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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 Pontiac (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 Pontiac. 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 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.

Pontiac is located in Livingston County and is the County Seat.

To see how the shape of Illinois' counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Livingston County: Ford, Grundy, Kankakee, La Salle, McLean & Woodford.

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

  • Livingston County     (The home county of Pontiac)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pontiac, with the one closest to Pontiac listed first.
    • Cayuga
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cayuga
      • Cayuga is located in Livingston County
    • McDowell
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McDowell
      • McDowell is located in Livingston County
    • Swygert
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Swygert have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swygert
      • Swygert is located in Livingston County
    • Graymont
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graymont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graymont
      • Graymont is located in Livingston County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Graymont <2>
    • Cornell
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cornell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornell
      • Cornell is located in Livingston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 451 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cornell <2>
    • Odell
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odell
      • Odell is located in Livingston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 957 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Odell <2>
    • Fairbury
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Flanagan
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flanagan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flanagan
      • Flanagan is located in Livingston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,057 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Flanagan <2>
    • Saunemin
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saunemin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saunemin
      • Saunemin is located in Livingston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 401 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saunemin <2>
    • Wing
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wing
      • Wing is located in Livingston County
    • Blackstone
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blackstone have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackstone
      • Blackstone is located in Livingston County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Blackstone <2>
    • Budd
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Budd have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Budd
      • Budd is located in Livingston County
    • Emington
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emington
      • Emington is located in Livingston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 103 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Emington <2>
  • Ford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pontiac, with the one closest to Pontiac listed first.
    • Kempton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kempton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kempton
      • Kempton is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 206 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Kempton <2>
    • Cabery
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cabery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cabery
      • Cabery is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 243 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cabery <2>
    • Sibley
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sibley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sibley
      • Sibley is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 251 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sibley <2>
    • Piper City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Piper City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Piper City
      • Piper City is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 746 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Piper City <2>
    • Melvin
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Melvin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melvin
      • Melvin is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 410 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Melvin <2>
    • Roberts
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roberts have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roberts
      • Roberts is located in Ford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 328 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Roberts <2>
  • Grundy County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pontiac, with the one closest to Pontiac listed first.
    • Kinsman
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
    • Highland Town ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Highland Town have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland Town
      • Highland Town is located in Grundy County
    • Verona
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Wauponsee
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wauponsee
      • Wauponsee is located in Grundy County
    • East Brooklyn
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Brooklyn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Brooklyn
      • East Brooklyn is located in Grundy County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
    • Gardner
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gardner have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gardner
      • Gardner is located in Grundy County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,377 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gardner <2>
    • Mazon
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
    • South Wilmington
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Wilmington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Wilmington
      • South Wilmington is located in Grundy County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 637 people
    • Clarke City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clarke City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarke City
      • Clarke City is located in Grundy County
    • Braceville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Braceville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Braceville
      • Braceville is located in Grundy County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 755 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Braceville <2>
    • Central City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Central City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central City
      • Central City is located in Grundy County
  • Iroquois County
    • La Hogue
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for La Hogue
      • La Hogue is located in Iroquois County
  • Kankakee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pontiac, with the one closest to Pontiac listed first.
    • Reddick
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Buckingham
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Buckingham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buckingham
      • Buckingham is located in Kankakee County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 280 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Buckingham <2>
    • Herscher
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Union Hill
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • La Salle County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pontiac, with the one closest to Pontiac listed first.
    • Dana
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dana have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dana
      • Dana is located in La Salle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 149 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dana <2>
    • Kernan
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kernan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kernan
      • Kernan is located in La Salle County
    • Ransom
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Streator
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Kangley
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kangley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kangley
      • Kangley is located in La Salle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
    • Rutland
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rutland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutland
      • Rutland is located in La Salle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 303 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rutland <2>
    • Grand Ridge
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Marseilles
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marseilles have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marseilles
      • Marseilles is located in La Salle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,778 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Marseilles <2>
    • Leonore
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Seneca
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seneca have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seneca
      • Seneca is located in La Salle County
      • 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 <2>
    • Lostant
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lostant
      • Lostant is located in La Salle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 477 people
      • Lostant has also been known as:
      • Lost Ant
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lostant <2>
  • Marshall County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pontiac, with the one closest to Pontiac listed first.
    • Wenona
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wenona have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wenona
      • Wenona is located in Marshall County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 926 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wenona <2>
    • Evans ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evans
      • Evans is located in Marshall County
    • Toluca
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toluca have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toluca
      • Toluca is located in Marshall County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,249 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Toluca <2>
  • McLean County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pontiac, with the one closest to Pontiac listed first.
    • Weston
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weston
      • Weston is located in McLean County
    • Chenoa
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Meadows
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadows
      • Meadows is located in McLean County
    • Gridley
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gridley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gridley
      • Gridley is located in McLean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,392 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gridley <2>
    • Lexington
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lexington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lexington
      • Lexington is located in McLean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,020 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lexington <2>
    • Cropsey
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Anchor
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Colfax
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Colfax have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colfax
      • Colfax is located in McLean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,009 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Colfax <2>
    • Cooksville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Hudson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hudson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hudson
      • Hudson is located in McLean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,810 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hudson <2>
    • Towanda
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Towanda have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Towanda
      • Towanda is located in McLean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 461 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Towanda <2>
    • Merna
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Merna have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Merna
      • Merna is located in McLean County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Merna <2>
    • Arrowsmith
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arrowsmith have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arrowsmith
      • Arrowsmith is located in McLean County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 275 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arrowsmith <2>
  • Woodford County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Pontiac, with the one closest to Pontiac listed first.
    • Minonk
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Panola
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Panola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Panola
      • Panola is located in Woodford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
    • Woodford
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodford
      • Woodford is located in Woodford County
    • El Paso
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for El Paso have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for El Paso
      • El Paso is located in Woodford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,700 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for El Paso <2>
    • Kappa
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kappa
      • Kappa is located in Woodford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 247 people
    • Benson
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Benson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benson
      • Benson is located in Woodford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 401 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Benson <2>
    • Secor
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Secor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Secor
      • Secor is located in Woodford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 351 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Secor <2>
    • Roanoke
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roanoke have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roanoke
      • Roanoke is located in Woodford County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,966 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Roanoke <2>

