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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 Canton (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 Canton. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Canton is located in McPherson 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 McPherson County: Dickinson, Ellsworth, Harvey, Marion, Reno, Rice & Saline.

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

  • McPherson County     (The home county of Canton)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Canton, with the one closest to Canton listed first.
    • Galva
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Galva have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galva
      • Galva is located in McPherson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 887 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Galva <2>
    • Roxbury
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Elyria
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elyria. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elyria
      • Elyria is located in McPherson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Elyria
      • From Canton to Elyria
    • McPherson
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Moundridge
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Groveland
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Groveland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Groveland
      • Groveland is located in McPherson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Groveland
      • From Canton to Groveland
    • Lindsborg
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
    • Conway
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Inman
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Inman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Inman
      • Inman is located in McPherson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,324 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Inman <2>
    • Marquette
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Windom
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
  • Butler County
    • Elbing
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elbing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elbing
      • Elbing is located in Butler County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 230 people
  • Dickinson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Canton, with the one closest to Canton listed first.
    • Carlton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carlton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carlton
      • Carlton is located in Dickinson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 40 people
    • Elmo
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elmo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elmo
      • Elmo is located in Dickinson County
    • Dillon
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dillon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dillon
      • Dillon is located in Dickinson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Dillon
      • From Canton to Dillon
    • Jacobs
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jacobs. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jacobs
      • Jacobs is located in Dickinson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jacobs
      • From Canton to Jacobs
    • Holland
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Rishel
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rishel. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rishel
      • Rishel is located in Dickinson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rishel
      • From Canton to Rishel
    • Hope
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Ellsworth County
    • Langley
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Langley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Langley
      • Langley is located in Ellsworth County
  • Harvey County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Canton, with the one closest to Canton listed first.
    • Hesston
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Zimmerdale
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Zimmerdale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zimmerdale
      • Zimmerdale is located in Harvey County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Zimmerdale
      • From Canton to Zimmerdale
    • Walton
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Walton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walton
      • Walton is located in Harvey County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 224 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Walton <2>
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Walton
      • From Canton to Walton
    • Alta Mills ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alta Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alta Mills
      • Alta Mills is located in Harvey County
    • North Newton
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Newton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Newton
      • North Newton is located in Harvey County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,762 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for North Newton <2>
    • Newton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Halstead
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Halstead have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halstead
      • Halstead is located in Harvey County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,028 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Halstead <2>
    • McGraw
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for McGraw. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McGraw
      • McGraw is located in Harvey County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to McGraw
      • From Canton to McGraw
    • Van Arsdale
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Paxton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Paxton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paxton
      • Paxton is located in Harvey County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Paxton
      • From Canton to Paxton
    • McLains
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for McLains. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McLains
      • McLains is located in Harvey County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to McLains
      • From Canton to McLains
    • Putnam
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
    • Burrton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Marion County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Canton, with the one closest to Canton listed first.
    • Waldeck
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waldeck have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldeck
      • Waldeck is located in Marion County
    • Lehigh
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Goessel
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Goessel have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Goessel
      • Goessel is located in Marion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 489 people
    • Hillsboro
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Durham
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Canada
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Tampa
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Tampa. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tampa
      • Tampa is located in Marion County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 98 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Tampa <2>
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Tampa
      • From Canton to Tampa
    • Eastshore
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eastshore have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eastshore
      • Eastshore is located in Marion County
    • Aulne ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Aulne. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aulne
      • Aulne is located in Marion County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Aulne
      • From Canton to Aulne
    • Pilsen
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Marion
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Peabody
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Antelope
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Antelope have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Antelope
      • Antelope is located in Marion County
  • Reno County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Canton, with the one closest to Canton listed first.
    • Buhler
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Medora
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Medora have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medora
      • Medora is located in Reno County
  • Saline County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Canton, with the one closest to Canton listed first.
    • Hallville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hallville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hallville
      • Hallville is located in Saline County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hallville
      • From Canton to Hallville
    • Bridgeport
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Gypsum
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Assaria
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Assaria have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Assaria
      • Assaria is located in Saline County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 408 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Assaria <2>
    • Salemsborg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Mentor
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Falun
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Kipp
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Smolan
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Smolan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smolan
      • Smolan is located in Saline County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 203 people
    • Phillips Village ‑ Historic
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Phillips Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phillips Village
      • Phillips Village is located in Saline County

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

Cemeteries Near Canton ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Canton.

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 Canton covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Canton Twp. Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Township Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Township Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Township Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jones Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jones Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jones Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Dunkard Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dunkard Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dunkard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Oakes Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oakes Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oakes Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Empire Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Empire Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Empire Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Springfield Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Lehigh Mennonite Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lehigh Mennonite Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lehigh Mennonite Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mennonite Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mennonite Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mennonite Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lehigh Mennonite Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lehigh Mennonite Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lehigh Mennonite Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Lone Tree Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lone Tree Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lone Tree Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Meridian Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Meridian Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Meridian Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (116 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Canton had a population of 420 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Canton had a population of 688 people.

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

  • Waldeck
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waldeck have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldeck
    • Waldeck is located in Marion County
  • Galva
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Galva have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galva
    • Galva is located in McPherson County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 887 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Galva <2>
  • Lehigh
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
  • Roxbury
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Elyria
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elyria. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elyria
    • Elyria is located in McPherson County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Elyria
    • From Canton to Elyria
  • Hillsboro
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Durham
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • McPherson
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Moundridge
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
  • Hilton
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hilton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilton
    • Hilton is located in McPherson County
  • West Johnson
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Johnson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Johnson
    • West Johnson is located in McPherson County
    • West Johnson has also been known as:
    • Johnstown
  • Groveland
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Groveland. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Groveland
    • Groveland is located in McPherson County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Groveland
    • From Canton to Groveland
  • Continue List   (17 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Canton ...

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 88 newspapers that have been published in the area around Canton.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Canton, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Canton.

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 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 Canton:

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

The official website for McPherson County: www.mcphersoncountyks.us/

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

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>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.
<4>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.
<5>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 Canton, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Canton) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Canton. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.3867, Longitude: -97.4284    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 13 Jul 2025