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 Scales Mound (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 Scales Mound. 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 Scales Mound ...
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.
While the name of this village is Scales Mound, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Scales Mound may originally have been Scale's Mound.
Sometimes the trailing 's' might be dropped altogether, in which case Scales Mound might be written as Scale Mound.
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 doctors and 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.
Scales Mound is located in Jo Daviess 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 Jo Daviess County: Dubuque (IA), Jackson (IA), Carroll, Stephenson, Grant (WI) & Lafayette (WI).
Below are the counties that are near Scales Mound. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Scales Mound:
- Jo Daviess County (The home county of Scales Mound)
- The following are listed by their distance from Scales Mound, with the one closest to Scales Mound listed first.
- Apple River
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Bremen
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Bremen is located in Jo Daviess County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bremen
- Galena
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Elizabeth
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Aiken
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Aiken is located in Jo Daviess County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aiken
- Galena Junction
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Galena Junction is located in Jo Daviess County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galena Junction
- Warren
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Menominee
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Menominee is located in Jo Daviess County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Menominee
- Population from the 2020 Census: 241 people
- Nora
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Hanover
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Stockton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- East Dubuque
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Carroll County
- The following are listed by their distance from Scales Mound, with the one closest to Scales Mound listed first.
- Blackhawk
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Blackhawk is located in Carroll County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blackhawk
- Arnold
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Arnold is located in Carroll County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arnold
- Marcus
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Marcus is located in Carroll County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marcus
- Polsgrove
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Polsgrove is located in Carroll County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Polsgrove
- Savanna
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Ayers
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Ayers is located in Carroll County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ayers
- Center Hill
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Center Hill is located in Carroll County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Center Hill
- Mount Carroll
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Hickory Grove
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Hickory Grove is located in Carroll County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Grove
- Wacker
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Wacker is located in Carroll County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wacker
- Stephenson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Scales Mound, with the one closest to Scales Mound listed first.
- Kent
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Lena
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Lena is located in Stephenson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lena
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,680 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lena <2>
- Winslow
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Yellow Creek
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Yellow Creek is located in Stephenson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yellow Creek
- Loran
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Loran is located in Stephenson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loran
- Salem
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Salem is located in Stephenson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salem
- Eleroy
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- McConnell
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Pearl City
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Buena Vista
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Buena Vista is located in Stephenson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buena Vista
- Oneco
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Oneco is located in Stephenson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oneco
- Orangeville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Dubuque County (IA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Scales Mound, with the one closest to Scales Mound listed first.
- Wilkins
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Wilkins is located in Dubuque County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilkins
- Massey
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Massey is located in Dubuque County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Massey
- Cattese
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Cattese is located in Dubuque County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cattese
- Dubuque
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Rockdale
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Rockdale is located in Dubuque County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockdale
- Key West
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Key West is located in Dubuque County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Key West
- Sageville
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Sageville is located in Dubuque County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sageville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 100 people
- Zwingle
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Zwingle is located in Dubuque County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zwingle
- Population from the 2020 Census: 93 people
- Asbury
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Asbury is located in Dubuque County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Asbury
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,841 people
- Durango
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Sherrill
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Centralia
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Centralia is located in Dubuque County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centralia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 128 people
- Jackson County (IA)
- The following are listed by their distance from Scales Mound, with the one closest to Scales Mound listed first.
- Smiths
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Smiths is located in Jackson County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smiths
- North Bellevue
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- North Bellevue is located in Jackson County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Bellevue
- Saint Donatus
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Bellevue
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Green Island
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Green Island is located in Jackson County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Island
- La Motte
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Cottonville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Cottonville is located in Jackson County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cottonville
- Springbrook
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Van Buren
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Van Buren is located in Jackson County (IA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Buren
- Sabula
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Andrew
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Miles
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Grant County (WI)
- The following are listed by their distance from Scales Mound, with the one closest to Scales Mound listed first.
- Hazel Green
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Hazel Green is located in Grant County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel Green
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,219 people
- Cuba City
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Cuba City is located in Grant County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuba City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,047 people
- Jamestown
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Jamestown is located in Grant County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamestown
- Dickeyville
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Dickeyville is located in Grant County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dickeyville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,020 people
- Rutledge
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
- Rutledge is located in Grant County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rutledge
- Platteville
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Platteville is located in Grant County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Platteville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 11,650 people
- Sinnipee ‑ Historic
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
- Sinnipee is located in Grant County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sinnipee
- Tennyson
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Tennyson is located in Grant County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tennyson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 339 people
- Potosi
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Potosi is located in Grant County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Potosi
- Population from the 2020 Census: 668 people
- Livingston
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Livingston is located in Grant County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Livingston
- Population from the 2020 Census: 632 people
- Green County (WI)
- The following are listed by their distance from Scales Mound, with the one closest to Scales Mound listed first.
- Browntown
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Browntown is located in Green County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Browntown
- Population from the 2020 Census: 272 people
- Cadiz
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Cadiz is located in Green County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cadiz
- Iowa County (WI)
- The following are listed by their distance from Scales Mound, with the one closest to Scales Mound listed first.
- Mineral Point
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Mineral Point is located in Iowa County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mineral Point
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,454 people
- Rewey
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Rewey is located in Iowa County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rewey
- Population from the 2020 Census: 283 people
- Linden
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Linden is located in Iowa County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linden
- Population from the 2020 Census: 523 people
- Lafayette County (WI)
- The following are listed by their distance from Scales Mound, with the one closest to Scales Mound listed first.
- White Oak
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- White Oak is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Oak
- Fort Gratiot ‑ Historic
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Fort Gratiot is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Gratiot
- Former name for Fort Gratiot:
- Gratiot Grove
- New Diggings
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- New Diggings is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Diggings
- Shullsburg
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Shullsburg is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shullsburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,192 people
- Etna
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Etna is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Etna
- Benton
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Benton is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 966 people
- Gratiot
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Gratiot is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gratiot
- Population from the 2020 Census: 225 people
- Darlington
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Darlington is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Darlington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,317 people
- Elk Grove
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Elk Grove is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk Grove
- Belmont
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Belmont is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belmont
- Population from the 2020 Census: 974 people
- Calamine
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Calamine is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calamine
- Wiota
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Wiota is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wiota
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Scales Mound, see our County-by-County Page for Scales Mound.
Cemeteries Near Scales Mound ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Scales Mound.
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 Scales Mound - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Scales Mound covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Scales Mound, with the one closest to Scales Mound listed first.
- Citzens Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Holy Trinity Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Singers Catholic Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- White Oak Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
- Monticello Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Miners Chapel Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Shawnee Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Council Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Mt. Hope Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Masonic Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- St. Joseph Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- St. Matthew Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Continue List (284 more) ...
- Grant Hill Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Thompson Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Highland Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
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 Scales Mound had a population of 311 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Scales Mound had a population of 356 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Scales Mound, with the one closest to Scales Mound listed first.
- White Oak
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- White Oak is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Oak
- New Diggings
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- New Diggings is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Diggings
- Council Hill
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Council Hill is located in Jo Daviess County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Council Hill
- Schapville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Schapville is located in Jo Daviess County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schapville
- Shullsburg
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Shullsburg is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shullsburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,192 people
- Etna
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Etna is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Etna
- Strawbridge
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Strawbridge is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Strawbridge
- Millbrig ‑ Historic
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Millbrig is located in Jo Daviess County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millbrig
- Apple River
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Dunbarton
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Dunbarton is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dunbarton
- Lead Mine
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Lead Mine is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lead Mine
- Galena
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Benton
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Benton is located in Lafayette County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 966 people
- Rodden
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Rodden is located in Jo Daviess County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rodden
- Hazel Green
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Hazel Green is located in Grant County (WI)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hazel Green
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,219 people
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Scales Mound. See our List of 1890's Communities around Scales Mound.
Newspapers Published in Scales Mound ...
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 153 newspapers that have been published in the area around Scales Mound.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Scales Mound, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Scales Mound.
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 Scales Mound:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Jo Daviess County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Carroll County
- Stephenson County
- Dubuque County
- Jackson County
- Grant County
- Green County
- Iowa County
- Lafayette County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Illinois
Footnotes ...
| <1> | It's generally believed that possessive apostrophes are removed to prevent confusion on maps where the apostrophe may be confused with a cartographic symbol. While this is generally true, it's not uncommon to find possessive apostrophes in administrative names (such as towns or counties). |
| <2> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <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 Scales Mound, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <5> | 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Scales Mound) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |