Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
So far, we found very little information about Pilot Center. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>
We've added Pilot Center to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Pilot Center, please Contact Us.
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 Pilot Center (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 Pilot Center. 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.
Name Variations for Pilot Center ...
When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.
Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might occur.
For example, a typical abbreviation for Pilot Center: Pilot Ctr. (or less commonly used: Pilot Cen., Pilot Cent. or Pilot Cntr.)
You might see Pilot Centre instead of Pilot Center.
If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.
For more information about how community names might have been affected by the Board of Geographic Names (BGN), see our page about Placename Rules.
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 and doctors 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.
Although our information shows that the community of Pilot Center is historic, it would have been located within present day Kankakee 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 Kankakee County: Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Livingston, Will, Lake (IN) & Newton (IN).
Below are the counties that are near Pilot Center. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Pilot Center:
- Kankakee County (The home county of Pilot Center)
- The following are listed by their distance from Pilot Center, with the one closest to Pilot Center listed first.
- Herscher
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Goodrich
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Goodrich is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodrich
- Irwin
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Irwin is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irwin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 71 people
- Union Hill
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Buckingham
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Bonfield
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Limestone
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Limestone is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limestone
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,498 people
- Otto
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Otto is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otto
- Reddick
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Essex
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Sammons Point
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Sammons Point is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sammons Point
- Population from the 2020 Census: 237 people
- Sammons Point has also been known as:
- Sammons Point village
- Kankakee
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Ford County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pilot Center, with the one closest to Pilot Center listed first.
- Cabery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Kempton
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Piper City
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Grundy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pilot Center, with the one closest to Pilot Center listed first.
- Clarke City
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Clarke City is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarke City
- East Brooklyn
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- East Brooklyn is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Brooklyn
- Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
- South Wilmington
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- South Wilmington is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Wilmington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 637 people
- Braceville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Gardner
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Central City
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Central City is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central City
- Centerville ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Centerville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
- Coal City
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Diamond
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Carbon Hill
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Carbon Hill is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbon Hill
- Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
- Mazon
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Highland Town ‑ Historic
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Highland Town is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland Town
- Iroquois County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pilot Center, with the one closest to Pilot Center listed first.
- Chebanse
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Clifton
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Ashkum
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- L'Erable
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- L'Erable is located in Iroquois County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for L'Erable
- Danforth
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Papineau
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Gilman
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- La Hogue
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- La Hogue is located in Iroquois County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Hogue
- Martinton
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Crescent City
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Beaverville
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Onarga
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- La Salle County
- Ransom
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Livingston County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pilot Center, with the one closest to Pilot Center listed first.
- Cardiff
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Cardiff is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cardiff
- Campus
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Cullom
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Emington
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Griswold
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Griswold is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griswold
- Dwight
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Charlotte
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Charlotte is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Charlotte
- Saunemin
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Eylar
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Eylar is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eylar
- Chatsworth
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Odell
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Sunbury
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Sunbury is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunbury
- Will County
- The following are listed by their distance from Pilot Center, with the one closest to Pilot Center listed first.
- Custer Park
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Custer Park is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Custer Park
- Lakewood Shores
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Lakewood Shores is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood Shores
- Godley
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Godley is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Godley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 771 people
- Braidwood
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Wilmington
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Wilmington is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,597 people
- Symerton
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Symerton is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Symerton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
- Wilton Center
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Wallingford
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Wallingford is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wallingford
- Blodgett
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Blodgett is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blodgett
- Elwood
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Peotone
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Manhattan
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Lake County (IN)
- Illinoi
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Illinoi is located in Lake County (IN)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Illinoi
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Pilot Center, see our County-by-County Page for Pilot Center.
Cemeteries Near Pilot Center ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Pilot Center.
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 Pilot Center - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Pilot Center covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Pilot Center, with the one closest to Pilot Center listed first.
- Pilot Center Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
- The Trinity Lutheran Cemetery has also been known as:
- Trinity Cemetery
- Grand Prairie Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Prairie Cemetery
- The Grand Prairie Cemetery has also been known as:
- Grand Prairie EUB Cemetery
- Mt. Hope Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- St. Peter & Paul Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Grand Prairie Lutheran Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Coleman Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coleman Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Coleman Cemetery is located outside and to the south of Union Hill.
- Zion Lutheran Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Edgerville Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgerville Cemetery
- The Edgerville Cemetery has also been known as:
- Floridgeville Cemetery
- St. James Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Milk's Grove Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Bonfield Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Continue List (192 more) ...
- Smith Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Mt. Hope Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Maple Grove Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
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.
While we didn't find Pilot Center in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Pilot Center.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Pilot Center, with the one closest to Pilot Center listed first.
- Herscher
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Goodrich
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Goodrich is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodrich
- Irwin
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Irwin is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irwin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 71 people
- Union Hill
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Buckingham
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Bonfield
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Cabery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Greenwich
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Greenwich is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwich
- Chebanse
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Otto
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Otto is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otto
- Reddick
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Essex
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Kempton
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Clifton
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
- Campus
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Pilot Center. See our List of 1890's Communities around Pilot Center.
Newspapers Published in Pilot Center ...
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 29 newspapers that have been published in the area around Pilot Center.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Pilot Center, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Pilot Center.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Pilot Center:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Kankakee County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Ford County
- Grundy County
- Iroquois County
- La Salle County
- Livingston County
- Will County
- Lake County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Illinois
Footnotes ...
| <1> | 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 Pilot Center, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <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 from Point A (ie- Pilot Center) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |