RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Illinois >> Will County >> Pepper Tree >> Genealogy HelperIndex...

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 Pepper Tree (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 Pepper Tree. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Pepper Tree 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 Pepper Tree. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Pepper Tree:

  • Will County     (The home county of Pepper Tree)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pepper Tree, with the one closest to Pepper Tree listed first.
    • Bloomfield Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Bloomfield Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield Village
    • Bolingbrook
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Colonial Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Colonial Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
    • Winston Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Winston Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winston Village
    • Romeoville
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Normantown
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Normantown is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Normantown
    • Plainfield
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Walker
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Walker is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
    • Lockport
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Crystal Lawns
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Crystal Lawns is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Lawns
    • Crest Hill
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Fairmont
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Fairmont is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairmont
  • Cook County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pepper Tree, with the one closest to Pepper Tree listed first.
    • Lemont
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Burr Ridge
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Willow Springs
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Indian Head Park
      (12 miles [19.3 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
    • Countryside
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Orland Park
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Palos Park
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Hodgkins
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Western Springs
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Hickory Hills
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Justice
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • La Grange
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
  • DeKalb County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pepper Tree, with the one closest to Pepper Tree listed first.
    • Sandwich
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Hinckley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Franks
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Franks is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franks
    • Somonauk
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • DuPage County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pepper Tree, with the one closest to Pepper Tree listed first.
    • Naperville
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Woodridge
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Tedens ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Tedens is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tedens
    • Lisle
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Lisle is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisle
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 23,153 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lisle <1>
    • Darien
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Eola
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Warrenville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Downers Grove
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Westmont
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Willowbrook
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Clarendon Hills
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Hinsdale
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Grundy County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pepper Tree, with the one closest to Pepper Tree listed first.
    • Minooka
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Channahon
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Sand Ridge
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Sand Ridge is located in Grundy County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sand Ridge
    • Morris
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Claypool
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Claypool is located in Grundy County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claypool
    • Gaslight Village
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Gaslight Village is located in Grundy County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gaslight Village
    • Carbon Hill
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Carbon Hill is located in Grundy County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbon Hill
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
    • Diamond
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Coal City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Nettle Creek
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • 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 Pepper Tree, with the one closest to Pepper Tree listed first.
    • Aurora
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Batavia
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Mooseheart
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • North Aurora
      (14 miles [22.5 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
    • Geneva
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Sugar Grove
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Saint Charles
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Bonnie
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Bonnie is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonnie
      • Bonnie has also been known as:
      • Bonnie Valley
    • Campton Hills
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • 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>
    • Coleman
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Coleman is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coleman
    • Elburn
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Big Rock
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  • Kendall County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pepper Tree, with the one closest to Pepper Tree listed first.
    • Boulder Hill
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Boulder Hill is located in Kendall County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boulder Hill
    • Oswego
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Montgomery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Bristol
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Yorkville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Plattville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Plattville is located in Kendall County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plattville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
    • Plano
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Plano is located in Kendall County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plano
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,879 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Plano <1>
    • Millbrook
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Lisbon
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Lisbon is located in Kendall County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisbon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 310 people
    • Little Rock
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Little Rock is located in Kendall County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Rock
    • Newark
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
  • La Salle County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pepper Tree, with the one closest to Pepper Tree listed first.
    • Millington
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Sheridan
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)

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

Cemeteries Near Pepper Tree ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Pepper Tree.

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 Pepper Tree - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Boardman Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Wheatland Twp. Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheatland Twp. Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Wheatland Twp. Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside of Naperville
    • The Wheatland Twp. Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Wheatland Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #108827 <2>
  • Resurrection Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Ressurection Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Alexander Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Hillcrest Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillcrest Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Hillcrest Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Bolingbrook.
    • The Hillcrest Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Barber's Corner Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #208243 <2>
  • Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • St. Mary Immaculate Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Naperville Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Bronson Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (421 more) ...
    • Vermont Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vermont Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Vermont Cemetery is located outside of Naperville
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #108683 <2>
    • Wheatland Presbyterian Church Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheatland Presbyterian Church Cemetery
      • To give a relative sense of its location, the Wheatland Presbyterian Church Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<3> to the northwest of Plainfield.
      • The Wheatland Presbyterian Church Cemetery has also been known as:
      • Scotch Cemetery
      • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1960758 <2>
    • Calvary Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)

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 Pepper Tree in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Pepper Tree.

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

  • Romeo
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Romeo is located in Will County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romeo
  • Naperville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Normantown
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Normantown is located in Will County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Normantown
  • Plainfield
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Walker
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Walker is located in Will County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
  • Lemont
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Frontenac
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Frontenac is located in DuPage County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frontenac
  • Coynes
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Coynes is located in Will County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coynes
  • Lockport
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Tedens ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Tedens is located in DuPage County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tedens
  • Lisle
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Lisle is located in DuPage County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisle
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 23,153 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lisle <1>
  • Eola
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Warrenville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Sag Bridge
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Sag Bridge is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sag Bridge
    • Lace
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Lace is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lace

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

Newspapers Published in Pepper Tree ...

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 54 newspapers that have been published in the area around Pepper Tree.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Pepper Tree, there are papers which were published within 8 miles [12.9 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Pepper Tree.

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 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 Pepper Tree:

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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Pepper Tree) 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 Pepper Tree, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.