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 Ritchie (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 Ritchie. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals 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.
Ritchie is located in Will 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 Will County: Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall & Lake (IN).
Below are the counties that are near Ritchie. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Ritchie:
- Will County (The home county of Ritchie)
- The following are listed by their distance from Ritchie, with the one closest to Ritchie listed first.
- Custer Park
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Custer Park is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Custer Park
- Lakewood Shores
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
- Lakewood Shores is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood Shores
- Wilmington
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Wilmington is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,597 people
- Symerton
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Symerton is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Symerton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
- Braidwood
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Godley
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Godley is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Godley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 771 people
- Blodgett
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Blodgett is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blodgett
- Elwood
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Wilton Center
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Wallingford
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
- Wallingford is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wallingford
- Manhattan
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Preston Heights
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Preston Heights is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Preston Heights
- Cook County
- The following are listed by their distance from Ritchie, with the one closest to Ritchie listed first.
- Matteson
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Richton Park
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Orland Hills
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Tinley Park
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Park Forest
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Olympia Fields
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Orland Park
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- South Chicago Heights
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- South Chicago Heights is located in Cook County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Chicago Heights
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,957 people
- Lemont
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Chicago Heights
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Country Club Hills
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Flossmoor
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Ford County
- The following are listed by their distance from Ritchie, with the one closest to Ritchie listed first.
- Cabery
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Kempton
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Grundy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Ritchie, with the one closest to Ritchie listed first.
- Diamond
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Braceville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Clarke City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Clarke City is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clarke City
- Centerville ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Centerville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
- Central City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Central City is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central City
- Coal City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- East Brooklyn
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- East Brooklyn is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Brooklyn
- Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
- South Wilmington
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- South Wilmington is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Wilmington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 637 people
- Carbon Hill
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Carbon Hill is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbon Hill
- Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
- Gardner
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Channahon
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Claypool
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Claypool is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claypool
- Iroquois County
- The following are listed by their distance from Ritchie, with the one closest to Ritchie listed first.
- Chebanse
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Clifton
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Ashkum
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- L'Erable
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- L'Erable is located in Iroquois County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for L'Erable
- Papineau
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Danforth
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Martinton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Kankakee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Ritchie, with the one closest to Ritchie listed first.
- Essex
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Bonfield
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Goodrich
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Goodrich is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodrich
- Union Hill
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Bourbonnais
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Limestone
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Limestone is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Limestone
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,498 people
- Reddick
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Manteno
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Buckingham
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Herscher
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Bradley
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Irwin
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Irwin is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irwin
- Population from the 2020 Census: 71 people
- Kendall County
- The following are listed by their distance from Ritchie, with the one closest to Ritchie listed first.
- Lisbon
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Lisbon is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisbon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 310 people
- Plattville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Plattville is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plattville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
- La Salle County
- The following are listed by their distance from Ritchie, with the one closest to Ritchie listed first.
- Seneca
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Seneca is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seneca
- 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 <1>
- Stavanger
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Stavanger is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stavanger
- Marseilles
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Ransom
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Livingston County
- The following are listed by their distance from Ritchie, with the one closest to Ritchie listed first.
- Cardiff
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Cardiff is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cardiff
- Campus
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Dwight
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Emington
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Sunbury
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Sunbury is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunbury
- Griswold
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Griswold is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Griswold
- Cullom
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Adams ‑ Historic
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Adams is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adams
- Odell
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Budd
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Budd is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Budd
- Eylar
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Eylar is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eylar
- Saunemin
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- 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 Ritchie, see our County-by-County Page for Ritchie.
Cemeteries Near Ritchie ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Ritchie.
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 Ritchie - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Ritchie covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Ritchie, with the one closest to Ritchie listed first.
- Custer Twp. Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Custer Twp. Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Custer Twp. Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Custer Park.
- The Custer Twp. Cemetery has also been known as:
- Custer Park Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #322758 <2>
- Wesley Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wesley Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Wesley Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 7 miles [11.3 km]<3> to the east of Braidwood.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #108794 <2>
- Mt. Olive Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Mt. Olivet Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mt. Olivet Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Mt. Olivet Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Wilmington.
- The Mt. Olivet Cemetery has also been known as:
- St. Rose of Lima Parish Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107049 <2>
- Oakwood Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Oakwood Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located in Wilmington.
- The Oakwood Cemetery has also been known as:
- Oakwood Protestant Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107289 <2>
- Beach Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- McGillivray Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Brown Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Bohemian Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Bohemian National Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Oakwood Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Oakwood Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the southeast of Braidwood.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107252 <2>
- Mt. Olivet Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mt. Olivet Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Mt. Olivet Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the south of Braidwood.
- The Mt. Olivet Cemetery has also been known as:
- Rose Hill Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107052 <2>
- Continue List (251 more) ...
- North Essex Twp. Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Essex Twp. Cemetery
- The North Essex Twp. Cemetery has also been known as:
- Essex Cemetery
- Essex Twp. Cemetery
- North Essex Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #107202 <2>
- South Essex Twp. Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Essex Twp. Cemetery
- The South Essex Twp. Cemetery has also been known as:
- Essex Cemetery
- Essex Twp. Cemetery
- Foote Cemetery
- South Essex Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1964373 <2>
- Schreffler Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
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.<4>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Ritchie had a post office and railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Ritchie, with the one closest to Ritchie listed first.
- Custer Park
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Custer Park is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Custer Park
- Wilmington
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Wilmington is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,597 people
- Symerton
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Symerton is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Symerton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
- Braidwood
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Essex
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Deselm
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Deselm is located in Kankakee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deselm
- Bonfield
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Diamond
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Braceville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Lorenzo
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Lorenzo is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lorenzo
- Mazonia
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Mazonia is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mazonia
- Blodgett
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Blodgett is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blodgett
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Coal City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Centerville ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Centerville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
- Union Hill
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Ritchie. See our List of 1890's Communities around Ritchie.
Newspapers Published in Ritchie ...
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 98 newspapers that have been published in the area around Ritchie.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Ritchie, there are papers which were published within 20 miles [32.2 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Ritchie.
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 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 Ritchie:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Will County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Cook County
- Ford County
- Grundy County
- Iroquois County
- Kankakee County
- Kendall County
- La Salle County
- Livingston County
- Lake 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> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Ritchie) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <4> | 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 Ritchie, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |