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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 McCook (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 McCook. 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 hospitals and 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.

McCook is located in Cook 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 Cook County: DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Lake (IN) & Berrien (MI).

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

  • Cook County     (The home county of McCook)
    • The following are listed by their distance from McCook, with the one closest to McCook listed first.
    • Summit
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Lyons
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • La Grange
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Brookfield
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Riverside
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • La Grange Park
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Countryside
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Hodgkins
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Forest View
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Justice
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Bedford Park
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Indian Head Park
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • 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
  • DuPage County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McCook, with the one closest to McCook listed first.
    • Hinsdale
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Willowbrook
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Clarendon Hills
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Oak Brook
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Westmont
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Oak Brook Terrace
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Oak Brook Terrace is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Brook Terrace
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,094 people
    • South Elmhurst
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • South Elmhurst is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Elmhurst
    • Utopia
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Utopia is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Utopia
    • Elmhurst
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • York Center
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • York Center is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for York Center
    • Darien
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Downers Grove
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Kane County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McCook, with the one closest to McCook listed first.
    • Aurora
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Batavia
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Geneva
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Mooseheart
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • North Aurora
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • North Aurora is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Aurora
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 18,144 people
    • Saint Charles
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Coleman
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Coleman is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coleman
    • South Elgin
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • South Elgin is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Elgin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 24,646 people
    • Elgin
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Bonnie
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Bonnie is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonnie
      • Bonnie has also been known as:
      • Bonnie Valley
    • East Dundee
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Campton Hills
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • 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>
  • Kendall County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McCook, with the one closest to McCook listed first.
    • Boulder Hill
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Boulder Hill is located in Kendall County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boulder Hill
    • Montgomery
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Oswego
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
  • Lake County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McCook, with the one closest to McCook listed first.
    • Braeside
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Braeside is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Braeside
    • Buffalo Grove
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Deerfield
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Ravinia
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Ravinia is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ravinia
    • Highland Park
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Riverwoods
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Aptakisic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Aptakisic is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aptakisic
    • Bannockburn
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Lincolnshire
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Highwood
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Kildeer
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
    • Deer Park
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Will County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McCook, with the one closest to McCook listed first.
    • Goodings Grove
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Goodings Grove is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodings Grove
    • Colonial Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Colonial Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
    • Winston Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Winston Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winston Village
    • Bolingbrook
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Homer Glen
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Homer Glen is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homer Glen
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 24,281 people
      • Homer Glen has also been known as:
      • Homer Glen village
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Homer Glen <1>
    • Bloomfield Village
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Bloomfield Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield Village
    • Romeoville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Lockport
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Mokena
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Frankfort Square
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Frankfort Square is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankfort Square
    • Gilletts ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Gilletts is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gilletts
    • Cherry Hill
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Cherry Hill is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherry Hill
  • Lake County (IN)
    • The following are listed by their distance from McCook, with the one closest to McCook listed first.
    • Whiting
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • East Chicago
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Hammond
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Hammond is located in Lake County (IN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hammond
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 75,342 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hammond <1>
    • Hessville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Hessville is located in Lake County (IN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hessville
    • Munster
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Munster is located in Lake County (IN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Munster
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 22,483 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Munster <1>
    • Highland
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Dyer
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Dyer is located in Lake County (IN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dyer
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 15,955 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dyer <1>
    • Hartsdale
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Hartsdale is located in Lake County (IN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartsdale
    • Gary
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Gary is located in Lake County (IN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gary
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 74,693 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gary <1>
    • Griffith
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Schererville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • New Elliott
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • New Elliott is located in Lake County (IN)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Elliott

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

Cemeteries Near McCook ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of McCook.

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

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

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

  • LaGrange Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
  • St. John Lutheran Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. John Lutheran Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the St. John Lutheran Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the southwest of Hodgkins.
    • The St. John Lutheran Cemetery has also been known as:
    • St. Johns Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107905 <2>
  • Ressurection Catholic Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Resurrection Catholic Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Resurrection Catholic Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Resurrection Catholic Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Justice.
    • The Resurrection Catholic Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Resurrection Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107652 <2>
  • Mt. Auburn Memorial Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Archer Woods Memorial Park
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Lithuanian National Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Bethania Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Parkholm Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Menorah Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Waldheim Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Woodlawn Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (382 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>

While we didn't find McCook in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of McCook.

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

  • Summit
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Lyons
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • La Grange
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • Riverside
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Western Springs
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Willow Springs
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Clyde
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Clyde is located in Cook County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clyde
  • LaVergne
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • LaVergne is located in Cook County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for LaVergne
  • Berwyn
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Berwyn is located in Cook County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berwyn
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 53,701 people
  • Fullersburg
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Fullersburg is located in DuPage County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fullersburg
  • Hinsdale
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Maywood
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Clarendon Hills
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Elsdon
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Elsdon is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elsdon
    • Glendale
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Glendale is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glendale

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

Newspapers Published in McCook ...

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 56 newspapers that have been published in the area around McCook.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of McCook, there are papers which were published within 10 miles [16.1 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for McCook.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to 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 McCook:

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 McCook, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- McCook) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.