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 Rapatee (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 Rapatee. 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 and hospitals 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.
Rapatee is located in Knox 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 Knox County: Fulton, Henry, Mercer, Peoria, Stark & Warren.
Below are the counties that are near Rapatee. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Rapatee:
- Knox County (The home county of Rapatee)
- The following are listed by their distance from Rapatee, with the one closest to Rapatee listed first.
- Maquon
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Yates City
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Gilson
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- De Long
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- De Long is located in Knox County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Long
- Saint Augustine
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Dahinda
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Abingdon
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Knoxville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Appleton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Appleton is located in Knox County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Appleton
- Knox
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Knox is located in Knox County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knox
- Williamsfield
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- East Galesburg
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- East Galesburg is located in Knox County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Galesburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 761 people
- Galesburg
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Fulton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Rapatee, with the one closest to Rapatee listed first.
- Fairview
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- London Mills
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Farmington
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Bybee
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Bybee is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bybee
- Norris
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Ellisville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Fiatt
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Brereton
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Brereton is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brereton
- Canton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Blyton
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Blyton is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blyton
- Babylon
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Babylon is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Babylon
- Avon
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Cuba
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Mason County
- The following are listed by their distance from Rapatee, with the one closest to Rapatee listed first.
- Goofy Ridge
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Goofy Ridge is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goofy Ridge
- Buzzville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Buzzville is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buzzville
- Manito
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Union
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Union is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
- Havana
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Forest City
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Forest City is located in Mason County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 222 people
- Topeka
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- McDonough County
- The following are listed by their distance from Rapatee, with the one closest to Rapatee listed first.
- Prairie City
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Prairie City is located in McDonough County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 344 people
- Bushnell
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- New Philadelphia
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- New Philadelphia is located in McDonough County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Philadelphia
- Bardolph
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Adair
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Good Hope
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Mercer County
- North Henderson
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Peoria County
- The following are listed by their distance from Rapatee, with the one closest to Rapatee listed first.
- Elmwood
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Trivoli
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Brimfield
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Laura
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Hanna City
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Elmore
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Elmore is located in Peoria County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmore
- Glasford
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Edwards
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Monica
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Monica is located in Peoria County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monica
- Norwood
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Norwood is located in Peoria County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norwood
- Population from the 2020 Census: 447 people
- Kingston Mines
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Maxwell
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Maxwell is located in Peoria County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maxwell
- Mapleton
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Stark County
- The following are listed by their distance from Rapatee, with the one closest to Rapatee listed first.
- West Jersey
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- West Jersey is located in Stark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Jersey
- La Fayette
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Toulon
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Tazewell County
- The following are listed by their distance from Rapatee, with the one closest to Rapatee listed first.
- Radville
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Radville is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Radville
- Talbott
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Talbott is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Talbott
- Parkland
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Parkland is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkland
- Powerton
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Powerton is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Powerton
- Stoehrs
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Stoehrs is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stoehrs
- North Pekin
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- North Pekin is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Pekin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,530 people
- Former name for North Pekin:
- Radio City
- Pekin
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Crescent
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Crescent is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crescent
- Marquette Heights
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Marquette Heights is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marquette Heights
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,617 people
- Schaeferville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Schaeferville is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schaeferville
- Wesley
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Wesley is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wesley
- Midway
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Midway is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
- Creve Coeur
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Creve Coeur is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Creve Coeur
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,109 people
- Former name for Creve Coeur:
- Wesley City
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Creve Coeur <1>
- Warren County
- The following are listed by their distance from Rapatee, with the one closest to Rapatee listed first.
- Berwick
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Surrey
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Surrey is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Surrey
- Cameron
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Youngstown
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Youngstown is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Youngstown
- Utah
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Utah is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Utah
- Roseville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Monmouth
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Gerlaw
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Shanghai City
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Shanghai City is located in Warren County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shanghai City
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Rapatee, see our County-by-County Page for Rapatee.
Cemeteries Near Rapatee ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rapatee.
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 Rapatee - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Rapatee covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Rapatee, with the one closest to Rapatee listed first.
- Lyons Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Thurman Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Blakeslee Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- West Midway Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- East Midway Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Coal Creek Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Uniontown Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Housh Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Fairview Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairview Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Fairview Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the northwest of Fairview.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #521445 <2>
- Shumaker Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Providence Chapel Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Pleasant Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Continue List (326 more) ...
- Ouderkirk Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Beer Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Markley Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
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.<3>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Rapatee had a post office and no railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Rapatee, with the one closest to Rapatee listed first.
- Fairview
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Maquon
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- London Mills
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Douglas
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Douglas is located in Knox County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Douglas
- Bybee
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Bybee is located in Fulton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bybee
- Farmington
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Yates City
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Hermon
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Hermon is located in Knox County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hermon
- Ellisville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Norris
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Gilson
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Fiatt
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Elmwood
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- De Long
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- De Long is located in Knox County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Long
- Cramer
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Cramer is located in Peoria County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cramer
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Rapatee. See our List of 1890's Communities around Rapatee.
Newspapers Published in Rapatee ...
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 102 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rapatee.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Rapatee, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Rapatee.
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 professional and volunteer 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 Rapatee:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Knox County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Fulton County
- Mason County
- McDonough County
- Mercer County
- Peoria County
- Stark County
- Tazewell County
- Warren 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> | 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 Rapatee, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Rapatee) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |