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 Grand Haven (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 Grand Haven. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.
Name Variations for Grand Haven ...
When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.
Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might occur.
For example, a typical abbreviation for Grand Haven: Grand Hvn. (or less commonly used: Grand Havn.)
You might be interested in other communities that are also named Grand Haven. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Grand Haven.
If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.
Neighboring Counties ...
When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.
For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors 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.
Grand Haven is located in Will 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 Will County: Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall & Lake (IN).
Below are the counties that are near Grand Haven. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Grand Haven:
- Will County (The home county of Grand Haven)
- The following are listed by their distance from Grand Haven, with the one closest to Grand Haven listed first.
- Crystal Lawns
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Crystal Lawns is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Lawns
- Crest Hill
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Lockport
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Romeoville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Plainfield
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Walker
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Walker is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
- Fairmont
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Fairmont is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmont
- Summerfield
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Summerfield is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summerfield
- Rockdale
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Rockdale is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockdale
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,884 people
- East Joliet
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- East Joliet is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Joliet
- Joliet
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Normantown
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Normantown is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Normantown
- Ingalls Park
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Ingalls Park is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ingalls Park
- Cook County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grand Haven, with the one closest to Grand Haven listed first.
- Lemont
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Orland Park
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Orland Hills
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Burr Ridge
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Palos Park
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Willow Springs
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Tinley Park
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Indian Head Park
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Indian Head Park is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Head Park
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,680 people
- Palos Hills
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Countryside
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Hickory Hills
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Hodgkins
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Justice
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- DeKalb County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grand Haven, with the one closest to Grand Haven listed first.
- Sandwich
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Hinckley
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Somonauk
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Franks
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Franks is located in DeKalb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franks
- DuPage County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grand Haven, with the one closest to Grand Haven listed first.
- Tedens ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Tedens is located in DuPage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tedens
- Woodridge
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Naperville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Darien
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Eola
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Lisle
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Willowbrook
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Warrenville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Downers Grove
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Westmont
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Clarendon Hills
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Wheaton
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Hinsdale
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Grundy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grand Haven, with the one closest to Grand Haven listed first.
- Minooka
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Channahon
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Sand Ridge
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Sand Ridge is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sand Ridge
- Diamond
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Claypool
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Claypool is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claypool
- Gaslight Village
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Gaslight Village is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gaslight Village
- Morris
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Carbon Hill
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Carbon Hill is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbon Hill
- Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
- Coal City
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Centerville ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Centerville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
- Central City
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Central City is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central City
- Nettle Creek
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Nettle Creek is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nettle Creek
- Braceville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Kane County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grand Haven, with the one closest to Grand Haven listed first.
- Aurora
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Mooseheart
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- North Aurora
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- North Aurora is located in Kane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Aurora
- Population from the 2020 Census: 18,144 people
- Batavia
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Sugar Grove
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Geneva
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Charles
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Big Rock
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Kaneville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Bonnie
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Bonnie is located in Kane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonnie
- Bonnie has also been known as:
- Bonnie Valley
- Elburn
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Campton Hills
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Campton Hills is located in Kane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campton Hills
- Population from the 2020 Census: 11,063 people
- Campton Hills has also been known as:
- Campton Hills village
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Campton Hills <1>
- Wasco
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Kankakee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grand Haven, with the one closest to Grand Haven listed first.
- Essex
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Manteno
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Bonfield
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Kendall County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grand Haven, with the one closest to Grand Haven listed first.
- Oswego
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Boulder Hill
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Boulder Hill is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boulder Hill
- Plattville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Plattville is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plattville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
- Montgomery
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Bristol
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Yorkville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Lisbon
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Lisbon is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisbon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 310 people
- Plano
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Millbrook
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Newark
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Little Rock
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Little Rock is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Rock
- La Salle County
- The following are listed by their distance from Grand Haven, with the one closest to Grand Haven listed first.
- Millington
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Stavanger
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Stavanger is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stavanger
- Sheridan
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Grand Haven, see our County-by-County Page for Grand Haven.
Cemeteries Near Grand Haven ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Grand Haven.
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 Grand Haven - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Grand Haven covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Grand Haven, with the one closest to Grand Haven listed first.
- Holy Cross Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- St. Marys Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- St. Mary Nativity Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Illinois State Prison Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Illinois State Prison Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Illinois State Prison Cemetery is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<3> to the north of Joliet.
- The Illinois State Prison Cemetery has also been known as:
- Stateville Prison Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1990082 <2>
- St. Joseph Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Mt. Moriah Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Bronson Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- St. Mary Immaculate Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- St. Marys Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Plainfield Twp. Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainfield Twp. Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Plainfield Twp. Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Plainfield.
- The Plainfield Twp. Cemetery has also been known as:
- Plainfield Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #244792 <2>
- Hills of Rest Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Woodlawn Memorial Park #2
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Continue List (393 more) ...
- St. John the Baptist Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. John the Baptist Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the St. John the Baptist Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Joliet.
- The St. John the Baptist Cemetery has also been known as:
- St. Johns Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107908 <2>
- St. Nicholas Orthodox Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Nicholas Orthodox Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the St. Nicholas Orthodox Cemetery is located outside and to the northeast of Joliet.
- The St. Nicholas Orthodox Cemetery has also been known as:
- Russian Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107802 <2>
- Mt. Calvary Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
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.<4>
While we didn't find Grand Haven in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Grand Haven.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Grand Haven, with the one closest to Grand Haven listed first.
- Coynes
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Coynes is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coynes
- Lockport
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Plainfield
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Walker
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Walker is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
- Caton Farm
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Caton Farm is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caton Farm
- Joliet
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- East Joliet
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- East Joliet is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Joliet
- Romeo
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Romeo is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romeo
- Normantown
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Normantown is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Normantown
- Lemont
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Millsdale
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Millsdale is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millsdale
- Steele
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Steele is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Steele
- Continue List (19 more) ...
- New Lenox
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Goodings Grove
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Goodings Grove is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodings Grove
- Brisbane
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Brisbane is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brisbane
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Grand Haven. See our List of 1890's Communities around Grand Haven.
Newspapers Published in Grand Haven ...
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 67 newspapers that have been published in the area around Grand Haven.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Grand Haven, there are papers which were published within 5 miles [8 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Grand Haven.
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 helpful 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 Grand Haven:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Will County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Cook County
- DeKalb County
- DuPage County
- Grundy County
- Kane County
- Kankakee County
- Kendall County
- La Salle County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Illinois
Footnotes ...
| <1> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <2> | The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com. |
| <3> | 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Grand Haven) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <4> | 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 Grand Haven, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |