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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 Effingham (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 Effingham. 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.

Effingham is located in Effingham 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 Effingham County: Clay, Cumberland, Fayette, Jasper & Shelby.

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

  • Effingham County     (The home county of Effingham)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Effingham, with the one closest to Effingham listed first.
    • Teutopolis
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Heartville
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Funkhouser
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Watson
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Watson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watson
      • Watson is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 732 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Watson <1>
    • Shumway
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shumway have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shumway
      • Shumway is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 192 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shumway <1>
    • Dexter
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dexter. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dexter
      • Dexter is located in Effingham County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dexter
      • From Effingham to Dexter
    • Montrose
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montrose have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montrose
      • Montrose is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
    • Dieterich
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Altamont
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Altamont have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altamont
      • Altamont is located in Effingham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,350 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Altamont <1>
    • Moccasin
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Mason
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Gilmore
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gilmore. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilmore
      • Gilmore is located in Effingham County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Gilmore
      • From Effingham to Gilmore
    • Beecher City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
  • Clay County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Effingham, with the one closest to Effingham listed first.
    • Iola
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Ingraham
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Louisville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Louisville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louisville
      • Louisville is located in Clay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,087 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Louisville <1>
    • Sailor Springs
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sailor Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sailor Springs
      • Sailor Springs is located in Clay County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sailor Springs <1>
  • Coles County
  • Cumberland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Effingham, with the one closest to Effingham listed first.
    • Neoga
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Neoga have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neoga
      • Neoga is located in Cumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,585 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Neoga <1>
    • Jewett
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jewett have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jewett
      • Jewett is located in Cumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 219 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Jewett <1>
    • Walla Walla
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Toledo
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toledo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toledo
      • Toledo is located in Cumberland County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,185 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Toledo <1>
    • Bradbury
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bradbury. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bradbury
      • Bradbury is located in Cumberland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bradbury
      • From Effingham to Bradbury
    • Johnstown
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Greenup
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Janesville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Janesville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Janesville
      • Janesville is located in Cumberland County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Janesville <1>
    • Timothy
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Timothy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timothy
      • Timothy is located in Cumberland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Timothy
      • From Effingham to Timothy
    • Hazel Dell
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Diona
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Union Center
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Fayette County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Effingham, with the one closest to Effingham listed first.
    • Holliday
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Saint Elmo
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Elmo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Elmo
      • Saint Elmo is located in Fayette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,367 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Elmo <1>
    • Howards Point ‑ Historic
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Howards Point have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howards Point
      • Howards Point is located in Fayette County
    • La Clede
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Avena
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Avena have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avena
      • Avena is located in Fayette County
    • Loogootee
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loogootee have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loogootee
      • Loogootee is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Loogootee <1>
    • Farina
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Saint Peter
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Peter have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Peter
      • Saint Peter is located in Fayette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 338 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Peter <1>
    • Brownstown
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brownstown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownstown
      • Brownstown is located in Fayette County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 733 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brownstown <1>
    • Dressor
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dressor. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dressor
      • Dressor is located in Fayette County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dressor
      • From Effingham to Dressor
    • Saint Paul
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Saint Paul. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Paul
      • Saint Paul is located in Fayette County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Saint Paul
      • From Effingham to Saint Paul
    • Bluff City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bluff City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluff City
      • Bluff City is located in Fayette County
    • Ramsey
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Jasper County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Effingham, with the one closest to Effingham listed first.
    • Wheeler
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wheeler have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheeler
      • Wheeler is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 146 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wheeler <1>
    • Lis
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lis
      • Lis is located in Jasper County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lis
      • From Effingham to Lis
    • Falmouth
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Hidalgo
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hidalgo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hidalgo
      • Hidalgo is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 103 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hidalgo <1>
    • Rose Hill
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rose Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose Hill
      • Rose Hill is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 80 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rose Hill
      • From Effingham to Rose Hill
    • Bogota
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Newton
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newton
      • Newton is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,818 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Newton <1>
    • Yale
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yale
      • Yale is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 84 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Yale <1>
    • Hunt City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Willow Hill
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willow Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow Hill
      • Willow Hill is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 224 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Willow Hill <1>
    • Sainte Marie
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sainte Marie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sainte Marie
      • Sainte Marie is located in Jasper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 234 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sainte Marie <1>
    • West Liberty
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Liberty have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Liberty
      • West Liberty is located in Jasper County
  • Marion County
  • Moultrie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Effingham, with the one closest to Effingham listed first.
    • Gays
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gays have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gays
      • Gays is located in Moultrie County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 252 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gays <1>
    • Coles
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Allenville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Allenville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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
  • Richland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Effingham, with the one closest to Effingham listed first.
    • Wakefield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Passport
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Passport. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Passport
      • Passport is located in Richland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Passport
      • From Effingham to Passport
  • Shelby County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Effingham, with the one closest to Effingham listed first.
    • Sigel
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Stewardson
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stewardson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stewardson
      • Stewardson is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 718 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stewardson <1>
    • Trowbridge
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Trowbridge. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trowbridge
      • Trowbridge is located in Shelby County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Trowbridge
      • From Effingham to Trowbridge
    • Mode
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Fancher
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fancher. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fancher
      • Fancher is located in Shelby County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fancher
      • From Effingham to Fancher
    • Strasburg
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Strasburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strasburg
      • Strasburg is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 435 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Strasburg <1>
    • Sexson Corner
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Cowden
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cowden have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cowden
      • Cowden is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 573 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cowden <1>
    • Windsor
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Middlesworth
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Lakewood
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lakewood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood
      • Lakewood is located in Shelby County
    • Shelbyville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Herrick
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Herrick have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herrick
      • Herrick is located in Shelby County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 423 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Herrick <1>

