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 Cortland (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 Cortland. 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 and doctors 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.
Cortland is located in Jackson 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 Jackson County: Bartholomew, Brown, Jennings, Lawrence, Scott & Washington.
Below are the counties that are near Cortland. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Cortland:
- Jackson County (The home county of Cortland)
- The following are listed by their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- New Elizabethtown
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
- New Elizabethtown is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Elizabethtown
- Seymour
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Spraytown
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Spraytown is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spraytown
- Kriete Corner
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Kriete Corner is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kriete Corner
- Brownstown
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Fleming
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Fleming is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fleming
- Freetown
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Dudleytown
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Dudleytown is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dudleytown
- Vallonia
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
- Retreat
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Retreat is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Retreat
- Houston
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Houston is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Houston
- Kurtz
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Kurtz is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kurtz
- Crothersville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Bartholomew County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Jonesville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- North Ogilville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
- North Ogilville is located in Bartholomew County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Ogilville
- Bethel Village
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
- Bethel Village is located in Bartholomew County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bethel Village
- Elizabethtown
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Elizabethtown is located in Bartholomew County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elizabethtown
- Population from the 2020 Census: 540 people
- Garden City
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Garden City is located in Bartholomew County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
- Jewell Village
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Jewell Village is located in Bartholomew County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jewell Village
- Stony Lonesome
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Stony Lonesome is located in Bartholomew County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stony Lonesome
- Columbus
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Grammer
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Grammer is located in Bartholomew County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grammer
- Corn Brook
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Corn Brook is located in Bartholomew County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corn Brook
- Petersville
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Petersville is located in Bartholomew County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petersville
- Clifford
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Clifford is located in Bartholomew County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clifford
- Population from the 2020 Census: 252 people
- Newbern
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Newbern is located in Bartholomew County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newbern
- Brown County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Becks Grove
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
- Becks Grove is located in Brown County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Becks Grove
- Pikes Peak
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Pikes Peak is located in Brown County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pikes Peak
- Story
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Story is located in Brown County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Story
- Mount Liberty
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Mount Liberty is located in Brown County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Liberty
- Gnaw Bone
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Nashville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Beanblossom
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Beanblossom is located in Brown County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beanblossom
- Beanblossom has also been known as:
- Bean Blossom
- Helmsburg
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Helmsburg is located in Brown County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helmsburg
- Spearsville
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Spearsville is located in Brown County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spearsville
- Clark County
- Underwood
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Underwood is located in Clark County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Underwood
- Decatur County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Alert
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Alert is located in Decatur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alert
- Sardinia
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Sardinia is located in Decatur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sardinia
- Harper
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Harper is located in Decatur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harper
- Westport
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Westport is located in Decatur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westport
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,416 people
- Letts Corner
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Letts Corner is located in Decatur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Letts Corner
- Letts
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Letts is located in Decatur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Letts
- Burney
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Burney is located in Decatur County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burney
- Jefferson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Deputy
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Dupont
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Middlefork
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Middlefork is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middlefork
- Kent
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Kent is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kent
- Smyrna
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Smyrna is located in Jefferson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smyrna
- Jennings County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Four Corners
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Four Corners is located in Jennings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Corners
- Hayden
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
- Hayden is located in Jennings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hayden
- Scipio
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Scipio is located in Jennings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scipio
- Queensville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Queensville is located in Jennings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Queensville
- North Vernon
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Commiskey
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Vernon
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- Paris Crossing
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
- Paris Crossing is located in Jennings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paris Crossing
- Grayford
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Grayford is located in Jennings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grayford
- Oakdale
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Oakdale is located in Jennings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakdale
- Butlerville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- San Jacinto
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- San Jacinto is located in Jennings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for San Jacinto
- Zenas
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
- Zenas is located in Jennings County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zenas
- Johnson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Edinburgh
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Nineveh
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Peoga
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Peoga is located in Johnson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peoga
- Princes Lakes
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Princes Lakes is located in Johnson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Princes Lakes
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,342 people
- Lawrence County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Zelma
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Zelma is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zelma
- Leesville
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Leesville is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leesville
- Fort Ritner
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Fort Ritner is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fort Ritner
- Heltonville
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Erie
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Erie is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erie
- Tunnelton
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Tunnelton is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunnelton
- Crawford
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Crawford is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crawford
- Bono
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Bono is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bono
- Lawrenceport
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Lawrenceport is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lawrenceport
- Stonington
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Stonington is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonington
- Spring Mill Village
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Spring Mill Village is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Mill Village
- Bedford
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Guthrie
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Guthrie is located in Lawrence County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guthrie
- Monroe County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Smithville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Unionville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Orange County
- Leipsic
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Leipsic is located in Orange County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leipsic
- Scott County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Austin
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Albion
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Albion is located in Scott County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Albion
- Marshfield
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Marshfield is located in Scott County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marshfield
- Scottsburg
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Blocher
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Blocher is located in Scott County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blocher
- Goshen
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Goshen is located in Scott County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goshen
- Lexington
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Shelby County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Flat Rock
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Mount Auburn
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Mount Auburn is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Auburn
- Norristown
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Norristown is located in Shelby County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norristown
- Washington County
- The following are listed by their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Plattsburg
(18 miles [29 km] to the south)
- Plattsburg is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plattsburg
- Kossuth
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Kossuth is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kossuth
- Little York
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Little York is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little York
- Population from the 2020 Census: 191 people
- Harristown
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Harristown is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harristown
- Salem
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- South Boston
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- South Boston is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Boston
- Campbellsburg
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Saltillo
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Saltillo is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saltillo
- Population from the 2020 Census: 93 people
- Smedley
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Smedley is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smedley
- Bartle
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Bartle is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bartle
- Claysville
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Claysville is located in Washington County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Claysville
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Cortland, see our County-by-County Page for Cortland.
Cemeteries Near Cortland ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Cortland.
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 Cortland - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Cortland covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Cortland Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Knabb Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knabb Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Knabb Cemetery is located 3 miles [4.8 km]<2> to the northwest of Seymour.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2316507 <3>
- Crane Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery is located outside and to the west of Seymour.
- Lutheran Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
- Robertson Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Robertson Cemetery
- The Robertson Cemetery has also been known as:
- Honeytown Cemetery
- Honeytown Christian Cemetery
- Robinson Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #86607 <3>
- St. Ambrose Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Riverview Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Durland Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Weddell Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Farmington Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Gardner Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Continue List (303 more) ...
- Glasson Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Spraytown Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Wayman Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wayman Cemetery
- The Wayman Cemetery has also been known as:
- Pleasant Grove Cemetery
- Wayman / Pleasant Grove Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #87305 <3>
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 Cortland in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Cortland.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Cortland, with the one closest to Cortland listed first.
- Shields
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Shields is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shields
- Seymour
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Rockford
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
- Rockford is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockford
- Peters Switch
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
- Peters Switch is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peters Switch
- Surprise
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Surprise is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Surprise
- Spraytown
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Spraytown is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spraytown
- Ewing
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Ewing is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ewing
- Brownstown
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
- Jonesville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Waymansville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
- Waymansville is located in Bartholomew County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waymansville
- Chestnut Ridge
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Chestnut Ridge is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chestnut Ridge
- Fleming
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Fleming is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fleming
- Continue List (13 more) ...
- Reddington
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Reddington is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reddington
- Freetown
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Dudleytown
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Dudleytown is located in Jackson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dudleytown
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Cortland. See our List of 1890's Communities around Cortland.
Newspapers Published in Cortland ...
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 69 newspapers that have been published in the area around Cortland.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Cortland, there are papers which were published within 22 miles [35.4 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Cortland.
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 Cortland:
- Websites specific to Indiana
- Pages specific to Jackson County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Bartholomew County
- Brown County
- Clark County
- Decatur County
- Jefferson County
- Jennings County
- Johnson County
- Lawrence County
- Monroe County
- Orange County
- Scott County
- Shelby County
- Washington 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 '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- Cortland) 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 Cortland, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |