest to Chapin listed first.
- Lake City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Lake City is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake City
- Dalton City
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Lovington
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Bethany
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Cushman
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Cushman is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cushman
- Dunn
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Dunn is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunn
- Cadwell
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Cadwell is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cadwell
- Sullivan
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Allenville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Allenville is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allenville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 141 people
- Coles
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Coles is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coles
- Piatt County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chapin, with the one closest to Chapin listed first.
- Cerro Gordo
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Milmine
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- La Place
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Lintner
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Lintner is located in Piatt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lintner
- Cisco
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Burrowsville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Burrowsville is located in Piatt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burrowsville
- Voorhies
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Voorhies is located in Piatt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Voorhies
- Bement
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Hammond
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Monticello
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Atwood
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- De Land
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- White Heath
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Sangamon County
- Illiopolis
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Shelby County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chapin, with the one closest to Chapin listed first.
- Moweaqua
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Findlay
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Yantisville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Yantisville is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yantisville
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Chapin, see our County-by-County Page for Chapin.
Cemeteries Near Chapin ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Chapin.
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 Chapin - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Chapin covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Chapin, with the one closest to Chapin listed first.
- Cerro Gordo Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Ridge Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Peck Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Cross Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Ritchie Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Union Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Wheeler Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- North Fork Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Florey Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Pt. Pleasant Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- LaPlace Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- LaPlace Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (255 more) ...
- West France Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Garver Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- St. Johns Lutheran Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
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.<3>
While we didn't find Chapin in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Chapin.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Chapin, with the one closest to Chapin listed first.
- Oakley
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Cerro Gordo
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Sangamon
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Sangamon is located in Macon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sangamon
- Casner
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Casner is located in Macon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Casner
- Long Creek
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Long Creek is located in Macon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Creek
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,262 people
- La Place
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Milmine
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Oreana
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Argenta
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Lintner
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Lintner is located in Piatt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lintner
- Prairie Hall
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Prairie Hall is located in Macon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Hall
- Decatur
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Mount Zion
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Hervey City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Hervey City is located in Macon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hervey City
- Lake City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Lake City is located in Moultrie County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake City
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Chapin. See our List of 1890's Communities around Chapin.
Newspapers Published in Chapin ...
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 273 newspapers that have been published in the area around Chapin.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Chapin, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Chapin.
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 Chapin:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Macon County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Champaign County
- Christian County
- Coles County
- De Witt County
- Douglas County
- Logan County
- McLean County
- Moultrie County
- Piatt County
- Sangamon County
- Shelby 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> | 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. |
| <3> | 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 Chapin, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | 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- Chapin) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |