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 Oakland (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 Oakland. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.
Oakland 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 Oakland. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Oakland:
- Cook County (The home county of Oakland)
- The following are listed by their distance from Oakland, with the one closest to Oakland listed first.
- Grant Village
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Grant Village is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grant Village
- Bridgeport
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Bridgeport is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgeport
- Hyde Park
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Washington Park
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Washington Park is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Washington Park
- Canaryville
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- Canaryville is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canaryville
- New City
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
- New City is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New City
- Chicago
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Brookdale
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Brookdale is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookdale
- Englewood
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Englewood is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Englewood
- Carl Sandburg Village
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Swede Town
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Swede Town is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swede Town
- Chatham
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Chatham is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chatham
- Chicago Lawn
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Chicago Lawn is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicago Lawn
- DuPage County
- The following are listed by their distance from Oakland, with the one closest to Oakland listed first.
- Hinsdale
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Oak Brook
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- South Elmhurst
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- South Elmhurst is located in DuPage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Elmhurst
- Willowbrook
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Clarendon Hills
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Elmhurst
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Oak Brook Terrace
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- 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
- Bensenville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Utopia
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Utopia is located in DuPage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Utopia
- Villa Park
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Villa Park is located in DuPage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Villa Park
- Population from the 2020 Census: 21,291 people
- Westmont
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- York Center
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- York Center is located in DuPage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for York Center
- Darien
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Lake County
- The following are listed by their distance from Oakland, with the one closest to Oakland listed first.
- Braeside
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Braeside is located in Lake County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Braeside
- Ravinia
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Ravinia is located in Lake County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ravinia
- Deerfield
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Highland Park
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Bannockburn
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Highwood
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Riverwoods
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Buffalo Grove
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Aptakisic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Aptakisic is located in Lake County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aptakisic
- Lincolnshire
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Will County
- The following are listed by their distance from Oakland, with the one closest to Oakland listed first.
- Goodings Grove
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Goodings Grove is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodings Grove
- Homer Glen
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- 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>
- Frankfort Square
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Frankfort Square is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankfort Square
- Steger
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Colonial Village
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Colonial Village is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
- Winston Village
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Winston Village is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winston Village
- Willowbrook
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Frankfort
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Mokena
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Bolingbrook
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Crete
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- University Park
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Bloomfield Village
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Bloomfield Village is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield Village
- Lake County (IN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Oakland, with the one closest to Oakland listed first.
- Whiting
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- East Chicago
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Hammond
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Hessville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Hessville is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hessville
- Munster
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Gary
(20 miles [32.2 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>
- Highland
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Duneland Village
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Duneland Village is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duneland Village
- Griffith
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Dyer
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- 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
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Hartsdale is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartsdale
- Duneland Village of Gary
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Ross
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Ross is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ross
- Porter County (IN)
- The following are listed by their distance from Oakland, with the one closest to Oakland listed first.
- Ogden Dunes
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Ogden Dunes is located in Porter County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ogden Dunes
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,083 people
- Woodland Village
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Woodland Village is located in Porter County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodland Village
- Portage
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Willow Creek
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Willow Creek is located in Porter County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow Creek
- Burns Harbor
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Dune Acres
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Dune Acres is located in Porter County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dune Acres
- Population from the 2020 Census: 182 people
- Porter
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- South Haven
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- South Haven is located in Porter County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Haven
- Wheeler
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Wheeler is located in Porter County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheeler
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Oakland, see our County-by-County Page for Oakland.
Cemeteries Near Oakland ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Oakland.
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 Oakland - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Oakland covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Oakland, with the one closest to Oakland listed first.
- Oak Woods Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Couch Mausoleum
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- St. Mary Catholic Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Evergreen Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Mt. Greenwood Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Getty Tomb
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Graceland Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Hebrew Benevolent Society Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Wunder's Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wunder's Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Wunder's Cemetery is located in Buena Park.
- The Wunder's Cemetery has also been known as:
- Wunders Lutheran Cemetery
- Mt. Auburn Memorial Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Mt. Olivet Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mt. Olivet Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Mt. Olivet Cemetery is a very large cemetery that is located in Blue Island.
- The Mt. Olivet Cemetery has also been known as:
- Mt. Olivet Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107055 <2>
- Mt. Hope Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (308 more) ...
- St. Boniface Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Waldheim Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- St. Casimir Catholic Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 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.<3>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Oakland had railroad service and no post office.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Oakland, with the one closest to Oakland listed first.
- Kenwood
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Kenwood is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kenwood
- Douglas
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Douglas is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Douglas
- Hyde Park
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Bridgeport
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Bridgeport is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bridgeport
- Englewood
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Englewood is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Englewood
- Park Manor
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Park Manor is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Manor
- Brookdale
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Brookdale is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookdale
- Chicago
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- South Lynn
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- South Lynn is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Lynn
- Brookline
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Brookline is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brookline
- Grand Crossing
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Grand Crossing is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Crossing
- Parkside
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Parkside is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkside
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- South Shore
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- South Shore is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Shore
- Brighton Park
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Brighton Park is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brighton Park
- Glendale
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- 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 Oakland. See our List of 1890's Communities around Oakland.
Newspapers Published in Oakland ...
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 10 newspapers that have been published in the area around Oakland.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Oakland, there are papers which were published within 8 miles [12.9 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Oakland.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Oakland:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Cook County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- DuPage County
- Lake County
- Will County
- Lake 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 Oakland, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Oakland) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |