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The Commemorative Quarter for Illinois





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 Decatur (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 Decatur. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

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 east contained birth and death records; the county to the north 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.

Decatur is located in Macon County and is the County Seat.

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 Macon County: Christian, De Witt, Logan, Moultrie, Piatt, Sangamon & Shelby.

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

  • Macon County     (The home county of Decatur)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Decatur, with the one closest to Decatur listed first.
    • Sangamon
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Forsyth
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Forsyth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forsyth
      • Forsyth is located in Macon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,465 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Forsyth <2>
    • Bearsdale
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bearsdale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bearsdale
      • Bearsdale is located in Macon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bearsdale
      • From Decatur to Bearsdale
    • Turpin
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Turpin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turpin
      • Turpin is located in Macon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Turpin
      • From Decatur to Turpin
    • Elwin
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elwin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elwin
      • Elwin is located in Macon County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elwin <2>
    • Oreana
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oreana have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oreana
      • Oreana is located in Macon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 804 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oreana <2>
    • Long Creek
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Mount Zion
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Zion have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Zion
      • Mount Zion is located in Macon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,762 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mount Zion <2>
    • Harristown
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harristown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harristown
      • Harristown is located in Macon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,278 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Harristown <2>
    • Warrensburg
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Warrensburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warrensburg
      • Warrensburg is located in Macon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,112 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Warrensburg <2>
    • Hervey City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hervey City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hervey City
      • Hervey City is located in Macon County
    • Boody
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Champaign County
    • Ivesdale
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ivesdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivesdale
      • Ivesdale is located in Champaign County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 248 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ivesdale <2>
  • Christian County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Decatur, with the one closest to Decatur listed first.
    • Mount Auburn
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Stonington
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stonington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonington
      • Stonington is located in Christian County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 835 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stonington <2>
    • Sandersville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Grove City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grove City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove City
      • Grove City is located in Christian County
    • Bolivia
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Assumption
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Edinburg
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Sharpsburg
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sharpsburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharpsburg
      • Sharpsburg is located in Christian County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sharpsburg
      • From Decatur to Sharpsburg
    • Velma
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Velma. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Velma
      • Velma is located in Christian County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Velma
      • From Decatur to Velma
    • Taylorville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Owaneco
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Owaneco have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Owaneco
      • Owaneco is located in Christian County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 223 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Owaneco <2>
    • Millersville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • De Witt County
  • Douglas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Decatur, with the one closest to Decatur listed first.
    • Arthur
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Garrett
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garrett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrett
      • Garrett is located in Douglas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
    • Chicken Bristle
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Logan County
  • Moultrie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Decatur, with the one closest to Decatur listed first.
    • Dalton City
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Lake City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Bethany
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bethany have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethany
      • Bethany is located in Moultrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,210 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bethany <2>
    • Lovington
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lovington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lovington
      • Lovington is located in Moultrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,010 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lovington <2>
    • Dunn
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dunn. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunn
      • Dunn is located in Moultrie County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dunn
      • From Decatur to Dunn
    • Cushman
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cushman. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cushman
      • Cushman is located in Moultrie County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cushman
      • From Decatur to Cushman
    • Cadwell
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Sullivan
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Allenville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Allenville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allenville
      • Allenville is located in Moultrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 141 people
  • Piatt County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Decatur, with the one closest to Decatur listed first.
    • Cerro Gordo
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cerro Gordo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cerro Gordo
      • Cerro Gordo is located in Piatt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,337 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cerro Gordo <2>
    • La Place
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for La Place have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Place
      • La Place is located in Piatt County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for La Place <2>
    • Lintner
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lintner. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lintner
      • Lintner is located in Piatt County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lintner
      • From Decatur to Lintner
    • Milmine
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milmine have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milmine
      • Milmine is located in Piatt County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Milmine <2>
    • Cisco
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cisco have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cisco
      • Cisco is located in Piatt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 242 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cisco <2>
    • Burrowsville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Hammond
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Voorhies
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Voorhies. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Voorhies
      • Voorhies is located in Piatt County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Voorhies
      • From Decatur to Voorhies
    • Bement
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bement have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bement
      • Bement is located in Piatt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,661 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bement <2>
    • Monticello
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monticello have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monticello
      • Monticello is located in Piatt County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,557 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Monticello <2>
    • De Land
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Atwood
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
  • Sangamon County
  • Shelby County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Decatur, with the one closest to Decatur listed first.
    • Moweaqua
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moweaqua have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moweaqua
      • Moweaqua is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,684 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moweaqua <2>
    • Yantisville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Findlay
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)

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

Cemeteries Near Decatur ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Decatur.

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

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

  • Calvary Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Calvary Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Graceland Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • Fairlawn Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairlawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairlawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Spangler Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spangler Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spangler Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Johns Lutheran Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Johns Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Johns Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • North Fork Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Fork Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Fork Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Boiling Springs Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Boiling Springs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Boiling Springs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sharon Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sharon Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sharon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Walnut Grove Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Walnut Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Walnut Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Gilead Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Gilead Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Gilead Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Garver Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Garver Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Garver Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (264 more) ...
    • Salem Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Ritchie Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ritchie Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ritchie Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Wheeler Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wheeler Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wheeler Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Decatur had a population of 16,841 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Decatur had a population of 70,007 people.

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

  • Turpin
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Turpin. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turpin
    • Turpin is located in Macon County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Turpin
    • From Decatur to Turpin
  • Sangamon
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Bearsdale
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bearsdale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bearsdale
    • Bearsdale is located in Macon County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Bearsdale
    • From Decatur to Bearsdale
  • Wyckles
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wyckles have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyckles
    • Wyckles is located in Macon County
  • Forsyth
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Forsyth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forsyth
    • Forsyth is located in Macon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,465 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Forsyth <2>
  • Elwin
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elwin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elwin
    • Elwin is located in Macon County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elwin <2>
  • Mount Zion
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Zion have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Zion
    • Mount Zion is located in Macon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,762 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mount Zion <2>
  • Long Creek
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Oreana
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oreana have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oreana
    • Oreana is located in Macon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 804 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oreana <2>
  • Harristown
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harristown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harristown
    • Harristown is located in Macon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,278 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Harristown <2>
  • Oakley
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oakley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakley
    • Oakley is located in Macon County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oakley <2>
  • Boody
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Hervey City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hervey City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hervey City
      • Hervey City is located in Macon County
    • Emery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emery
      • Emery is located in Macon County
    • Warrensburg
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Warrensburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warrensburg
      • Warrensburg is located in Macon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,112 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Warrensburg <2>

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Decatur ...

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 136 newspapers that have been published in the area around Decatur.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Decatur. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Decatur and those printed in the larger area surrounding Decatur.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<6> of Decatur.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer 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 Decatur:

The official website for Decatur: www.ci.decatur.il.us/

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

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>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.
<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 Decatur, 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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Decatur) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Decatur. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.8551, Longitude: -88.9454    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025