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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 Colby (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 Colby. 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 doctors and hospitals 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.

Colby is located in Thomas County and is the County Seat.

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 Thomas County: Decatur, Gove, Logan, Rawlins, Sheridan & Sherman.

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

  • Thomas County     (The home county of Colby)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Colby, with the one closest to Colby listed first.
    • Levant
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Levant have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Levant
      • Levant is located in Thomas County
    • Gem
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gem have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gem
      • Gem is located in Thomas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 84 people
    • Spica
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spica have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spica
      • Spica is located in Thomas County
    • Menlo
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Menlo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Menlo
      • Menlo is located in Thomas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
    • Rexford
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Brewster
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brewster have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brewster
      • Brewster is located in Thomas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 289 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brewster <2>
  • Gove County
    • Grinnell
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grinnell
      • Grinnell is located in Gove County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 226 people
      • Grinnell has also been known as:
      • Grinnette Springs
  • Logan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Colby, with the one closest to Colby listed first.
    • Monument
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monument
      • Monument is located in Logan County
    • Oakley
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Page City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Page City
      • Page City is located in Logan County
    • Winona
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winona have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winona
      • Winona is located in Logan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 155 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Winona <2>
  • Rawlins County
    • Atwood
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Atwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Atwood
      • Atwood is located in Rawlins County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,208 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Atwood <2>
  • Sheridan County
    • Selden
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Selden
      • Selden is located in Sheridan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 211 people
  • Sherman County
    • Edson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edson
      • Edson is located in Sherman County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Colby ...

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 67 newspapers that have been published in the area around Colby.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Colby. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Colby and those printed in the larger area surrounding Colby.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of Colby.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit 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 Colby:

Cemeteries Near Colby ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Colby.

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

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

  • Beulah Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
  • Sacred Heart Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sacred Heart Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sacred Heart Cemetery
  • Mingo Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mingo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mingo Cemetery
  • Gem Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gem Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gem Cemetery
  • Summers Twp. Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Summers Twp. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Summers Twp. Cemetery
  • Cumberland Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cumberland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cumberland Cemetery
  • Ilion Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ilion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ilion Cemetery
  • Menlo Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Menlo Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Menlo Cemetery
  • Rexford Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rexford Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rexford Cemetery
  • St. Patrick Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Patrick Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Patrick Cemetery
  • Lone Star Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lone Star Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lone Star Cemetery
  • Monument Cemetery
    (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Monument Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Monument Cemetery
  • Continue List   (26 more) ...
    • Chardon Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Chardon Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Chardon Cemetery
    • Brewster Cemetery
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brewster Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brewster Cemetery
    • Oakley Cemetery
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oakley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oakley Cemetery

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 Colby had a population of 516 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Colby had a population of 5,315 people.

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

  • Levant
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Levant have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Levant
    • Levant is located in Thomas County
  • Mingo
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mingo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mingo
    • Mingo is located in Thomas County
  • Gem
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gem have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gem
    • Gem is located in Thomas County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 84 people
  • Spica
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spica have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spica
    • Spica is located in Thomas County
  • Menlo
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Menlo have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Menlo
    • Menlo is located in Thomas County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 58 people
  • Rexford
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
  • Brewster
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brewster have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brewster
    • Brewster is located in Thomas County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 289 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brewster <2>
  • Chardon
    (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chardon have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chardon
    • Chardon is located in Rawlins County
  • Monument
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monument
    • Monument is located in Logan County
  • Oakley
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Page City
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Page City
    • Page City is located in Logan County
  • Winona
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winona have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winona
    • Winona is located in Logan County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 155 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Winona <2>
  • Continue List   (7 more) ...
    • Seguin
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seguin have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seguin
      • Seguin is located in Sheridan County
    • Achilles
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Achilles have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Achilles
      • Achilles is located in Rawlins County
    • Edson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edson
      • Edson is located in Sherman County

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

The official website for Colby: www.cityofcolby.com/

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>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Colby) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Colby. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.3878, Longitude: -101.0463       In this case, the coordinates for Colby have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Colby, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024