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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 Benedict (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 Benedict. 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.

Benedict is located in Wilson County.

To see how the shape of Kansas' counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Wilson County: Allen, Elk, Greenwood, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho & Woodson.

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

  • Wilson County     (The home county of Benedict)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Benedict, with the one closest to Benedict listed first.
    • Benedict Junction
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Roper
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Guilford
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Guilford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guilford
      • Guilford is located in Wilson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Guilford
      • From Benedict to Guilford
    • Rest
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rest. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rest
      • Rest is located in Wilson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rest
      • From Benedict to Rest
    • Buffalo
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Fredonia
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fredonia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredonia
      • Fredonia is located in Wilson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,182 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fredonia <3>
    • Vilas
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vilas. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vilas
      • Vilas is located in Wilson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Vilas
      • From Benedict to Vilas
    • Middletown
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Middletown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middletown
      • Middletown is located in Wilson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Middletown
      • From Benedict to Middletown
    • Altoona
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Coyville
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • South Ridge ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Ridge
      • South Ridge is located in Wilson County
    • New Albany
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Hilford
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hilford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilford
      • Hilford is located in Wilson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hilford
      • From Benedict to Hilford
  • Allen County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Benedict, with the one closest to Benedict listed first.
    • Petrolia
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Petrolia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petrolia
      • Petrolia is located in Allen County
    • Octagon City ‑ Historic
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
    • Humboldt
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Leanna
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leanna. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leanna
      • Leanna is located in Allen County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Leanna
      • From Benedict to Leanna
    • Bassett
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bassett have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassett
      • Bassett is located in Allen County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 23 people
    • Iola
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Iola have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iola
      • Iola is located in Allen County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,264 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Iola <3>
    • Gas
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Geneva
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Elk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Benedict, with the one closest to Benedict listed first.
    • Busby
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Busby. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Busby
      • Busby is located in Elk County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Busby
      • From Benedict to Busby
    • Upola
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Upola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upola
      • Upola is located in Elk County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Upola
      • From Benedict to Upola
    • Cave Springs
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
    • Oak Valley
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Longton
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Fiat
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fiat. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fiat
      • Fiat is located in Elk County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Fiat
      • From Benedict to Fiat
    • Elk Falls
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Howard
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Greenwood County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Benedict, with the one closest to Benedict listed first.
    • Fall River
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fall River have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fall River
      • Fall River is located in Greenwood County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 142 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fall River <3>
    • Neal
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
    • Severy
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Climax
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Climax have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Climax
      • Climax is located in Greenwood County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 64 people
    • Virgil
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Virgil have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Virgil
      • Virgil is located in Greenwood County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 62 people
  • Labette County
  • Montgomery County
  • Neosho County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Benedict, with the one closest to Benedict listed first.
    • Earlton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Earlton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earlton
      • Earlton is located in Neosho County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 52 people
    • Chanute
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Thayer
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Rollin
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Galesburg
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Erie
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erie
      • Erie is located in Neosho County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,081 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Erie <3>
  • Woodson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Benedict, with the one closest to Benedict listed first.
    • North Ridge ‑ Historic
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Ridge
      • North Ridge is located in Woodson County
    • Rose
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rose have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose
      • Rose is located in Woodson County
    • Cookville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cookville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cookville
      • Cookville is located in Woodson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cookville
      • From Benedict to Cookville
    • Batesville
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Batesville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Batesville
      • Batesville is located in Woodson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Batesville
      • From Benedict to Batesville
    • Yates Center
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yates Center have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yates Center
      • Yates Center is located in Woodson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,267 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Yates Center <3>
    • Toronto
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toronto have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toronto
      • Toronto is located in Woodson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 252 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Toronto <3>
    • Durand
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Athens
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Athens. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Athens
      • Athens is located in Woodson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Athens
      • From Benedict to Athens
    • Hasty
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hasty. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hasty
      • Hasty is located in Woodson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hasty
      • From Benedict to Hasty
    • Piqua
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Vernon
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
    • Neosho Falls
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Neosho Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neosho Falls
      • Neosho Falls is located in Woodson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 133 people

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

Cemeteries Near Benedict ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Benedict.

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.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

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

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

  • Maple Grove Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maple Grove Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maple Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Summit Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
  • Farmington Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
  • Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Buffalo Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
  • Little Sandy Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Little Sandy Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Little Sandy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Trimmell Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Trimmell Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Trimmell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hatler Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hatler Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hatler Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Coyville Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Coyville Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Coyville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Hunter Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hunter Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hunter Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Weakley Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Weakley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Weakley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (137 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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Benedict had a population of 127 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Benedict had a population of 65 people.

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

  • Benedict Junction
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
  • Guilford
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Guilford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guilford
    • Guilford is located in Wilson County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Guilford
    • From Benedict to Guilford
  • Roper
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Rest
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rest. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rest
    • Rest is located in Wilson County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Rest
    • From Benedict to Rest
  • Buffalo
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Fredonia
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fredonia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredonia
    • Fredonia is located in Wilson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,182 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fredonia <3>
  • Altoona
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Vilas
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vilas. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vilas
    • Vilas is located in Wilson County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Vilas
    • From Benedict to Vilas
  • Middletown
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Middletown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middletown
    • Middletown is located in Wilson County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Middletown
    • From Benedict to Middletown
  • Coyville
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • New Albany
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Rose
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rose have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose
    • Rose is located in Woodson County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Neodesha
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Neodesha have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neodesha
      • Neodesha is located in Wilson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,211 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Neodesha <3>
    • Buxton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Earlton
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Earlton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earlton
      • Earlton is located in Neosho County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 52 people

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Benedict ...

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 83 newspapers that have been published in the area around Benedict.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Benedict. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Benedict and those printed in the larger area surrounding Benedict.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Benedict.

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 Benedict:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Benedict. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Kansas: https://portal.kansas.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<2>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Benedict) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Benedict. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.6276, Longitude: -95.7435    
<5>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.
<6>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 Benedict, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025