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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 Wheeling (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 Wheeling. 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 northeast 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 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 east 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.

Wheeling is primarily located in Cook County. A portion of Wheeling extends into Lake 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 Cook County: DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Lake (IN) & Berrien (MI).

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

  • Cook County     (The home county of Wheeling)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wheeling, with the one closest to Wheeling listed first.
    • Prospect Heights
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Covenant Village
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Covenant Village is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Covenant Village
    • Northbrook
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Techny
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Mount Prospect
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • The Grove
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • The Grove is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Grove
    • Arlington Heights
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Colonial Village
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Colonial Village is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
    • Capri Village
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Capri Village is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Capri Village
    • Palatine
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Des Plaines
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Fairfax Village
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Fairfax Village is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairfax Village
  • DuPage County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wheeling, with the one closest to Wheeling listed first.
    • Wood Dale
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
    • Itasca
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Bensenville
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Medinah
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Roselle
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Addison
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Bloomingdale
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Keeneyville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Keeneyville is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keeneyville
    • Elmhurst
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Cloverdale
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Cloverdale is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cloverdale
    • Glendale Heights
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Bartlett
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Kane County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wheeling, with the one closest to Wheeling listed first.
    • East Dundee
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Carpentersville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Elgin
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Sleepy Hollow
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
    • Coleman
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Coleman is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coleman
    • West Dundee
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • South Elgin
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
      • South Elgin is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Elgin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 24,646 people
    • Gilberts
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Freeman
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Freeman is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeman
    • Saint Charles
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Geneva
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Bonnie
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Bonnie is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonnie
      • Bonnie has also been known as:
      • Bonnie Valley
  • Lake County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wheeling, with the one closest to Wheeling listed first.
    • Buffalo Grove
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Aptakisic
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Aptakisic is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aptakisic
    • Riverwoods
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Lincolnshire
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Prairie View
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Prairie View is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie View
    • Deerfield
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Bannockburn
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Long Grove
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Braeside
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Braeside is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Braeside
    • Highland Park
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Highwood
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Indian Creek
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Indian Creek is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Creek
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 538 people
  • McHenry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wheeling, with the one closest to Wheeling listed first.
    • Fox River Grove
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Island Lake
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Island Lake is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Island Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,951 people
    • Cary
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Cary is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cary
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,929 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cary <1>
    • Trout Valley
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Trout Valley is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trout Valley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 508 people
    • Oakwood Hills
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
      • Oakwood Hills is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood Hills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,011 people
    • Barreville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Barreville is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barreville
    • Holiday Hills
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Holiday Hills is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holiday Hills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 574 people
    • Algonquin
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Lake-in-the-Hills
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Lakemoor
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Prairie Grove
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Prairie Grove is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Grove
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,920 people
    • Crystal Lake
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
  • Will County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wheeling, with the one closest to Wheeling listed first.
    • Winston Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Winston Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winston Village
    • Bolingbrook
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
    • Colonial Village
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Colonial Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
  • Kenosha County (WI)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wheeling, with the one closest to Wheeling listed first.
    • Fossland
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Fossland is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fossland
    • Benet Lake
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Benet Lake is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Benet Lake
    • Lake Shangrila
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
      • Lake Shangrila is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Shangrila
    • Pleasant Prairie
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
      • Pleasant Prairie is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Prairie
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21,373 people
    • Woodworth
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Woodworth is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodworth
    • Bristol
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Bristol is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bristol
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,145 people
    • Camp Lake
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Camp Lake is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Camp Lake
    • Salem Lakes
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Salem Lakes is located in Kenosha County (WI)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Salem Lakes
      • Former names for Salem Lakes:
      • Salem
      • Silver Lake

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

Cemeteries Near Wheeling ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Wheeling.

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

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

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

  • Wheeling Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • North Northfield Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • St. Marys Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Wheeling Twp. Arlington Heights Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • English Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Memory Gardens Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
  • Northfield Oakwood Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northfield Oakwood Cemetery
    • The Northfield Oakwood Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Oak Wood Cemetery
  • Northfield Union Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • Knopf Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Randhill Park Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Shalom Memorial Park
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (311 more) ...

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 Wheeling had a population of 811 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Wheeling had a population of 38,958 people.

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

  • Ridgeland
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Ridgeland is located in Cook County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgeland
  • North Northfield
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • North Northfield is located in Cook County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Northfield
  • Buffalo Grove
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
  • Aptakisic
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Aptakisic is located in Lake County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aptakisic
  • Arlington Heights
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Mount Prospect
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
  • Prairie View
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Prairie View is located in Lake County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie View
  • The Grove
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • The Grove is located in Cook County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for The Grove
  • Shermerville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Shermerville is located in Cook County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shermerville
  • Deerfield
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Half Day
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Half Day is located in Lake County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Half Day
  • Palatine
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Des Plaines
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Long Grove
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Ravinia
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Ravinia is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ravinia

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Wheeling ...

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 51 newspapers that have been published in the area around Wheeling.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Wheeling. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Wheeling and those printed in the larger area surrounding Wheeling.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 5 miles [8 km]<4> of Wheeling.

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 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 Wheeling:

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