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

Cemeteries Near Effingham ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Effingham.

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

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

  • Effingham City Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Effingham City Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Effingham City Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. John Lutheran Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. John Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. John Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Rinehart Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rinehart Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rinehart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Wood Lawn Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wood Lawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wood Lawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Toothaker Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Toothaker Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Toothaker Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ewington Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ewington Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ewington Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Francis Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Francis Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Francis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Arborcrest Memorial Park
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Porter Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Porter Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Porter Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Loy Chapel Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Loy Chapel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Loy Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (463 more) ...
    • Old Loy Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Loy Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Loy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Brown Cemetery
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brown Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brown Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Funkhouser Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Funkhouser Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Funkhouser Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 Effingham had a population of 3,260 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Effingham had a population of 12,601 people.

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

  • Teutopolis
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Funkhouser
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Watson
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Watson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watson
    • Watson is located in Effingham County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 732 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Watson <1>
  • Dexter
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dexter. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dexter
    • Dexter is located in Effingham County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Dexter
    • From Effingham to Dexter
  • Sigel
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Shumway
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shumway have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shumway
    • Shumway is located in Effingham County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 192 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shumway <1>
  • Blue Point
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blue Point have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Point
    • Blue Point is located in Effingham County
  • Elliottstown
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elliottstown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elliottstown
    • Elliottstown is located in Effingham County
  • Dieterich
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Montrose
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Montrose have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montrose
    • Montrose is located in Effingham County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
  • Stewardson
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stewardson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stewardson
    • Stewardson is located in Shelby County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 718 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Stewardson <1>
  • Altamont
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Altamont have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Altamont
    • Altamont is located in Effingham County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,350 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Altamont <1>
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Roslyn
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roslyn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roslyn
      • Roslyn is located in Cumberland County
    • Moccasin
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Mason
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Effingham ...

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 150 newspapers that have been published in the area around Effingham.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

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

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 Effingham:

The official website for Effingham: www.effinghamil.com/

The official website for Effingham County: www.co.effingham.il.us/

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

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 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.
<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 Effingham, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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 from Point A (ie- Effingham) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Effingham. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.1200, Longitude: -88.5449    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025