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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 Elwin (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 Elwin. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Elwin is located in Macon County.

To see how the shape of Illinois' counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Macon County: Christian, De Witt, Logan, Moultrie, Piatt, Sangamon & Shelby.

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

  • Macon County     (The home county of Elwin)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elwin, with the one closest to Elwin listed first.
    • Turpin
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Turpin is located in Macon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turpin
    • Boody
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Macon
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Mount Zion
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Decatur
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Harristown
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Hervey City
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Hervey City is located in Macon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hervey City
    • Long Creek
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Long Creek is located in Macon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Creek
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,262 people
    • Bearsdale
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Bearsdale is located in Macon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bearsdale
    • Sangamon
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Sangamon is located in Macon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sangamon
    • Blue Mound
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Casner
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Casner is located in Macon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Casner
    • Forsyth
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Champaign County
    • Ivesdale
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Christian County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elwin, with the one closest to Elwin listed first.
    • Stonington
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Mount Auburn
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Sandersville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Sandersville is located in Christian County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandersville
    • Grove City
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Grove City is located in Christian County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove City
    • Assumption
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Bolivia
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Bolivia is located in Christian County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolivia
    • Sharpsburg
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Sharpsburg is located in Christian County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharpsburg
    • Taylorville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Velma
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Velma is located in Christian County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Velma
    • Owaneco
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Edinburg
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Millersville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Millersville is located in Christian County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millersville
    • Langleyville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Langleyville is located in Christian County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Langleyville
  • De Witt County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elwin, with the one closest to Elwin listed first.
    • Rowell
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Rowell is located in De Witt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rowell
    • Kenney
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Lane
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Clinton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Hallsville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Hallsville is located in De Witt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hallsville
    • Midland City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Midland City is located in De Witt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midland City
    • Weldon
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Birkbeck
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Birkbeck is located in De Witt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Birkbeck
    • Tabor
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Tabor is located in De Witt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tabor
    • De Witt
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • De Witt is located in De Witt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Witt
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 175 people
    • Wapella
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Douglas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elwin, with the one closest to Elwin listed first.
    • Arthur
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Garrett
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Garrett is located in Douglas County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrett
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
  • Logan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elwin, with the one closest to Elwin listed first.
    • Latham
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Chestnut
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Mount Pulaski
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Lake Fork
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Cornland
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Beason
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Chestervale
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Chestervale is located in Logan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chestervale
  • Moultrie County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elwin, with the one closest to Elwin listed first.
    • Dalton City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Lake City
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Lake City is located in Moultrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake City
    • Bethany
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Dunn
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Dunn is located in Moultrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunn
    • Lovington
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Cushman
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Cushman is located in Moultrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cushman
    • Sullivan
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Cadwell
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Cadwell is located in Moultrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cadwell
    • Allenville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Allenville is located in Moultrie County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allenville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 141 people
  • Piatt County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elwin, with the one closest to Elwin listed first.
    • La Place
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Cerro Gordo
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Lintner
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Lintner is located in Piatt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lintner
    • Burrowsville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Burrowsville is located in Piatt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burrowsville
    • Milmine
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Hammond
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Cisco
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Voorhies
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Voorhies is located in Piatt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Voorhies
    • Bement
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Atwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Monticello
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • De Land
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Sangamon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elwin, with the one closest to Elwin listed first.
    • Illiopolis
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Mechanicsburg
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Buffalo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Buffalo Hart
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Buffalo Hart is located in Sangamon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buffalo Hart
    • Dawson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Rochester
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
    • New City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • New City is located in Sangamon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New City
    • Riverton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
    • Spaulding
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Spaulding is located in Sangamon County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spaulding
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 836 people
  • Shelby County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elwin, with the one closest to Elwin listed first.
    • Moweaqua
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Yantisville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Yantisville is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yantisville
    • Findlay
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Shelbyville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Tower Hill
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Middlesworth
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Middlesworth is located in Shelby County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middlesworth

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

Cemeteries Near Elwin ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Elwin.

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

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

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

  • Mt. Gilead Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Walnut Grove Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Salem Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salem Cemetery
    • The Salem Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Salem Church Cemetery
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Zion Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Macon Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Sharon Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Fairlawn Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Hudelson Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Mt. Zion Presbyterian Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Mt. Zion Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (273 more) ...

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 Elwin had a population of 141 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Boody
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Turpin
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Turpin is located in Macon County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turpin
  • Macon
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Wyckles
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Wyckles is located in Macon County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyckles
  • Mount Zion
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Decatur
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Harristown
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Walker
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Walker is located in Macon County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
  • Hervey City
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Hervey City is located in Macon County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hervey City
  • Long Creek
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Long Creek is located in Macon County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Creek
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,262 people
  • Bearsdale
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Bearsdale is located in Macon County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bearsdale
  • Sangamon
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Sangamon is located in Macon County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sangamon
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Blue Mound
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Moweaqua
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Dalton City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)

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

Newspapers Published in Elwin ...

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 290 newspapers that have been published in the area around Elwin.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Elwin, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Elwin.

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 Elwin:

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 Elwin, 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- Elwin) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.