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Pontiac ...

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 188 newspapers that have been published in the area around Pontiac.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Pontiac. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Pontiac and those printed in the larger area surrounding Pontiac.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Pontiac.

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 helpful 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 Pontiac:

Cemeteries Near Pontiac ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Pontiac.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Pontiac City Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery
  • Houder Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Houder Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Houder Cemetery
  • Rowe Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rowe Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rowe Cemetery
  • McMillan Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McMillan Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McMillan Cemetery
  • Rook's Creek Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rook's Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rook's Creek Cemetery
  • Patty Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Patty Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Patty Cemetery
  • Memorial Park
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Memorial Park
  • Swygert Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Swygert Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Swygert Cemetery
  • Corbins Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Corbins Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Corbins Cemetery
  • Walden Farm Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Walden Farm Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Walden Farm Cemetery
  • Johnson Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Johnson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Johnson Cemetery
  • Continue List   (185 more) ...
    • Camp Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Camp Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Camp Cemetery
    • Cornell Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cornell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cornell Cemetery
    • Zooks Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zooks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zooks Cemetery

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Pontiac had a population of 2,784 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Pontiac had a population of 11,176 people.

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

  • Rowe
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rowe have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rowe
    • Rowe is located in Livingston County
  • Rooks Creek
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rooks Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rooks Creek
    • Rooks Creek is located in Livingston County
  • McDowell
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McDowell
    • McDowell is located in Livingston County
  • Cayuga
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cayuga
    • Cayuga is located in Livingston County
  • Ocoya
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ocoya have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocoya
    • Ocoya is located in Livingston County
  • Lodemia
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lodemia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lodemia
    • Lodemia is located in Livingston County
  • Swygert
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Swygert have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Swygert
    • Swygert is located in Livingston County
  • Graymont
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Graymont have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Graymont
    • Graymont is located in Livingston County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Graymont <2>
  • Rugby
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rugby have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rugby
    • Rugby is located in Livingston County
  • Cornell
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cornell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cornell
    • Cornell is located in Livingston County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 451 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cornell <2>
  • Weston
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weston
    • Weston is located in McLean County
  • Chenoa
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (20 more) ...
    • Eylar
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eylar have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eylar
      • Eylar is located in Livingston County
    • Odell
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odell
      • Odell is located in Livingston County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 957 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Odell <2>
    • Fairbury
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Pontiac. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Livingston County: www.livingstoncounty-il.org/

The official website for State of Illinois: https://illinois.gov

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<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' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Pontiac) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Pontiac. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.8857, Longitude: -88.6432       In this case, the coordinates for Pontiac have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<4>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.
<5>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 Pontiac, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024