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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 Rolling Meadows (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 Rolling Meadows. 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 Rolling Meadows ...

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 Rolling Meadows: Rolling Mdws.

You might be interested in other communities that are also named Rolling Meadows. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Rolling Meadows.

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.

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.

Rolling Meadows is located in Cook 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 Cook County: DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Lake (IN) & Berrien (MI).

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

  • Cook County     (The home county of Rolling Meadows)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rolling Meadows, with the one closest to Rolling Meadows listed first.
    • Fairfax Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Fairfax Village is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairfax Village
    • Winthrop Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Winthrop Village is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winthrop Village
    • Plum Grove Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Plum Grove Village is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plum Grove Village
    • Palatine
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Arlington Heights
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Mount Prospect
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Capri Village
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Capri Village is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Capri Village
    • Inverness
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Schaumburg
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Prospect Heights
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Elk Grove Village
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Norma
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Norma is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norma
    • Hoffman Estates
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • DeKalb County
    • New Lebanon
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • New Lebanon is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Lebanon
  • DuPage County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rolling Meadows, with the one closest to Rolling Meadows listed first.
    • Itasca
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Medinah
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Roselle
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Wood Dale
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Bloomingdale
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Keeneyville
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Keeneyville is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keeneyville
    • Addison
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Bensenville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Bartlett
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Cloverdale
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Cloverdale is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cloverdale
    • Glendale Heights
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Elmhurst
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Carol Stream
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Kane County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rolling Meadows, with the one closest to Rolling Meadows listed first.
    • East Dundee
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Carpentersville
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Elgin
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Sleepy Hollow
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Coleman
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Coleman is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coleman
    • South Elgin
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • South Elgin is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Elgin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 24,646 people
    • West Dundee
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Gilberts
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Saint Charles
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Freeman
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Freeman is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeman
    • Geneva
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Bonnie
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Bonnie is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonnie
      • Bonnie has also been known as:
      • Bonnie Valley
    • Bowes Bend
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Bowes Bend is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowes Bend
  • Kendall County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rolling Meadows, with the one closest to Rolling Meadows listed first.
    • Boulder Hill
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Boulder Hill is located in Kendall County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boulder Hill
    • Montgomery
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Lake County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rolling Meadows, with the one closest to Rolling Meadows listed first.
    • Buffalo Grove
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Kildeer
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Deer Park
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Lake Zurich
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Long Grove
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Aptakisic
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Aptakisic is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aptakisic
    • Forest Lake
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Forest Lake is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Lake
    • Prairie View
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Prairie View is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie View
    • Riverwoods
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Indian Creek
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Indian Creek is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Creek
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 538 people
    • Deerfield
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Lincolnshire
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • North Barrington
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • North Barrington is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Barrington
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,938 people
  • McHenry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rolling Meadows, with the one closest to Rolling Meadows listed first.
    • Fox River Grove
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Cary
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Cary is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cary
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,929 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cary <1>
    • Trout Valley
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Trout Valley is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trout Valley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 508 people
    • Algonquin
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Island Lake
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Island Lake is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Island Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,951 people
    • Lake-in-the-Hills
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Oakwood Hills
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Oakwood Hills is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood Hills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,011 people
    • Barreville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Barreville is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barreville
    • Holiday Hills
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Holiday Hills is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holiday Hills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 574 people
    • Prairie Grove
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Prairie Grove is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Grove
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,920 people
    • Crystal Lake
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Lakemoor
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Lakewood
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Will County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rolling Meadows, with the one closest to Rolling Meadows listed first.
    • Winston Village
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Winston Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winston Village
    • Colonial Village
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Colonial Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
    • Bloomfield Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Bloomfield Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield Village
    • Bolingbrook
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Romeoville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Normantown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Normantown is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Normantown
  • Kenosha County (WI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Rolling Meadows, with the one closest to Rolling Meadows listed first.
    • Benet Lake
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Benet Lake is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benet Lake
    • Fossland
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Fossland is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fossland
    • Lake Shangrila
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Lake Shangrila is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Shangrila

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

Cemeteries Near Rolling Meadows ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Rolling Meadows.

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 Rolling Meadows - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Salem Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
  • German Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Mt. Hope Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • St. Michael Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • Elk Grove Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Hillside Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Memory Gardens Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • English Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Wheeling Twp. Arlington Heights Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Randhill Park Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (360 more) ...

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>

While we didn't find Rolling Meadows in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Rolling Meadows.

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

  • Palatine
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Arlington Heights
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Schaumburg
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Mount Prospect
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Elk Grove Village
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Roselle
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Itasca
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Wheeling
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Buffalo Grove
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Des Plaines
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Barrington
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Ontarioville
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Ontarioville is located in DuPage County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ontarioville
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Bloomingdale
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Lake Zurich
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • The Grove
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • The Grove is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Grove

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

Newspapers Published in Rolling Meadows ...

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 145 newspapers that have been published in the area around Rolling Meadows.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Rolling Meadows, there are papers which were published within 9 miles [14.5 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Rolling Meadows.

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 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 Rolling Meadows:

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 Rolling Meadows, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Rolling Meadows) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.