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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 McDowell (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 McDowell. 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.

McDowell is located in Livingston County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Livingston County: Ford, Grundy, Kankakee, La Salle, McLean & Woodford.

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

  • Livingston County     (The home county of McDowell)
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDowell, with the one closest to McDowell listed first.
    • Avoca ‑ Historic
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Avoca. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avoca
      • Avoca is located in Livingston County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Avoca
      • From McDowell to Avoca
    • Pontiac
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pontiac have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pontiac
      • Pontiac is located in Livingston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,176 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pontiac <3>
    • Swygert
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Swygert. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swygert
      • Swygert is located in Livingston County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Swygert
      • From McDowell to Swygert
    • Fairbury
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Cayuga
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Eylar
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Eylar. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eylar
      • Eylar is located in Livingston County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Eylar
      • From McDowell to Eylar
    • Wing
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Saunemin
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Forrest
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Forrest have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forrest
      • Forrest is located in Livingston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,124 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Forrest <3>
    • Graymont
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graymont have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graymont
      • Graymont is located in Livingston County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Graymont <3>
    • Odell
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Cornell
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cornell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornell
      • Cornell is located in Livingston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 451 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cornell <3>
  • Ford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDowell, with the one closest to McDowell listed first.
    • Kempton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kempton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kempton
      • Kempton is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 206 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kempton <3>
    • Sibley
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sibley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sibley
      • Sibley is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 251 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sibley <3>
    • Piper City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Cabery
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cabery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cabery
      • Cabery is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 243 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cabery <3>
    • Garber
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Garber. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garber
      • Garber is located in Ford County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Garber
      • From McDowell to Garber
    • Melvin
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Melvin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melvin
      • Melvin is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 410 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Melvin <3>
    • Roberts
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roberts have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roberts
      • Roberts is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 328 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Roberts <3>
    • Gibson City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Elliott
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Grundy County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDowell, with the one closest to McDowell listed first.
    • Kinsman
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Highland Town ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Highland Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland Town
      • Highland Town is located in Grundy County
    • Verona
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Clarke City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarke City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarke City
      • Clarke City is located in Grundy County
    • East Brooklyn
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Brooklyn have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Brooklyn
      • East Brooklyn is located in Grundy County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
    • Gardner
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gardner have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gardner
      • Gardner is located in Grundy County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,377 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gardner <3>
    • South Wilmington
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Wilmington have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Wilmington
      • South Wilmington is located in Grundy County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 637 people
    • Mazon
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Wauponsee
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Iroquois County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDowell, with the one closest to McDowell listed first.
    • La Hogue
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Thawville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Thawville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thawville
      • Thawville is located in Iroquois County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 241 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Thawville <3>
    • Ridgeville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ridgeville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgeville
      • Ridgeville is located in Iroquois County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ridgeville
      • From McDowell to Ridgeville
  • Kankakee County
  • La Salle County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDowell, with the one closest to McDowell listed first.
    • Dana
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dana have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dana
      • Dana is located in La Salle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 149 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dana <3>
    • Kernan
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kernan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kernan
      • Kernan is located in La Salle County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kernan
      • From McDowell to Kernan
    • Ransom
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Streator
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Leeds
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leeds. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leeds
      • Leeds is located in La Salle County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leeds
      • From McDowell to Leeds
    • Kangley
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kangley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kangley
      • Kangley is located in La Salle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kangley
      • From McDowell to Kangley
    • Rutland
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rutland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutland
      • Rutland is located in La Salle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rutland <3>
    • Grand Ridge
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Marshall County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDowell, with the one closest to McDowell listed first.
    • Wenona
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wenona have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wenona
      • Wenona is located in Marshall County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 926 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wenona <3>
    • Evans ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
  • McLean County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDowell, with the one closest to McDowell listed first.
    • Weston
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Chenoa
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Meadows
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Cropsey
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Lexington
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lexington have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lexington
      • Lexington is located in McLean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,020 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lexington <3>
    • Gridley
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gridley have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gridley
      • Gridley is located in McLean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,392 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gridley <3>
    • Anchor
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Colfax
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colfax have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colfax
      • Colfax is located in McLean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,009 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colfax <3>
    • Cooksville
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Towanda
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Towanda have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Towanda
      • Towanda is located in McLean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 461 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Towanda <3>
    • Merna
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Merna have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merna
      • Merna is located in McLean County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Merna <3>
    • Arrowsmith
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arrowsmith have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arrowsmith
      • Arrowsmith is located in McLean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 275 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arrowsmith <3>
  • Woodford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from McDowell, with the one closest to McDowell listed first.
    • Panola
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Panola have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Panola
      • Panola is located in Woodford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
    • El Paso
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for El Paso have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for El Paso
      • El Paso is located in Woodford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,700 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for El Paso <3>
    • Minonk
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
    • Woodford
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Woodford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodford
      • Woodford is located in Woodford County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Woodford
      • From McDowell to Woodford
    • Kappa
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Benson
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Secor
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Secor have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Secor
      • Secor is located in Woodford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 351 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Secor <3>

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

Cemeteries Near McDowell ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of McDowell.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Patty Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Patty Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Patty Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Houder Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Houder Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Houder Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pontiac City Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Avoca Twp. Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Weston Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Weston Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Weston Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Payne Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Payne Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Payne Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. John's Catholic Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. John's Catholic Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. John's Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Swygert Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Swygert Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Swygert Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Calvary Catholic Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Calvary Catholic Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Calvary Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Graceland Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Graceland Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Graceland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • McMillan Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McMillan Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McMillan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (179 more) ...
    • Memorial Park
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Memorial Park
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Rook's Creek Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rook's Creek Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rook's Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Chenoa Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chenoa Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Chenoa Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that McDowell had a population of 100 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Lodemia
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lodemia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lodemia
    • Lodemia is located in Livingston County
  • Pontiac
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pontiac have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pontiac
    • Pontiac is located in Livingston County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,176 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pontiac <3>
  • Ocoya
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ocoya have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocoya
    • Ocoya is located in Livingston County
  • Weston
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Fairbury
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Swygert
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Swygert. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swygert
    • Swygert is located in Livingston County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Swygert
    • From McDowell to Swygert
  • Rooks Creek
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rooks Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rooks Creek
    • Rooks Creek is located in Livingston County
  • Rugby
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rugby have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rugby
    • Rugby is located in Livingston County
  • Cayuga
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Eylar
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Eylar. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eylar
    • Eylar is located in Livingston County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Eylar
    • From McDowell to Eylar
  • Rowe
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rowe have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rowe
    • Rowe is located in Livingston County
  • Chenoa
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Saunemin
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Graymont
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graymont have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graymont
      • Graymont is located in Livingston County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Graymont <3>
    • Scovel
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scovel have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scovel
      • Scovel is located in Livingston County

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

Newspapers Published in McDowell ...

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 191 newspapers that have been published in the area around McDowell.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of McDowell, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for McDowell.

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 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 McDowell:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for McDowell. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Livingston County: www.livingstoncounty-il.org/

The official website for State of Illinois: https://illinois.gov

Footnotes ...

<1>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<2>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>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.
<5>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 McDowell, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- McDowell) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in McDowell. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.8304, Longitude: -88.5848    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025