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 Toulon (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 Toulon. 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 Toulon ...
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.
In past government published Postal Guides, Toulon was referred to as Toulon Courthouse.
You might be interested in other communities that are also named Toulon. More information can be found on our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Toulon.
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.
For more information about how community names might have been affected by the Board of Geographic Names (BGN), see our page about Placename Rules.
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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.
Toulon is located in Stark County and is the County Seat.
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 Stark County: Bureau, Henry, Knox, Marshall & Peoria.
Below are the counties that are near Toulon. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Toulon:
- Stark County (The home county of Toulon)
- The following are listed by their distance from Toulon, with the one closest to Toulon listed first.
- Modena
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Modena is located in Stark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Modena
- Wyoming
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- La Fayette
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- West Jersey
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- West Jersey is located in Stark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Jersey
- Castleton
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Osceola
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Osceola is located in Stark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osceola
- Bradford
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Speer
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Bureau County
- The following are listed by their distance from Toulon, with the one closest to Toulon listed first.
- Neponset
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Milo
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
- Milo is located in Bureau County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milo
- Buda
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Sheffield
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Mineral
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Tiskilwa
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Wyanet
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Manlius
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Princeton
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- New Bedford
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Bureau Junction
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Bureau Junction is located in Bureau County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bureau Junction
- Population from the 2020 Census: 297 people
- Bureau Junction has also been known as:
- Bureau
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bureau Junction <1>
- Fulton County
- Farmington
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Henry County
- The following are listed by their distance from Toulon, with the one closest to Toulon listed first.
- Kewanee
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Galva
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Bishop Hill
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Annawan
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Cambridge
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Atkinson
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Woodhull
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Andover
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Osco
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Alpha
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Geneseo
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Hooppole
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Lynn Center
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Knox County
- The following are listed by their distance from Toulon, with the one closest to Toulon listed first.
- Victoria
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Williamsfield
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
- Altona
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Dahinda
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Appleton
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Appleton is located in Knox County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Appleton
- Oneida
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Wataga
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Yates City
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Gilson
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Knox
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Knox is located in Knox County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knox
- East Galesburg
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- East Galesburg is located in Knox County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Galesburg
- Population from the 2020 Census: 761 people
- Knoxville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Henderson
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Marshall County
- The following are listed by their distance from Toulon, with the one closest to Toulon listed first.
- Camp Grove
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Hopewell
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Hopewell is located in Marshall County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hopewell
- Population from the 2020 Census: 394 people
- Sparland
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Lacon
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Henry
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Peoria County
- The following are listed by their distance from Toulon, with the one closest to Toulon listed first.
- Monica
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Monica is located in Peoria County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monica
- Elmore
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Elmore is located in Peoria County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmore
- Laura
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
- Princeville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Edelstein
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- West Hallock
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- West Hallock is located in Peoria County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Hallock
- Brimfield
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Dunlap
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Elmwood
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Chillicothe
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Rome
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Edwards
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Mossville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Putnam County
- The following are listed by their distance from Toulon, with the one closest to Toulon listed first.
- Putnam
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Hennepin
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Tazewell County
- Trailpark Gardens
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Trailpark Gardens is located in Tazewell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trailpark Gardens
- Woodford County
- The following are listed by their distance from Toulon, with the one closest to Toulon listed first.
- Spring Bay
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Spring Bay is located in Woodford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Bay
- Population from the 2020 Census: 456 people
- Bay View Gardens
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Bay View Gardens is located in Woodford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay View Gardens
- Population from the 2020 Census: 407 people
- Germantown Hills
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Toulon, see our County-by-County Page for Toulon.
Cemeteries Near Toulon ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Toulon.
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 Toulon - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Toulon covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Toulon, with the one closest to Toulon listed first.
- Toulon Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- County Farm Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Mawbey Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Saxon Community Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Wyoming Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Sheets Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Snareville Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- McClenahan Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- West Jersey Methodist Churchyard Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Starwano Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Cavanagh Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- St. Dominic Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Continue List (272 more) ...
- Elmira Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Himes Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- LaFayette Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
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>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Toulon had a population of 945 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Toulon had a population of 1,144 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Toulon, with the one closest to Toulon listed first.
- Saxon ‑ Historic
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Saxon is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saxon
- Wyoming
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Modena
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
- Modena is located in Stark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Modena
- La Fayette
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- West Jersey
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- West Jersey is located in Stark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Jersey
- Waldron ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Waldron is located in Stark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldron
- Elmira
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Duncan
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Duncan is located in Stark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duncan
- Castleton
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Stark
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Stark is located in Stark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stark
- Osceola
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Osceola is located in Stark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osceola
- Kewanee
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Galva
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Elmore
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Elmore is located in Peoria County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmore
- Monica
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Monica is located in Peoria County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monica
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Toulon. See our List of 1890's Communities around Toulon.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Toulon ...
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 137 newspapers that have been published in the area around Toulon.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Toulon. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Toulon and those printed in the larger area surrounding Toulon.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Toulon.
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 Toulon:
- Websites specific to Illinois
- Pages specific to Stark County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Bureau County
- Fulton County
- Henry County
- Knox County
- Marshall County
- Peoria County
- Putnam County
- Tazewell County
- Woodford County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Illinois
Footnotes ...
| <1> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <2> | The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com. |
| <3> | 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 Toulon, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Toulon) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |