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 Seneca (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 Seneca. 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 Seneca ...
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.
Seneca has also been known as: Crotty and Seneca village.
You might be interested in other communities that are also named Seneca. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Seneca.
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 and doctors 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.
Seneca is primarily located in La Salle County. A portion of Seneca extends into Grundy 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 La Salle County: Bureau, DeKalb, Grundy, Kendall, Lee, Livingston, Marshall, Putnam & Woodford.
Below are the counties that are near Seneca. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Seneca:
- La Salle County (The home county of Seneca)
- The following are listed by their distance from Seneca, with the one closest to Seneca listed first.
- Marseilles
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Stavanger
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Stavanger is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stavanger
- Ransom
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Dayton
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Dayton is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dayton
- South Ottawa ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- South Ottawa is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Ottawa
- Wedron
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
- Grand Ridge
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Hitt
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Hitt is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hitt
- Ottawa
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Blakes
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Blakes is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blakes
- Kernan
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Kernan is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kernan
- Serena
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Naplate
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Naplate is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Naplate
- Population from the 2020 Census: 465 people
- Bureau County
- The following are listed by their distance from Seneca, with the one closest to Seneca listed first.
- Dalzell
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Spring Valley
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- DeKalb County
- The following are listed by their distance from Seneca, with the one closest to Seneca listed first.
- Sandwich
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Somonauk
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Franks
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Franks is located in DeKalb County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Franks
- Ford County
- Cabery
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Grundy County
- The following are listed by their distance from Seneca, with the one closest to Seneca listed first.
- Wauponsee
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Wauponsee is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wauponsee
- Kinsman
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Verona
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Nettle Creek
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Nettle Creek is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nettle Creek
- Highland Town ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Highland Town is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highland Town
- Morris
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Mazon
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Claypool
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Claypool is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claypool
- Gaslight Village
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Gaslight Village is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gaslight Village
- Carbon Hill
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Carbon Hill is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbon Hill
- Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
- Centerville ‑ Historic
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Centerville is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centerville
- Sand Ridge
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Sand Ridge is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sand Ridge
- Central City
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Central City is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central City
- Kankakee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Seneca, with the one closest to Seneca listed first.
- Essex
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Reddick
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Union Hill
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Buckingham
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Bonfield
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Kendall County
- The following are listed by their distance from Seneca, with the one closest to Seneca listed first.
- Lisbon
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Lisbon is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisbon
- Population from the 2020 Census: 310 people
- Newark
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Plattville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Plattville is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plattville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 257 people
- Millbrook
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Plano
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Yorkville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Bristol
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Little Rock
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Little Rock is located in Kendall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Rock
- Oswego
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Lee County
- Radley
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Radley is located in Lee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Radley
- Livingston County
- The following are listed by their distance from Seneca, with the one closest to Seneca listed first.
- Adams ‑ Historic
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Adams is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Adams
- Budd
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Budd is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Budd
- Sunbury
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Sunbury is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunbury
- Blackstone
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Missal
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Missal is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Missal
- Dwight
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Vermilion City
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Vermilion City is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vermilion City
- Coalville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Coalville is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coalville
- Munster
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Munster is located in Livingston County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Munster
- Odell
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Cornell
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Ancona
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Campus
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Marshall County
- Wenona
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Putnam County
- The following are listed by their distance from Seneca, with the one closest to Seneca listed first.
- Mount Palatine
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Mount Palatine is located in Putnam County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Palatine
- Standard
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Will County
- The following are listed by their distance from Seneca, with the one closest to Seneca listed first.
- Godley
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Godley is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Godley
- Population from the 2020 Census: 771 people
- Braidwood
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Blodgett
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Blodgett is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blodgett
- Lakewood Shores
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Lakewood Shores is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakewood Shores
- Wilmington
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Wilmington is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmington
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,597 people
- Custer Park
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Custer Park is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Custer Park
- Shorewood
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Elwood
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Summerfield
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Summerfield is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summerfield
- Symerton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Symerton is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Symerton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
- Crystal Lawns
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Crystal Lawns is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Lawns
- Rockdale
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Rockdale is located in Will County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockdale
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,884 people
- Plainfield
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Seneca, see our County-by-County Page for Seneca.
Cemeteries Near Seneca ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Seneca.
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 Seneca - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Seneca covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Seneca, with the one closest to Seneca listed first.
- Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Mt. Hope Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Maxton & Woodside Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Stebbins Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Manlius Methodist Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Christian Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Riverview Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Stavanger Lutheran Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Galloway Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Old Brumbach Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Nichols Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Hegland Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Continue List (241 more) ...
- Holderman & Hoge Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Shaver Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Section Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 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 Seneca had a population of 1,190 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Seneca had a population of 2,217 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Seneca, with the one closest to Seneca listed first.
- Marseilles
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Wauponsee
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Wauponsee is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wauponsee
- Stavanger
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Stavanger is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stavanger
- Kinsman
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Verona
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Danway
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Danway is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danway
- Nettle Creek
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Nettle Creek is located in Grundy County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nettle Creek
- Ransom
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Mazon
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Morris
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Norway
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- Norway is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norway
- Dayton
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Dayton is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dayton
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- South Ottawa ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- South Ottawa is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Ottawa
- Grand Ridge
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Otter ‑ Historic
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Otter is located in La Salle County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Otter
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Seneca. See our List of 1890's Communities around Seneca.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Seneca ...
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 141 newspapers that have been published in the area around Seneca.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Seneca. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Seneca and those printed in the larger area surrounding Seneca.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 24 miles [38.6 km]<3> of Seneca.
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 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 Seneca:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to La Salle County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Bureau County
- DeKalb County
- Ford County
- Grundy County
- Kankakee County
- Kendall County
- Lee County
- Livingston County
- Marshall County
- Putnam County
- Will 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 Seneca, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <3> | 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- Seneca) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |