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 Center (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 Center. 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 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.
Center is located in Jay County.
To see how the shape of Indiana's counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Jay County: Adams, Blackford, Delaware, Randolph, Wells, Darke (OH) & Mercer (OH).
Below are the counties that are near Center. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Center:
- Jay County (The home county of Center)
- The following are listed by their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Pony
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Pony is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pony
- Greene
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Greene is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greene
- Blaine
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Blaine is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blaine
- Pennville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Portland
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Antiville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Antiville is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antiville
- Collett
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Collett is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collett
- Bloomfield
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Bloomfield is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bloomfield
- Redkey
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Bryant
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Bluff Point
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Bluff Point is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluff Point
- Dunkirk
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
- Adams County
- The following are listed by their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Geneva
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Linn Grove
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
- Linn Grove is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Linn Grove
- Berne
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Coppess Corner
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Coppess Corner is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coppess Corner
- Honduras
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Honduras is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Honduras
- Monroe
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Magley
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Magley is located in Adams County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Magley
- Preble
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Pleasant Mills
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Decatur
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Blackford County
- The following are listed by their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Ridertown
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Ridertown is located in Blackford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridertown
- Millgrove
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Millgrove is located in Blackford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millgrove
- Montpelier
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Mollie ‑ Historic
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Mollie is located in Blackford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mollie
- Hartford City
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
- Renner ‑ Historic
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Renner is located in Blackford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Renner
- Shamrock Lakes
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Shamrock Lakes is located in Blackford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shamrock Lakes
- Population from the 2020 Census: 217 people
- Delaware County
- The following are listed by their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Albany
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Granville
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
- Granville is located in Delaware County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Granville
- Former name for Granville:
- Weaton
- Eaton
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
- Desoto
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Desoto is located in Delaware County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Desoto
- Selma
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Liberty Corners
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Liberty Corners is located in Delaware County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Corners
- Muncie
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Andersonville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Andersonville is located in Delaware County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Andersonville
- Gaston
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Janney
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Janney is located in Delaware County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Janney
- Yorktown
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Cowan
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
- Cowan is located in Delaware County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cowan
- Grant County
- The following are listed by their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Farrville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Farrville is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farrville
- Matthews
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Matthews is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Matthews
- Population from the 2020 Census: 553 people
- Upland
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Arcana
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Arcana is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arcana
- Friendly Corner
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Friendly Corner is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friendly Corner
- Van Buren
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Van Buren is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van Buren
- Population from the 2020 Census: 815 people
- Fowlerton
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Fowlerton is located in Grant County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fowlerton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 250 people
- Gas City
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Jonesboro
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Fairmount
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Henry County
- The following are listed by their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Blountsville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Blountsville is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blountsville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 128 people
- Luray
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Luray is located in Henry County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luray
- Huntington County
- The following are listed by their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Warren
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
- Plum Tree
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Plum Tree is located in Huntington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plum Tree
- Majenica
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Majenica is located in Huntington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Majenica
- Markle
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Madison County
- Summitville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Summitville is located in Madison County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summitville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 982 people
- Randolph County
- The following are listed by their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Ridgeville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Ridgeville is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgeville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 734 people
- New Pittsburg
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- New Pittsburg is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Pittsburg
- Stone
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Stone is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stone
- Saratoga
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Farmland
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Parker City
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Winchester
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Windsor
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
- Windsor is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Windsor
- Union City
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Haysville Corner
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Haysville Corner is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Haysville Corner
- Rural
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Rural is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rural
- Snow Hill
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Snow Hill is located in Randolph County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snow Hill
- Wells County
- The following are listed by their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Phenix
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Phenix is located in Wells County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phenix
- Nottingham
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
- Nottingham is located in Wells County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nottingham
- Petroleum
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Petroleum is located in Wells County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petroleum
- Keystone
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Keystone is located in Wells County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keystone
- Reiffsburg
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Reiffsburg is located in Wells County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reiffsburg
- Greenville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Greenville is located in Wells County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenville
- Poneto
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
- Poneto is located in Wells County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poneto
- Population from the 2020 Census: 191 people
- Vera Cruz
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Vera Cruz is located in Wells County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vera Cruz
- Population from the 2020 Census: 85 people
- Travisville
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Travisville is located in Wells County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Travisville
- Liberty Center
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Liberty Center is located in Wells County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Center
- Bluffton
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Craigville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Craigville is located in Wells County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Craigville
- Darke County (OH)
- The following are listed by their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Lightsville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Lightsville is located in Darke County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lightsville
- Union City
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Union City is located in Darke County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union City
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,585 people
- New Weston
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Rossburg
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- North Star
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Ansonia
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Ansonia is located in Darke County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ansonia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,120 people
- Brock
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Brock is located in Darke County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brock
- Coletown
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Coletown is located in Darke County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coletown
- Long
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Long is located in Darke County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long
- Dawn
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Dawn is located in Darke County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawn
- Nashville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
- Nashville is located in Darke County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nashville
- Mercer County (OH)
- The following are listed by their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Fort Recovery
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Macedon
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Macedon is located in Mercer County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Macedon
- Skeels Crossroads
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Skeels Crossroads is located in Mercer County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skeels Crossroads
- Wabash
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Wabash is located in Mercer County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wabash
- Scudder
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Scudder is located in Mercer County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scudder
- Wendelin
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Wendelin is located in Mercer County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wendelin
- Burkettsville
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Coldwater
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Saint Henry
(23 miles [37 km] to the east)
- Celina
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Montezuma
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Montezuma is located in Mercer County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montezuma
- Population from the 2020 Census: 158 people
- Tama
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Tama is located in Mercer County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tama
- Van Wert County (OH)
- The following are listed by their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Willshire
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Schumm
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Schumm is located in Van Wert County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schumm
- Abanaka
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Abanaka is located in Van Wert County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Abanaka
- Wren
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Wren is located in Van Wert County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wren
- Population from the 2020 Census: 184 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wren <1>
- Glenmore
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Glenmore is located in Van Wert County (OH)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenmore
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Center, see our County-by-County Page for Center.
Cemeteries Near Center ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Center.
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 Center - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Center covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Whiteman Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Whaley Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Sager Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Kinsey Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Whicker Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Claycomb Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claycomb Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Claycomb Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located 4 miles [6.4 km]<2> to the north of Redkey.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #84644 <3>
- Hearne Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Winters Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
- Stephens Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Stratton Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Reed Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
- Green Park Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Continue List (328 more) ...
- Hillside Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Twin Hill Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Maple Lawn Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 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.<4>
While we didn't find Center in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Center.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Center, with the one closest to Center listed first.
- Pony
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Pony is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pony
- Corkwell
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Corkwell is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corkwell
- Greene
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Greene is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greene
- Blaine
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- Blaine is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blaine
- Kitt
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Kitt is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kitt
- Como
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Como is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Como
- Pennville
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Portland
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- New Mount Pleasant
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- New Mount Pleasant is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Mount Pleasant
- Collett
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Collett is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collett
- Antiville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Antiville is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antiville
- Poling
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Poling is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Poling
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Ridertown
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Ridertown is located in Blackford County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridertown
- Redkey
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Balbec
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Balbec is located in Jay County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balbec
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Center. See our List of 1890's Communities around Center.
Newspapers Published in Center ...
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 55 newspapers that have been published in the area around Center.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Center, there are papers which were published within 23 miles [37 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Center.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Center:
- Websites specific to Indiana
- Pages specific to Jay County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Adams County
- Blackford County
- Delaware County
- Grant County
- Henry County
- Huntington County
- Madison County
- Randolph County
- Wells County
- Darke County
- Mercer County
- Van Wert County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Indiana
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> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Center) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <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> | 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 Center, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |