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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 Eldena (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 Eldena. 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.

Eldena is located in Lee 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 Lee County: Bureau, DeKalb, La Salle, Ogle & Whiteside.

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

  • Lee County     (The home county of Eldena)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Eldena, with the one closest to Eldena listed first.
    • Amboy
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Nachusa
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Lee Center
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Dixon
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Franklin Grove
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Harmon
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Inlet
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Inlet is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inlet
    • Nelson
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Ashton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Prairieville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Prairieville is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairieville
    • Sublette
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • West Brooklyn
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Bureau County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Eldena, with the one closest to Eldena listed first.
    • Ohio
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Van Orin
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • La Moille
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Walnut
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Kasbeer
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Limerick
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Limerick is located in Bureau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limerick
    • Greenoak
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Greenoak is located in Bureau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenoak
    • Zearing
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Zearing is located in Bureau County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zearing
    • Arlington
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Dover
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • New Bedford
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Malden
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
  • Carroll County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Eldena, with the one closest to Eldena listed first.
    • Hazelhurst
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Hazelhurst is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazelhurst
    • South Elkhorn
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • South Elkhorn is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Elkhorn
    • Hitt
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Hitt is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hitt
    • Milledgeville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Elkhorn Grove
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
      • Elkhorn Grove is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkhorn Grove
    • Chadwick
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Fair Haven
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Fair Haven is located in Carroll County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fair Haven
  • DeKalb County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Eldena, with the one closest to Eldena listed first.
    • Shabbona
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Shabbona Grove
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Shabbona Grove is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shabbona Grove
    • Malta
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Esmond
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • La Salle County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Eldena, with the one closest to Eldena listed first.
    • Mendota
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Triumph
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Troy Grove
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Earlville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Ogle County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Eldena, with the one closest to Eldena listed first.
    • Carthage
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Carthage is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carthage
    • Woosung
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Watertown
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Watertown is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watertown
    • Flagg
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Flagg is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flagg
    • Honey Creek
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Honey Creek is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Honey Creek
    • Oregon
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Chana
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Buffalo Grove
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Buffalo Grove is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buffalo Grove
    • Polo
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Flagg Center
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Flagg Center is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flagg Center
    • Mount Morris
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Rochelle
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Stephenson County
    • German Valley
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Whiteside County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Eldena, with the one closest to Eldena listed first.
    • Rock Falls
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Sterling
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Penrose
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Penrose is located in Whiteside County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Penrose
    • Deer Grove
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Galt
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Tampico
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Coleta
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Malvern
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Malvern is located in Whiteside County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Malvern
    • Lyndon
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • White Pigeon
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • White Pigeon is located in Whiteside County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Pigeon
    • Prophetstown
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Morrison
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Eldena ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Eldena.

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 Eldena - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Eldena covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Dewolf Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Temperance Hill Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Burket Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Prairie Repose Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Emanuel Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • St. Patrick Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • St. Patrick's Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Emmert Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Oakwood Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Mormon Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Binghampton Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Girton Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (230 more) ...
    • Centenary Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Williams Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Woodside Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 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>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Eldena had a population of 103 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Amboy
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Walton
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Walton is located in Lee County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walton
  • Nachusa
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Lee Center
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Dixon
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Franklin Grove
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Grand Detour
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Harmon
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Nelson
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Ashton
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Woosung
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Prairieville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Prairieville is located in Lee County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairieville
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Sublette
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • West Brooklyn
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Sterling
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)

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

Newspapers Published in Eldena ...

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 230 newspapers that have been published in the area around Eldena.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Eldena, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Eldena.

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 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 Eldena:

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 Eldena, 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Eldena) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.