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 Old Kent (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 Old Kent. 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.
Old Kent is located in Will 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 Will County: Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall & Lake (IN).
Below are the counties that are near Old Kent. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Old Kent:
- Will County (The home county of Old Kent)
- The following are listed by their distance from Old Kent, with the one closest to Old Kent listed first.
- Rockdale
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Rockdale is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockdale
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,884 people
- Joliet
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Crystal Lawns
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Crystal Lawns is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Lawns
- Crest Hill
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Summerfield
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Summerfield is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summerfield
- Shorewood
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Preston Heights
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Preston Heights is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Preston Heights
- East Joliet
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- East Joliet is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Joliet
- Ingalls Park
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Ingalls Park is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ingalls Park
- Fairmont
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Fairmont is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmont
- Cherry Hill
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Cherry Hill is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherry Hill
- Lockport
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Plainfield
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Cook County
- The following are listed by their distance from Old Kent, with the one closest to Old Kent listed first.
- Lemont
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Orland Hills
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Orland Park
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Tinley Park
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Palos Park
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Burr Ridge
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Palos Hills
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Willow Springs
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Matteson
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Oak Forest
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Hickory Hills
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Indian Head Park
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- 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
- Palos Heights
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- DeKalb County
- The following are listed by their distance from Old Kent, with the one closest to Old Kent listed first.
- Sandwich
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Somonauk
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Franks
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Franks is located in DeKalb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franks
- Hinckley
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- DuPage County
- The following are listed by their distance from Old Kent, with the one closest to Old Kent listed first.
- Woodridge
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Tedens ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Tedens is located in DuPage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tedens
- Naperville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Darien
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Eola
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Lisle
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Willowbrook
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Warrenville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Westmont
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Downers Grove
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Clarendon Hills
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Hinsdale
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Wheaton
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Grundy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Old Kent, with the one closest to Old Kent listed first.
- Minooka
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Channahon
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Sand Ridge
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Sand Ridge is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sand Ridge
- Diamond
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Carbon Hill
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Carbon Hill is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbon Hill
- Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
- Claypool
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Claypool is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claypool
- Gaslight Village
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Gaslight Village is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gaslight Village
- Morris
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Coal City
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Centerville ‑ Historic
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Centerville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
- Central City
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Central City is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central City
- Braceville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Nettle Creek
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Nettle Creek is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nettle Creek
- Kane County
- The following are listed by their distance from Old Kent, with the one closest to Old Kent listed first.
- Aurora
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- North Aurora
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- North Aurora is located in Kane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Aurora
- Population from the 2020 Census: 18,144 people
- Mooseheart
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Sugar Grove
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Batavia
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Geneva
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Big Rock
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Saint Charles
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Kaneville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Bonnie
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Bonnie is located in Kane County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonnie
- Bonnie has also been known as:
- Bonnie Valley
- Elburn
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Kankakee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Old Kent, with the one closest to Old Kent listed first.
- Essex
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Manteno
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Bonfield
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Bourbonnais
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Union Hill
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Goodrich
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Goodrich is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodrich
- Reddick
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Bradley
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Limestone
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Limestone is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limestone
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,498 people
- Saint George
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Saint George is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint George
- Kendall County
- The following are listed by their distance from Old Kent, with the one closest to Old Kent listed first.
- Plattville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Plattville is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plattville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
- Oswego
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Boulder Hill
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Boulder Hill is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boulder Hill
- Bristol
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Montgomery
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Yorkville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Lisbon
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Lisbon is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisbon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 310 people
- Plano
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Millbrook
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Newark
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Little Rock
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Little Rock is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Rock
- La Salle County
- The following are listed by their distance from Old Kent, with the one closest to Old Kent listed first.
- Millington
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Stavanger
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Stavanger is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stavanger
- Seneca
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Seneca is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seneca
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,217 people
- Seneca has also been known as:
- Crotty
- Seneca village
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Seneca <1>
- Sheridan
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Serena
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Old Kent, see our County-by-County Page for Old Kent.
Cemeteries Near Old Kent ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Old Kent.
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 Old Kent - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Old Kent covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Old Kent, with the one closest to Old Kent listed first.
- Hills of Rest Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Woodlawn Memorial Park #2
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- County Farm Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Woodlawn Memorial Park #1
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Holy Cross Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Zarley Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zarley Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Zarley Cemetery is located in Joliet.
- The Zarley Cemetery has also been known as:
- Desplaines Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1269046 <2>
- St. Patricks Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- St. John the Baptist Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. John the Baptist Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the St. John the Baptist Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Joliet.
- The St. John the Baptist Cemetery has also been known as:
- St. Johns Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107908 <2>
- Mt. Moriah Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- St. Joseph Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- St. Marys Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- St. Mary Nativity Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Continue List (380 more) ...
- Illinois State Prison Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Illinois State Prison Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Illinois State Prison Cemetery is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<3> to the north of Joliet.
- The Illinois State Prison Cemetery has also been known as:
- Stateville Prison Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1990082 <2>
- Troutman Grove Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Plainfield Twp. Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainfield Twp. Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Plainfield Twp. Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Plainfield.
- The Plainfield Twp. Cemetery has also been known as:
- Plainfield Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #244792 <2>
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 Old Kent in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Old Kent.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Old Kent, with the one closest to Old Kent listed first.
- Joliet
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Coynes
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Coynes is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coynes
- East Joliet
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- East Joliet is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Joliet
- Caton Farm
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Caton Farm is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caton Farm
- Millsdale
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Millsdale is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millsdale
- Plainfield
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Walker
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Walker is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
- Lockport
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Minooka
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Drummond
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Drummond is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Drummond
- Elwood
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Channahon
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Blodgett
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
- Blodgett is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blodgett
- Normantown
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Normantown is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Normantown
- New Lenox
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Old Kent. See our List of 1890's Communities around Old Kent.
Newspapers Published in Old Kent ...
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 Old Kent.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Old Kent, there are papers which were published within 9 miles [14.5 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Old Kent.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we 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 Old Kent:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Will County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Cook County
- DeKalb County
- DuPage County
- Grundy County
- Kane County
- Kankakee County
- Kendall County
- La Salle 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Old Kent) 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 Old Kent, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |