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 Lake of the Woods (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 Lake of the Woods. 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 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.
Lake of the Woods is located in Champaign 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 Champaign County: Douglas, Edgar, Ford, McLean, Piatt & Vermilion.
Below are the counties that are near Lake of the Woods. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Lake of the Woods:
- Champaign County (The home county of Lake of the Woods)
- The following are listed by their distance from Lake of the Woods, with the one closest to Lake of the Woods listed first.
- Mahomet
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Bondville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Fisher
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Staley
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Staley is located in Champaign County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Staley
- Seymour
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Thomasboro
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Dewey
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Lotus
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Lotus is located in Champaign County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lotus
- Champaign
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Urbana
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Foosland
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Prospect
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Prospect is located in Champaign County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prospect
- Savoy
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- De Witt County
- The following are listed by their distance from Lake of the Woods, with the one closest to Lake of the Woods listed first.
- Farmer City
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Watkins
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Watkins is located in De Witt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Watkins
- Parnell
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Parnell is located in De Witt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parnell
- Fullerton
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Fullerton is located in De Witt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fullerton
- Weldon
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- De Witt
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- De Witt is located in De Witt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Witt
- Population from the 2020 Census: 175 people
- Birkbeck
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Birkbeck is located in De Witt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Birkbeck
- Lane
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Douglas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Lake of the Woods, with the one closest to Lake of the Woods listed first.
- Hayes
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Hayes is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayes
- Chicken Bristle
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Chicken Bristle is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicken Bristle
- Fairland
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Fairland is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairland
- Villa Grove
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Villa Grove is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Villa Grove
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,414 people
- Ficklin
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Ficklin is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ficklin
- Garrett
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Garrett is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garrett
- Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
- Tuscola
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Camargo
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Patterson Springs
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Patterson Springs is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Patterson Springs
- Ford County
- The following are listed by their distance from Lake of the Woods, with the one closest to Lake of the Woods listed first.
- Proctor
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Proctor is located in Ford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Proctor
- Gibson City
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Gibson City is located in Ford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gibson City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,275 people
- Gibson City has also been known as:
- Gibson
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gibson City <1>
- Elliott
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Garber
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Garber is located in Ford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garber
- Paxton
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Melvin
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Sibley
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Roberts
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Iroquois County
- Loda
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Livingston County
- Strawn
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Macon County
- Argenta
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- McLean County
- The following are listed by their distance from Lake of the Woods, with the one closest to Lake of the Woods listed first.
- Bellflower
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Kumler
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Kumler is located in McLean County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kumler
- Laurette
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Laurette is located in McLean County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laurette
- Glen Avon
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Glen Avon is located in McLean County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glen Avon
- Saybrook
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Arrowsmith
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Le Roy
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Ellsworth
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Anchor
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Cropsey
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Colfax
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Cooksville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Downs
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Piatt County
- The following are listed by their distance from Lake of the Woods, with the one closest to Lake of the Woods listed first.
- Mansfield
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- White Heath
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- De Land
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Monticello
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Bement
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Cisco
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Milmine
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Voorhies
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Voorhies is located in Piatt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Voorhies
- Atwood
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Cerro Gordo
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Hammond
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Vermilion County
- The following are listed by their distance from Lake of the Woods, with the one closest to Lake of the Woods listed first.
- Armstrong
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Fithian
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Muncie
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Collison
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Fairmount
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Potomac
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Rankin
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Allerton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Lake of the Woods, see our County-by-County Page for Lake of the Woods.
Cemeteries Near Lake of the Woods ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Lake of the Woods.
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 Lake of the Woods - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Lake of the Woods covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Lake of the Woods, with the one closest to Lake of the Woods listed first.
- Riverside Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Fisher Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Phillippe Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phillippe Cemetery
- The Phillippe Cemetery has also been known as:
- Methodist Episcopal Cemetery
- Mahomet Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mahomet Cemetery
- The Mahomet Cemetery has also been known as:
- Middletown Cemetery
- Village Cemetery
- Bryant Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Knife Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knife Cemetery
- The Knife Cemetery has also been known as:
- Knife - Stout Cemetery
- Pusey Cemetery
- Pusey / Knife Cemetery
- Stout Cemetery
- Shiloh Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Grandview Memorial Gardens
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Jersey Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jersey Cemetery
- The Jersey Cemetery has also been known as:
- Jersey Presbyterian Cemetery
- Bethlehem Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethlehem Cemetery
- The Bethlehem Cemetery has also been known as:
- German Lutheran Cemetery
- Dunkard Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Argo Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (205 more) ...
- Bethel Harris Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethel Harris Cemetery
- The Bethel Harris Cemetery has also been known as:
- Bethel Cemetery
- Bethel Methodist Episcopal Cemetery
- Bethel United Methodist Cemetery
- Harris Cemetery
- Old Harris Cemetery
- Seymour Methodist Episcopal Cemetery
- Willowbrook Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Mallory Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
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 Lake of the Woods in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Lake of the Woods.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Lake of the Woods, with the one closest to Lake of the Woods listed first.
- Mahomet
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Rising
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Rising is located in Champaign County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rising
- Bondville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Seymour
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Staley
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Staley is located in Champaign County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Staley
- Fisher
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Blue Ridge
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Blue Ridge is located in Piatt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Ridge
- Mansfield
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Dickerson
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Dickerson is located in Champaign County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dickerson
- Leverett
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Leverett is located in Champaign County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leverett
- Osman
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Osman is located in McLean County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osman
- Champaign
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (17 more) ...
- Thomasboro
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Dewey
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Galesville
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Galesville is located in Piatt County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galesville
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Lake of the Woods. See our List of 1890's Communities around Lake of the Woods.
Newspapers Published in Lake of the Woods ...
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 250 newspapers that have been published in the area around Lake of the Woods.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Lake of the Woods, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Lake of the Woods.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These 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 Lake of the Woods:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Champaign County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- De Witt County
- Douglas County
- Ford County
- Iroquois County
- Livingston County
- Macon County
- McLean County
- Piatt County
- Vermilion 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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Lake of the Woods) 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 Lake of the Woods, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |