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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

So far, we found very little information about Vanland. The little that we've found leads us believe that the community is historic.<1>

We've added Vanland to our Gazetteer with the hope that we can develop more information. If you can help us with Vanland, please Contact Us.

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 Vanland (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 Vanland. 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 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.

Although our information shows that the community of Vanland is historic, it would have been located within present day Ogle 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 Ogle County: Carroll, DeKalb, Lee, Stephenson, Whiteside & Winnebago.

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

  • Ogle County     (The home county of Vanland)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanland, with the one closest to Vanland listed first.
    • Monroe Center
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Davis Junction
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Lindenwood
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Holcomb
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Stillman Valley
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Creston
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Hillcrest
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Hillcrest is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillcrest
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,216 people
    • Byron
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Rochelle
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Flagg Center
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Flagg Center is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flagg Center
    • Chana
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Flagg
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Flagg is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flagg
    • Honey Creek
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Honey Creek is located in Ogle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Honey Creek
  • Boone County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanland, with the one closest to Vanland listed first.
    • Irene
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Irene is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irene
    • Herbert
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Herbert is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herbert
    • Belvidere
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Timberlane
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Timberlane is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timberlane
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 934 people
    • Garden Prairie
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Caledonia
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Russellville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Russellville is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Russellville
    • Poplar Grove
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Capron
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
  • DeKalb County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanland, with the one closest to Vanland listed first.
    • Fairdale
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Fairdale is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairdale
    • Kirkland
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Esmond
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Kingston
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Clare
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Brush Point ‑ Historic
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Brush Point is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brush Point
    • Genoa
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Malta
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Coltonville ‑ Historic
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Coltonville is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coltonville
    • Charter Grove
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Charter Grove is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Charter Grove
    • Sycamore
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Sycamore is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sycamore
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 18,317 people
    • New Lebanon
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • New Lebanon is located in DeKalb County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Lebanon
    • De Kalb
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
  • Kane County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanland, with the one closest to Vanland listed first.
    • Burlington
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Hampshire
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Maple Park
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Virgil
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • North Plato
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • North Plato is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Plato
    • Starks
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Starks is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Starks
    • Pingree Grove
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Plato Center
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Lily Lake
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Lily Lake is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lily Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,019 people
    • Bowes Bend
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Bowes Bend is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowes Bend
    • Freeman
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Freeman is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeman
    • Elburn
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Lee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanland, with the one closest to Vanland listed first.
    • Steward
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
    • Ashton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Lee
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Franklin Grove
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • The Burg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • The Burg is located in Lee County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Burg
    • Nachusa
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • McHenry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanland, with the one closest to Vanland listed first.
    • Marengo
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
    • Union
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Harvard
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Huntley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Woodstock
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Lakewood
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
    • Big Foot Prairie
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Big Foot Prairie is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Foot Prairie
  • Stephenson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanland, with the one closest to Vanland listed first.
    • German Valley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Ridott
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Davis
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Davis is located in Stephenson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Davis
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 616 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Davis <2>
  • Winnebago County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanland, with the one closest to Vanland listed first.
    • New Millford
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • New Millford is located in Winnebago County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Millford
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 851 people
    • North Park
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • North Park is located in Winnebago County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Park
    • Cherry Valley
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Indian Village
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Indian Village is located in Winnebago County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Village
    • Rockford
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Loves Park
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Machesney Park
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Argyle
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Argyle is located in Winnebago County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Argyle
    • Sturbridge Village
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Sturbridge Village is located in Winnebago County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sturbridge Village
    • Alworth
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Alworth is located in Winnebago County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alworth
    • Winnebago
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Roscoe
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Roscoe is located in Winnebago County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roscoe
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,406 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Roscoe <2>
    • Wempletown
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Wempletown is located in Winnebago County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wempletown
  • Rock County (WI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanland, with the one closest to Vanland listed first.
    • Beloit
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Beloit is located in Rock County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beloit
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 36,637 people
    • Garden Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Garden Village is located in Rock County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden Village
    • Clinton
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Clinton is located in Rock County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clinton
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,119 people
    • Shopiere
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Shopiere is located in Rock County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shopiere
    • Tiffany
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Tiffany is located in Rock County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tiffany
    • Newark
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Newark is located in Rock County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newark
  • Walworth County (WI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vanland, with the one closest to Vanland listed first.
    • Sharon
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Sharon is located in Walworth County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharon
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,546 people
    • Big Foot Prairie
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Big Foot Prairie is located in Walworth County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Foot Prairie

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

Cemeteries Near Vanland ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Vanland.

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 Vanland - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Roseland Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
  • Flora Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • Monroe Center Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Porter Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
  • Kilbuck Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Hicks Mill Cronktown Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Charter Oak Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • New Milford Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Bloods Point Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Carman Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Arlington Memorial Park
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Lindenwood Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Continue List   (242 more) ...
    • Maple Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Pine Hill Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Starkey Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)

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.

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

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

  • Monroe Center
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Irene
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Irene is located in Boone County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irene
  • New Millford
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • New Millford is located in Winnebago County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Millford
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 851 people
  • Perryville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Perryville is located in Winnebago County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Perryville
  • Kirkland
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Cherry Valley
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Davis Junction
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Lindenwood
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Esmond
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Greendale
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Greendale is located in Winnebago County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greendale
  • Holcomb
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Colvin Park
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Colvin Park is located in DeKalb County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colvin Park
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Herbert
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
      • Herbert is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herbert
    • Reeds Crossing ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Reeds Crossing is located in Boone County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reeds Crossing
    • Kishwaukee
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Kishwaukee is located in Winnebago County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kishwaukee

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

Newspapers Published in Vanland ...

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 93 newspapers that have been published in the area around Vanland.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Vanland, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Vanland.

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 helpful 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 Vanland:

Footnotes ...

<1>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 Vanland, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<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>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- Vanland) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.