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 Chicago Ridge (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 Chicago Ridge. 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 Chicago Ridge ...
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 Chicago Ridge: Chicago Rdg. (or less commonly used: Chicago Rdge. or Chicago Ridg.)
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 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.
Chicago Ridge is located in Cook 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 Cook County: DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Lake (IN) & Berrien (MI).
Below are the counties that are near Chicago Ridge. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Chicago Ridge:
- Cook County (The home county of Chicago Ridge)
- The following are listed by their distance from Chicago Ridge, with the one closest to Chicago Ridge listed first.
- Oak Lawn
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Worth
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Bridgeview
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Hickory Hills
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Palos Heights
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Palos Hills
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Burbank
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Hometown
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Alsip
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Evergreen Park
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Bedford Park
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Justice
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Crestwood
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- DuPage County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chicago Ridge, with the one closest to Chicago Ridge listed first.
- Willowbrook
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Tedens ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Tedens is located in DuPage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tedens
- Hinsdale
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Darien
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Clarendon Hills
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Westmont
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Oak Brook
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Downers Grove
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Woodridge
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Oak Brook Terrace
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Oak Brook Terrace is located in DuPage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Brook Terrace
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,094 people
- South Elmhurst
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- South Elmhurst is located in DuPage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Elmhurst
- Utopia
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Utopia is located in DuPage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Utopia
- Elmhurst
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Kane County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chicago Ridge, with the one closest to Chicago Ridge listed first.
- Aurora
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Batavia
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Mooseheart
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- North Aurora
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- North Aurora is located in Kane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Aurora
- Population from the 2020 Census: 18,144 people
- Geneva
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Kendall County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chicago Ridge, with the one closest to Chicago Ridge listed first.
- Boulder Hill
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Boulder Hill is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boulder Hill
- Montgomery
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Oswego
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Will County
- The following are listed by their distance from Chicago Ridge, with the one closest to Chicago Ridge listed first.
- Goodings Grove
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Goodings Grove is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodings Grove
- Homer Glen
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Homer Glen is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homer Glen
- Population from the 2020 Census: 24,281 people
- Homer Glen has also been known as:
- Homer Glen village
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Homer Glen <1>
- Frankfort Square
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Frankfort Square is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankfort Square
- Mokena
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Frankfort
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Bolingbrook
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Colonial Village
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Colonial Village is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
- Winston Village
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Winston Village is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winston Village
- Gilletts ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Gilletts is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilletts
- Lockport
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Bloomfield Village
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Bloomfield Village is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield Village
- New Lenox
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Romeoville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Lake County (IN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Chicago Ridge, with the one closest to Chicago Ridge listed first.
- Whiting
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Hammond
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- East Chicago
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Munster
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Hessville
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Hessville is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hessville
- Dyer
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Dyer is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dyer
- Population from the 2020 Census: 15,955 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dyer <1>
- Highland
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Hartsdale
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Hartsdale is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartsdale
- Griffith
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Schererville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Gary
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Gary is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gary
- Population from the 2020 Census: 74,693 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gary <1>
- New Elliott
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- New Elliott is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Elliott
- Saint John
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Porter County (IN)
- Ogden Dunes
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Ogden Dunes is located in Porter County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ogden Dunes
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,083 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Chicago Ridge, see our County-by-County Page for Chicago Ridge.
Cemeteries Near Chicago Ridge ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Chicago Ridge.
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 Chicago Ridge - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Chicago Ridge covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Chicago Ridge, with the one closest to Chicago Ridge listed first.
- Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Alsip.
- The Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery has also been known as:
- Holy Sepulchre Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #106228 <2>
- Chapel Hills Gardens South
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Restvale Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Restvale Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Restvale Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Alsip.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107649 <2>
- Hazel Green Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- St. Casimir Catholic Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Burr Oak Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- St. Mary Catholic Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Oak Hill Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- St. Benedict Catholic Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- First Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Lincoln Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (383 more) ...
- Oak Hill Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Beverly Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beverly Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Beverly Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Blue Island.
- The Beverly Cemetery has also been known as:
- Beverly Memorial Park Cemetery
- Beverly Memorial Park
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #104753 <2>
- Ever Rest Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 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.<3>
While we didn't find Chicago Ridge in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Chicago Ridge.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Chicago Ridge, with the one closest to Chicago Ridge listed first.
- Worth
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Oak Lawn
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Mount Greenwood
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Mount Greenwood is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Greenwood
- Evergreen Park
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Goeselville
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Goeselville is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goeselville
- Blue Island
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Blue Island is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Island
- Population from the 2020 Census: 22,616 people
- Morgan Park
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Morgan Park is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morgan Park
- Beverly Hills
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Beverly Hills is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beverly Hills
- Willow Springs
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Summit
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Washington Heights
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Washington Heights is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washington Heights
- Brainerd
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Brainerd is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brainerd
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- South Englewood
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- South Englewood is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Englewood
- Forest Hill
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Forest Hill is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Hill
- Chicago Lawn
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Chicago Lawn is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicago Lawn
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Chicago Ridge. See our List of 1890's Communities around Chicago Ridge.
Newspapers Published in Chicago Ridge ...
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 126 newspapers that have been published in the area around Chicago Ridge.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Chicago Ridge, there are papers which were published within 10 miles [16.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Chicago Ridge.
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 either 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 Chicago Ridge:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Cook County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- DuPage County
- Kane County
- Kendall County
- Will County
- Lake County
- Porter 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 Chicago Ridge, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | 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- Chicago Ridge) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |