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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 Sweet Water (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 Sweet Water. 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 southwest 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 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 west 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.

Sweet Water is located in Menard County.

To see how the shape of Illinois' counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Menard County: Cass, Logan, Mason & Sangamon.

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

  • Menard County     (The home county of Sweet Water)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sweet Water, with the one closest to Sweet Water listed first.
    • Greenview
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenview have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenview
      • Greenview is located in Menard County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 715 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Greenview <2>
    • Croft
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Croft
      • Croft is located in Menard County
    • Athens
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Petersburg
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Tallula
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Oakford
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
  • Cass County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sweet Water, with the one closest to Sweet Water listed first.
    • Newmansville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newmansville
      • Newmansville is located in Cass County
    • Ashland
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Sylvan ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sylvan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvan
      • Sylvan is located in Cass County
    • Gurney ‑ Historic
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gurney. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gurney
      • Gurney is located in Cass County
    • Chandlerville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Philadelphia
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philadelphia
      • Philadelphia is located in Cass County
    • Burlingame
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Burlingame. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burlingame
      • Burlingame is located in Cass County
    • Old Princeton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Old Princeton
      • Old Princeton is located in Cass County
    • Virginia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Virginia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Virginia
      • Virginia is located in Cass County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,406 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Virginia <2>
    • Jules
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jules. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jules
      • Jules is located in Cass County
  • Christian County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sweet Water, with the one closest to Sweet Water listed first.
    • Bolivia
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bolivia
      • Bolivia is located in Christian County
    • Mount Auburn
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • De Witt County
    • Midland City
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midland City
      • Midland City is located in De Witt County
  • Fulton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sweet Water, with the one closest to Sweet Water listed first.
    • Liverpool
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Liverpool have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liverpool
      • Liverpool is located in Fulton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 120 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Liverpool <2>
    • Marbletown
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Marbletown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marbletown
      • Marbletown is located in Fulton County
    • Sepo
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sepo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sepo
      • Sepo is located in Fulton County
  • Logan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sweet Water, with the one closest to Sweet Water listed first.
    • Middletown
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middletown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middletown
      • Middletown is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 301 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Middletown <2>
    • New Holland
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Holland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Holland
      • New Holland is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 266 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Holland <2>
    • Elkhart
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Broadwell
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Broadwell have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Broadwell
      • Broadwell is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 135 people
    • Cornland
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Lincoln
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Bell
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bell
      • Bell is located in Logan County
    • Chestervale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chestervale
      • Chestervale is located in Logan County
    • Lake Fork
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Hartsburg
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hartsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hartsburg
      • Hartsburg is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 302 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hartsburg <2>
    • Emden
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Emden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emden
      • Emden is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 456 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Emden <2>
    • Mount Pulaski
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Pulaski have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Pulaski
      • Mount Pulaski is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,449 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mount Pulaski <2>
    • Evans
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evans
      • Evans is located in Logan County
  • Mason County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sweet Water, with the one closest to Sweet Water listed first.
    • Mason City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Teheran
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Teheran
      • Teheran is located in Mason County
    • Easton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Natrona
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Natrona
      • Natrona is located in Mason County
    • Kilbourne
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • San Jose
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for San Jose have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Jose
      • San Jose is located in Mason County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 587 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for San Jose <2>
    • Poplar City
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Poplar City. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poplar City
      • Poplar City is located in Mason County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Poplar City <2>
    • Long Branch
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Long Branch. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Branch
      • Long Branch is located in Mason County
    • Topeka
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Topeka have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Topeka
      • Topeka is located in Mason County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 69 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Topeka <2>
    • White City
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White City
      • White City is located in Mason County
    • Forest City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Forest City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
      • Forest City is located in Mason County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 222 people
    • Union
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Union. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union
      • Union is located in Mason County
    • Bath
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bath have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bath
      • Bath is located in Mason County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 306 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bath <2>
  • Morgan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sweet Water, with the one closest to Sweet Water listed first.
    • Prentice
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prentice
      • Prentice is located in Morgan County
    • Alexander
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Literberry
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Sangamon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sweet Water, with the one closest to Sweet Water listed first.
    • Cantrall
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cantrall have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cantrall
      • Cantrall is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 132 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cantrall <2>
    • Williamsville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williamsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsville
      • Williamsville is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,490 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Williamsville <2>
    • Sherman
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Salisbury
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salisbury
      • Salisbury is located in Sangamon County
    • Ridgely
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ridgely. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgely
      • Ridgely is located in Sangamon County
    • Spaulding
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spaulding have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spaulding
      • Spaulding is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 836 people
    • Grandview
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grandview have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grandview
      • Grandview is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,369 people
    • Buffalo Hart
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Buffalo Hart
      • Buffalo Hart is located in Sangamon County
    • Riverton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riverton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverton
      • Riverton is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,430 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Riverton <2>
    • Clear Lake
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clear Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clear Lake
      • Clear Lake is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 220 people
    • Pleasant Plains
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant Plains have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Plains
      • Pleasant Plains is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 792 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pleasant Plains <2>
    • Hawthorne Place
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hawthorne Place. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawthorne Place
      • Hawthorne Place is located in Sangamon County
    • Dawson
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dawson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawson
      • Dawson is located in Sangamon County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 478 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dawson <2>
  • Schuyler County
    • Bluff City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bluff City. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluff City
      • Bluff City is located in Schuyler County
  • Tazewell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Sweet Water, with the one closest to Sweet Water listed first.
    • Winkel ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Winkel. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winkel
      • Winkel is located in Tazewell County
    • Delavan
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Green Valley
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Boynton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boynton
      • Boynton is located in Tazewell County
    • Brownwood ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Brownwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brownwood
      • Brownwood is located in Tazewell County
    • Burt
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Burt. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burt
      • Burt is located in Tazewell County
    • Richmond
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Richmond. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richmond
      • Richmond is located in Tazewell County
    • Parkland
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Parkland
      • Parkland is located in Tazewell County
    • Armington
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Hopedale
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Sutter ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sutter. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sutter
      • Sutter is located in Tazewell County
    • Dillon
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dillon
      • Dillon is located in Tazewell County
    • Mindale
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mindale
      • Mindale is located in Tazewell County

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

Cemeteries Near Sweet Water ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Sweet Water.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Sugar Grove Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sugar Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sugar Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Indian Point Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Indian Point Cemetery
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Indian Point Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 2 miles [3.2 km]<4> to the south of Athens.
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #1178248 <5>
  • Elmwood Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elmwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elmwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lebanon Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lebanon Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lebanon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Walnut Ridge Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Walnut Ridge Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Walnut Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Irish Grove Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Irish Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Irish Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hornback Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hornback Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hornback Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Baker Prairie #1 Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Baker Prairie #1 Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Baker Prairie #1 Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old West Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old West Cemetery
    • The Old West Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Abner Hall Cemetery
    • Athens Cemetery
    • West Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #108804 <5>
  • Godbey Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Godbey Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Godbey Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Smoot Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Smoot Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Smoot Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Calvary Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (297 more) ...
    • Rose Hill Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Baker Prairie #2 Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Baker Prairie #2 Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Baker Prairie #2 Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Joel Hall Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)

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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Sweet Water had a population of 225 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Greenview
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenview have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenview
    • Greenview is located in Menard County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 715 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Greenview <2>
  • Curtis
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Curtis have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Curtis
    • Curtis is located in Menard County
  • Athens
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Fancy Prairie
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fancy Prairie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fancy Prairie
    • Fancy Prairie is located in Menard County
  • Middletown
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middletown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middletown
    • Middletown is located in Logan County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 301 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Middletown <2>
  • Tice
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tice have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tice
    • Tice is located in Menard County
  • Petersburg
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Cantrall
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cantrall have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cantrall
    • Cantrall is located in Sangamon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 132 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cantrall <2>
  • Mason City
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
  • Hill Top
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hill Top have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hill Top
    • Hill Top is located in Menard County
  • Williamsville
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Williamsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsville
    • Williamsville is located in Sangamon County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,490 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Williamsville <2>
  • New Holland
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Holland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Holland
    • New Holland is located in Logan County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 266 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New Holland <2>
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Elkhart
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Loyd
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loyd have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loyd
      • Loyd is located in Menard County
    • Salisbury
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salisbury
      • Salisbury is located in Sangamon County

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

Newspapers Published in Sweet Water ...

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 232 newspapers that have been published in the area around Sweet Water.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Sweet Water, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Sweet Water.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Sweet Water:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Sweet Water. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Illinois: https://illinois.gov

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<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 from Point A (ie- Sweet Water) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Sweet Water. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.0539, Longitude: -89.6940       In this case, the coordinates for Sweet Water have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>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.
<6>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 Sweet Water, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025