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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 Wood Dale (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 Wood Dale. 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 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.

Wood Dale is located in DuPage 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 DuPage County: Cook, Kane, Kendall & Will.

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

  • DuPage County     (The home county of Wood Dale)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wood Dale, with the one closest to Wood Dale listed first.
    • Bensenville
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Addison
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Itasca
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Medinah
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Villa Park
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Villa Park is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Villa Park
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21,291 people
    • Elmhurst
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Bloomingdale
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Roselle
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Lombard
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • South Elmhurst
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • South Elmhurst is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Elmhurst
    • Glendale Heights
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Glen Ellyn
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Cloverdale
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Cloverdale is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cloverdale
  • Cook County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wood Dale, with the one closest to Wood Dale listed first.
    • Elk Grove Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Franklin Park
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Rosemont
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Schiller Park
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Norma
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Norma is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norma
    • Northlake
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Schaumburg
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Berkeley
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Stone Park
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Des Plaines
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Bellwood
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Bellwood is located in Cook County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellwood
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 18,436 people
      • Bellwood has also been known as:
      • Bellwood village
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bellwood <1>
    • Hillside
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Melrose Park
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Kane County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wood Dale, with the one closest to Wood Dale listed first.
    • East Dundee
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Coleman
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Coleman is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coleman
    • Elgin
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Geneva
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Saint Charles
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • South Elgin
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • South Elgin is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Elgin
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 24,646 people
    • Batavia
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Carpentersville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Sleepy Hollow
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Mooseheart
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Bonnie
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Bonnie is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonnie
      • Bonnie has also been known as:
      • Bonnie Valley
    • Gilberts
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Campton Hills
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Campton Hills is located in Kane County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Campton Hills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,063 people
      • Campton Hills has also been known as:
      • Campton Hills village
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Campton Hills <1>
  • Kendall County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wood Dale, with the one closest to Wood Dale listed first.
    • Boulder Hill
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Boulder Hill is located in Kendall County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boulder Hill
    • Montgomery
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Oswego
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Bristol
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Lake County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wood Dale, with the one closest to Wood Dale listed first.
    • Buffalo Grove
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
    • Deer Park
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Riverwoods
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Aptakisic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Aptakisic is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aptakisic
    • Kildeer
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Long Grove
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
    • Prairie View
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
      • Prairie View is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie View
    • Deerfield
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Bannockburn
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Lake Zurich
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Lincolnshire
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Braeside
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Braeside is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Braeside
    • Ravinia
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Ravinia is located in Lake County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ravinia
  • McHenry County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wood Dale, with the one closest to Wood Dale listed first.
    • Fox River Grove
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Algonquin
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Cary
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • 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
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Trout Valley is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trout Valley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 508 people
    • Lake-in-the-Hills
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Oakwood Hills
      (23 miles [37 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
    • Island Lake
      (24 miles [38.6 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
    • Barreville
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Barreville is located in McHenry County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barreville
    • Crystal Lake
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Holiday Hills
      (26 miles [41.8 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
    • Huntley
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Prairie Grove
      (26 miles [41.8 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
    • Lakewood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Will County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Wood Dale, with the one closest to Wood Dale listed first.
    • Winston Village
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Winston Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winston Village
    • Colonial Village
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Colonial Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Village
    • Bloomfield Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Bloomfield Village is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield Village
    • Bolingbrook
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Romeoville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Goodings Grove
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
      • Goodings Grove is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goodings Grove
    • Homer Glen
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Homer Glen is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homer Glen
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 24,281 people
      • Homer Glen has also been known as:
      • Homer Glen village
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Homer Glen <1>
    • Normantown
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Normantown is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Normantown
    • Lockport
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Plainfield
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Walker
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Walker is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
    • Crest Hill
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Crystal Lawns
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Crystal Lawns is located in Will County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Lawns

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

Cemeteries Near Wood Dale ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Wood Dale.

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 Wood Dale - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • St. Lukes Lutheran Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Pauls Addison Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Churchville Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Zion Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Fredens Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Mt. Emblem Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Resthaven Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • St. Johannes Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
  • St. Andrew Ukrain Orthodx Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Elm Lawn Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Arlington Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Continue List   (378 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>

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

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

  • Elk Grove Village
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Addison
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
  • Bensenville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
  • Itasca
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
  • South Addison
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • South Addison is located in DuPage County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Addison
  • Elmhurst
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Franklin Park
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Roselle
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Bloomingdale
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Lombard
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • South Elmhurst
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • South Elmhurst is located in DuPage County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Elmhurst
  • Schaumburg
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Cloverdale
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Cloverdale is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cloverdale
    • Gretna
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Gretna is located in DuPage County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gretna
    • Glen Ellyn
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Wood Dale ...

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 Wood Dale.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Wood Dale, there are papers which were published within 12 miles [19.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Wood Dale.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start 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 Wood Dale:

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 Wood Dale, 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 from Point A (ie- Wood Dale) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.