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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 Perks (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 Perks. 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.

Perks is located in Pulaski 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 Pulaski County: Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Union & Ballard (KY).

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

  • Pulaski County     (The home county of Perks)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Perks, with the one closest to Perks listed first.
    • Karnak
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Grand Chain
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • New Grand Chain
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • New Grand Chain is located in Pulaski County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Grand Chain
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 178 people
    • Ullin
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Olmsted
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Pulaski
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Villa Ridge
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Mounds
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Mounds is located in Pulaski County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mounds
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 666 people
    • Mound City
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
  • Alexander County
  • Jackson County
  • Johnson County
  • Massac County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Perks, with the one closest to Perks listed first.
    • Joppa
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • New Columbia
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Big Bay
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Massac City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Massac City is located in Massac County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Massac City
    • Metropolis
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Brookport
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Pope County
  • Saline County
    • Stonefort
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Union County
  • Williamson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Perks, with the one closest to Perks listed first.
    • Lake Crest
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Creal Springs
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Crainville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Crainville is located in Williamson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crainville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,419 people
    • Marion
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Ballard County (KY)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Perks, with the one closest to Perks listed first.
    • Bandana
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Barlow
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • La Center
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Kevil
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Kevil is located in Ballard County (KY)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kevil
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 569 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kevil <1>
    • Ceredo
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Wickliffe
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Gage
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Blandville
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Blandville is located in Ballard County (KY)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blandville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 84 people
    • Lovelaceville
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
  • Carlisle County (KY)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Perks, with the one closest to Perks listed first.
    • Cunningham
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Bardwell
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • McCracken County (KY)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Perks, with the one closest to Perks listed first.
    • Ragland
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Woodville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Cimota City
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Cimota City is located in McCracken County (KY)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cimota City
    • Grahamville
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Future City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Future City is located in McCracken County (KY)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Future City
    • West Future City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • West Future City is located in McCracken County (KY)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Future City
    • West Paducah
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Camelia
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Massac
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Massac is located in McCracken County (KY)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Massac
    • Lone Oak
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Lone Oak is located in McCracken County (KY)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Oak
    • Paducah
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Cape Girardeau County (MO)
  • Mississippi County (MO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Perks, with the one closest to Perks listed first.
    • Greenfield
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Greenfield is located in Mississippi County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
    • Wyatt
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Wyatt is located in Mississippi County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wyatt
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 281 people
    • Wilson City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Wilson City is located in Mississippi County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilson City
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 110 people
    • Charleston
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Scott County (MO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Perks, with the one closest to Perks listed first.
    • Commerce
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Scott City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Kelso
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Kelso is located in Scott County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kelso
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 589 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kelso <1>
    • Benton
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Benton is located in Scott County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 880 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Benton <1>
    • Lambert
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Lambert is located in Scott County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lambert
      • Population from the 2010 Census: 34 people
    • New Hamburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Perks ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Perks.

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

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

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

  • Cache Chapel Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Sheffer Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Butter Ridge Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • New Hope Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Weese Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Forestview Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • West Eden Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Masonic Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Grand Chain Masonic Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Hinkle Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Mt. Pisgah Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Ullin City Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (464 more) ...
    • Eastwood Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Mt. Zion Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Bethlehem Cemetery
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)

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.<2>

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

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

  • Wetaug
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Wetaug is located in Pulaski County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wetaug
  • Grand Chain
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • New Grand Chain
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • New Grand Chain is located in Pulaski County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Grand Chain
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 178 people
  • Dongola
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Ullin
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Belknap
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Moscow
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Moscow is located in Union County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moscow
  • Olmsted
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Pulaski
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Mount Pleasant
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
  • Balcom
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Balcom is located in Union County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balcom
  • Mill Creek
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Boaz
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Boaz is located in Massac County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boaz
    • Elco
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Hillerman
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Hillerman is located in Massac County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillerman

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

Newspapers Published in Perks ...

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 81 newspapers that have been published in the area around Perks.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Perks, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Perks.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Perks:

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>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 Perks, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Perks) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.