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 Dorrance (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 Dorrance. 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.
Dorrance is located in Russell County.
To see how the shape of Kansas' counties may have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Russell County: Barton, Ellis, Ellsworth, Lincoln, Osborne, Rooks & Rush.
Below are the counties that are near Dorrance. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Dorrance:
- Russell County (The home county of Dorrance)
- The following are listed by their distance from Dorrance, with the one closest to Dorrance listed first.
- Bunker Hill
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Lucas
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Russell
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Balta ‑ Historic
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Balta is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balta
- Luray
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Luray is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luray
- Population from the 2020 Census: 182 people
- Milberger
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Milberger is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milberger
- Waldo
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Waldo is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldo
- Population from the 2020 Census: 29 people
- Former name for Waldo:
- Pleasant Run
- Gorham
(23 miles [37 km] to the west)
- Paradise
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Paradise is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise
- Population from the 2020 Census: 48 people
- Barton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Dorrance, with the one closest to Dorrance listed first.
- Dubuque ‑ Historic
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Dubuque is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dubuque
- Beaver
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
- Beaver is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver
- Hitschmann
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Hitschmann is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hitschmann
- Susank
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Susank is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Susank
- Population from the 2020 Census: 31 people
- Farhman
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Farhman is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farhman
- Odin
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Odin is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odin
- Stickney
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
- Stickney is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stickney
- Millard
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Millard is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millard
- Claflin
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Redwing
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Redwing is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redwing
- Galatia
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Galatia is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galatia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 36 people
- Hoisington
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
- Ellis County
- The following are listed by their distance from Dorrance, with the one closest to Dorrance listed first.
- Walker
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Walker is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
- Victoria
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Victoria is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Victoria
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,215 people
- Emmeram
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Emmeram is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmeram
- Ellsworth County
- The following are listed by their distance from Dorrance, with the one closest to Dorrance listed first.
- Wilson
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Wilson is located in Ellsworth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 713 people
- Holyrood
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Ellsworth
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Lorraine
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Lorraine is located in Ellsworth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lorraine
- Population from the 2020 Census: 125 people
- Kanopolis
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
- Frantz ‑ Historic
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Frantz is located in Ellsworth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frantz
- Midway
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Midway is located in Ellsworth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
- Lincoln County
- The following are listed by their distance from Dorrance, with the one closest to Dorrance listed first.
- Sylvan Grove
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Sylvan Grove is located in Lincoln County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvan Grove
- Population from the 2020 Census: 269 people
- Sylvan Grove has also been known as:
- Sylvan Grove Station
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sylvan Grove <1>
- Denmark
(23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
- Denmark is located in Lincoln County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denmark
- Lincoln Center
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Quartzite
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Quartzite is located in Lincoln County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quartzite
- Mitchell County
- Hunter
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Rice County
- The following are listed by their distance from Dorrance, with the one closest to Dorrance listed first.
- Bushton
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Bushton is located in Rice County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bushton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 250 people
- Frederick
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Frederick is located in Rice County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frederick
- Population from the 2020 Census: 18 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Dorrance, see our County-by-County Page for Dorrance.
Cemeteries Near Dorrance ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Dorrance.
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 Dorrance - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Dorrance covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Dorrance, with the one closest to Dorrance listed first.
- St. Joseph Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the north)
- Colony Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
- Bunker Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Blooming Grove Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Hyde Park Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
- Schreiner Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Immanuel Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Wilson Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilson Cemetery
- The Wilson Cemetery has also been known as:
- Union Cemetery
- Wilson City Cemetery
- Wilson Union Cemetery
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #94086 <2>
- Immanuel Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Old Wilson Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- St. Catherine's Catholic Church Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Pleasant Valley Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Continue List (78 more) ...
- Cross Plains Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- St. Josephs Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Presbyterian Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
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>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Dorrance had a population of 175 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Dorrance had a population of 180 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Dorrance, with the one closest to Dorrance listed first.
- Wilson
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
- Wilson is located in Ellsworth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 713 people
- Bunker Hill
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Homer
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Homer is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homer
- Black Wolf ‑ Historic
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
- Black Wolf is located in Ellsworth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Wolf
- Lucas
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Russell
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Sylvan Grove
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Sylvan Grove is located in Lincoln County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvan Grove
- Population from the 2020 Census: 269 people
- Sylvan Grove has also been known as:
- Sylvan Grove Station
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sylvan Grove <1>
- Luray
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Luray is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luray
- Population from the 2020 Census: 182 people
- Odin
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Odin is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odin
- Vesper
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
- Vesper is located in Lincoln County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vesper
- Millard
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Millard is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millard
- Ellsworth
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Waldo
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
- Waldo is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldo
- Population from the 2020 Census: 29 people
- Former name for Waldo:
- Pleasant Run
- Redwing
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Redwing is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redwing
- Claflin
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Dorrance. See our List of 1890's Communities around Dorrance.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Dorrance ...
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 111 newspapers that have been published in the area around Dorrance.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Dorrance. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Dorrance and those printed in the larger area surrounding Dorrance.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<3> of Dorrance.
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 websites either 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 Dorrance:
- Websites specific to Kansas
- Pages specific to Russell County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Barton County
- Ellis County
- Ellsworth County
- Lincoln County
- Mitchell County
- Rice County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Kansas
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> | 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. |
| <3> | 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- Dorrance) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <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 Dorrance, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |