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 Leesville (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 Leesville. 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 and hospitals 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.
Leesville is located in Kankakee 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 Kankakee County: Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Livingston, Will, Lake (IN) & Newton (IN).
Below are the counties that are near Leesville. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Leesville:
- Kankakee County (The home county of Leesville)
- The following are listed by their distance from Leesville, with the one closest to Leesville listed first.
- Hopkins Park
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Hopkins Park is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopkins Park
- Population from the 2020 Census: 608 people
- Hopkins Park has also been known as:
- Hopkins Park village
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hopkins Park <1>
- Saint Anne
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Litchfield
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Litchfield is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Litchfield
- Momence
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Sun River Terrace
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Sun River Terrace is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sun River Terrace
- Population from the 2020 Census: 488 people
- Illiana Heights
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Illiana Heights is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Illiana Heights
- Aroma Park
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Illinoi
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Illinoi is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Illinoi
- Sammons Point
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Sammons Point is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sammons Point
- Population from the 2020 Census: 237 people
- Sammons Point has also been known as:
- Sammons Point village
- Kankakee
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Saint George
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Saint George is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint George
- Otto
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Otto is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otto
- Bradley
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Ford County
- Cabery
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Iroquois County
- The following are listed by their distance from Leesville, with the one closest to Leesville listed first.
- Beaverville
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Papineau
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Donovan
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Martinton
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Iroquois
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- L'Erable
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- L'Erable is located in Iroquois County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for L'Erable
- Chebanse
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Sheldon
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Clifton
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Effner
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Effner is located in Iroquois County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Effner
- Watseka
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Ashkum
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Crescent City
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Will County
- The following are listed by their distance from Leesville, with the one closest to Leesville listed first.
- Beecher
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Peotone
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Goodenow
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Goodenow is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodenow
- Monee
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Crete
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Wilton Center
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- University Park
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Wallingford
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Wallingford is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wallingford
- Steger
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Willowbrook
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Custer Park
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Custer Park is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Custer Park
- Symerton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Symerton is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Symerton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
- Benton County (IN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Leesville, with the one closest to Leesville listed first.
- Raub
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Raub is located in Benton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raub
- Earl Park
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Earl Park is located in Benton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earl Park
- Population from the 2020 Census: 342 people
- Freeland Park
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Freeland Park is located in Benton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeland Park
- Gravel Hill
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Gravel Hill is located in Benton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gravel Hill
- Wadena
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Wadena is located in Benton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wadena
- Jasper County (IN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Leesville, with the one closest to Leesville listed first.
- Fair Oaks
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Forest City
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Forest City is located in Jasper County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
- Virgie
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Virgie is located in Jasper County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Virgie
- Egypt
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Egypt is located in Jasper County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egypt
- Collegeville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Collegeville is located in Jasper County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collegeville
- Rensselaer
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- DeMotte
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- DeMotte is located in Jasper County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for DeMotte
- Population from the 2020 Census: 4,172 people
- DeMotte has also been known as:
- De Motte
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for DeMotte <1>
- Stoutsburg
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Stoutsburg is located in Jasper County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stoutsburg
- Gifford
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Gifford is located in Jasper County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gifford
- Remington
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Lake County (IN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Leesville, with the one closest to Leesville listed first.
- Illinoi
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Illinoi is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Illinoi
- Schneider
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
- Schneider is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schneider
- Population from the 2020 Census: 260 people
- Shelby
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Shelby is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shelby
- Lowell
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Dinwiddie
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Dinwiddie is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dinwiddie
- Lake Dalecarlia
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Lake Dalecarlia is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Dalecarlia
- Cedar Lake
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Leroy
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Leroy is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leroy
- Saint John
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Crown Point
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Newton County (IN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Leesville, with the one closest to Leesville listed first.
- Morocco
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Lake Village
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Lake Village is located in Newton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Village
- Sumava Resorts
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Beaver City
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Beaver City is located in Newton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver City
- Mount Ayr
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Mount Ayr is located in Newton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Ayr
- Population from the 2020 Census: 116 people
- Brook
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Roselawn
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Roselawn is located in Newton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roselawn
- Thayer
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Thayer is located in Newton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thayer
- Kentland
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Foresman
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Foresman is located in Newton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foresman
- Newton
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Newton is located in Newton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newton
- Goodland
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Porter County (IN)
- Hebron
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Leesville, see our County-by-County Page for Leesville.
Cemeteries Near Leesville ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Leesville.
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 Leesville - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Leesville covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Leesville, with the one closest to Leesville listed first.
- Guiding Star Memorial Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Concordia Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Oak Ridge Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Oakwood Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Old Baptist Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- St. Joseph Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- St. Mary's Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Bible Witness Camp Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- St. Anne Catholic Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- St. Anne Twp. Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Anne Twp. Cemetery
- The St. Anne Twp. Cemetery has also been known as:
- St. Anne Cemetery
- Papineau Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Morgan Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Continue List (193 more) ...
- Jones Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Mt. Airy Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Shrontz Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
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>
While we didn't find Leesville in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Leesville.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Leesville, with the one closest to Leesville listed first.
- Hopkins Park
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Hopkins Park is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopkins Park
- Population from the 2020 Census: 608 people
- Hopkins Park has also been known as:
- Hopkins Park village
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hopkins Park <1>
- Saint Anne
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Beaverville
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Koster
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Koster is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Koster
- Papineau
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Momence
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Martinton
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Donovan
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Morocco
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Exline
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Exline is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Exline
- Lake Village
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Lake Village is located in Newton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Village
- Iroquois
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Beaver City
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Beaver City is located in Newton County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver City
- Saint George
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Saint George is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint George
- Kankakee
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Leesville. See our List of 1890's Communities around Leesville.
Newspapers Published in Leesville ...
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 88 newspapers that have been published in the area around Leesville.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Leesville, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Leesville.
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 either 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 Leesville:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Kankakee County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Ford County
- Iroquois County
- Will County
- Benton County
- Jasper County
- Lake County
- Newton County
- Porter 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> | 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 Leesville, 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- Leesville) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |