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 Reading (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 Reading. 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.
Reading is located in Livingston 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 Livingston County: Ford, Grundy, Kankakee, La Salle, McLean & Woodford.
Below are the counties that are near Reading. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Reading:
- Livingston County (The home county of Reading)
- The following are listed by their distance from Reading, with the one closest to Reading listed first.
- Coalville
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Coalville is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coalville
- Vermilion City
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Vermilion City is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vermilion City
- Ancona
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Munster
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Munster is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Munster
- Long Point
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Missal
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Missal is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Missal
- Blackstone
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Cornell
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Budd
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Budd is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Budd
- Flanagan
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Graymont
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Adams ‑ Historic
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Adams is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adams
- Bureau County
- The following are listed by their distance from Reading, with the one closest to Reading listed first.
- Spring Valley
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Dalzell
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Ladd
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Ottville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Ottville is located in Bureau County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottville
- De Pue
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- De Pue is located in Bureau County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for De Pue
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,665 people
- Seatonville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Bureau Junction
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Bureau Junction is located in Bureau County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bureau Junction
- Population from the 2020 Census: 297 people
- Bureau Junction has also been known as:
- Bureau
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bureau Junction <1>
- Hollowayville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Hollowayville is located in Bureau County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hollowayville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 85 people
- Grundy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Reading, with the one closest to Reading listed first.
- Kinsman
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Highland Town ‑ Historic
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Highland Town is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland Town
- Verona
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Wauponsee
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Wauponsee is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wauponsee
- Mazon
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Gardner
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Nettle Creek
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Nettle Creek is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nettle Creek
- South Wilmington
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- South Wilmington is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Wilmington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 637 people
- Claypool
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Claypool is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claypool
- Gaslight Village
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Gaslight Village is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gaslight Village
- Morris
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- La Salle County
- The following are listed by their distance from Reading, with the one closest to Reading listed first.
- Streator
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Kangley
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Kangley is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kangley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
- Kernan
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Kernan is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kernan
- Leeds
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Leeds is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leeds
- Dana
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Leonore
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Grand Ridge
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Lostant
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Lostant is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lostant
- Population from the 2020 Census: 477 people
- Lostant has also been known as:
- Lost Ant
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lostant <1>
- Rutland
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Ransom
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Tonica
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Priscilla ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Priscilla is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Priscilla
- Marshall County
- The following are listed by their distance from Reading, with the one closest to Reading listed first.
- Wenona
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Evans ‑ Historic
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Evans is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evans
- Toluca
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Varna
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- La Rose
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Henry
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Lacon
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Sparland
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- McLean County
- The following are listed by their distance from Reading, with the one closest to Reading listed first.
- Gridley
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Meadows
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Meadows is located in McLean County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadows
- Chenoa
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Weston
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Weston is located in McLean County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weston
- Lexington
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Putnam County
- The following are listed by their distance from Reading, with the one closest to Reading listed first.
- Mount Palatine
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Mount Palatine is located in Putnam County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Palatine
- Magnolia
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- McNabb
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Standard
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Granville
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Mark
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Hennepin
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Putnam
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Woodford County
- The following are listed by their distance from Reading, with the one closest to Reading listed first.
- Minonk
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Woodford
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Woodford is located in Woodford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodford
- Benson
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Panola
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Panola is located in Woodford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Panola
- Population from the 2020 Census: 51 people
- El Paso
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Washburn
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Roanoke
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Secor
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Kappa
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Kappa is located in Woodford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kappa
- Population from the 2020 Census: 247 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Reading, see our County-by-County Page for Reading.
Cemeteries Near Reading ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Reading.
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 Reading - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Reading covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Reading, with the one closest to Reading listed first.
- Defenbaugh Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Moon's Point Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Ancona Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Old St. Stephen Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Barrickman Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
- Phillips Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- St. Marys Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- River View Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Long Point Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- St. Stephen Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Campbell Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- New Michigan Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Continue List (242 more) ...
- St. Anthony Catholic Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Barnhart Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Naramoor Cemetery
(5 miles [8 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.<2>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Reading had a population of 100 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Reading, with the one closest to Reading listed first.
- Coalville
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Coalville is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coalville
- Ancona
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Streator
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Long Point
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Manville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Manville is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manville
- Smithdale
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Smithdale is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smithdale
- Garfield
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Garfield is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garfield
- Kangley
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Kangley is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kangley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
- Missal
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Missal is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Missal
- Leeds
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Leeds is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leeds
- Kernan
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Kernan is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kernan
- Richards
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Richards is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richards
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Cornell
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Blackstone
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Wilsman
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Wilsman is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilsman
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Reading. See our List of 1890's Communities around Reading.
Newspapers Published in Reading ...
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 121 newspapers that have been published in the area around Reading.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Reading, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Reading.
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 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 Reading:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Livingston County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Bureau County
- Grundy County
- La Salle County
- Marshall County
- McLean County
- Putnam County
- Woodford 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> | 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 Reading, 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' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Reading) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |