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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 Elgin (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 Elgin. 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.

Name Variations for Elgin ...

When searching records, keep in mind that names and their spelling can change over time. Our sources include documents like maps, railroad schedules, Travel, Express and Shipping Guides. Many of these documents date from the 1800's and it's common to find spelling differences.

Although we can't give a definitive list, hopefully the following will give you a feel for the variations that might have occurred.

Elgin has also been known as: New Elgin.

If you have information about these names (such as the reason for the change, date of change, the origin of the name), please Contact Us.

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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Elgin is located in Chautauqua 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 Chautauqua County: Cowley, Elk, Montgomery, Osage (OK) & Washington (OK).

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

  • Chautauqua County     (The home county of Elgin)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elgin, with the one closest to Elgin listed first.
    • Chautauqua
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chautauqua have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chautauqua
      • Chautauqua is located in Chautauqua County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 88 people
    • Hewins
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hewins have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hewins
      • Hewins is located in Chautauqua County
    • Sedan
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sedan
      • Sedan is located in Chautauqua County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 992 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sedan <2>
    • Wauneta
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wauneta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wauneta
      • Wauneta is located in Chautauqua County
    • Peru
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Peru have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peru
      • Peru is located in Chautauqua County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 125 people
    • Cedar Vale
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Vale
      • Cedar Vale is located in Chautauqua County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 503 people
      • Cedar Vale has also been known as:
      • Cedar
      • Cedarvale
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cedar Vale <2>
    • Niotaze
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Niotaze have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Niotaze
      • Niotaze is located in Chautauqua County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 72 people
    • Hale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hale
      • Hale is located in Chautauqua County
  • Cowley County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elgin, with the one closest to Elgin listed first.
    • Dexter
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dexter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dexter
      • Dexter is located in Cowley County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 271 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dexter <2>
    • Maple City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maple City
      • Maple City is located in Cowley County
    • Cambridge
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cambridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cambridge
      • Cambridge is located in Cowley County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 81 people
  • Elk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elgin, with the one closest to Elgin listed first.
    • Moline
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moline have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moline
      • Moline is located in Elk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 319 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Moline <2>
    • Grenola
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grenola
      • Grenola is located in Elk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 187 people
    • Elk Falls
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
    • Oak Valley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Valley
      • Oak Valley is located in Elk County
    • Longton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longton
      • Longton is located in Elk County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 306 people
      • Former name for Longton:
      • Elk Rapids
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Longton <2>
  • Montgomery County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elgin, with the one closest to Elgin listed first.
    • Caney
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caney have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caney
      • Caney is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,948 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Caney <2>
    • Havana
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Havana have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Havana
      • Havana is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people
    • Tyro
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tyro have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tyro
      • Tyro is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
    • Elk City
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk City
      • Elk City is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 289 people
  • Nowata County (OK)
    • Wann
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wann
      • Wann is located in Nowata County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 119 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wann <2>
  • Osage County (OK)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elgin, with the one closest to Elgin listed first.
    • Whippoorwill
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whippoorwill
      • Whippoorwill is located in Osage County (OK)
    • Bowring
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Foraker
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foraker
      • Foraker is located in Osage County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 19 people
    • Grainola
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grainola
      • Grainola is located in Osage County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 30 people
    • Frankfort
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Frankfort have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankfort
      • Frankfort is located in Osage County (OK)
    • Pawhuska
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Shidler
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shidler have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shidler
      • Shidler is located in Osage County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 426 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Shidler <2>
    • Webb City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Webb City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Webb City
      • Webb City is located in Osage County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 61 people
    • Pershing
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pershing
      • Pershing is located in Osage County (OK)
    • Little Chief
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Chief
      • Little Chief is located in Osage County (OK)
  • Washington County (OK)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Elgin, with the one closest to Elgin listed first.
    • Copan
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Copan have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Copan
      • Copan is located in Washington County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 746 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Copan <2>
    • Bartlesville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Dewey
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dewey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dewey
      • Dewey is located in Washington County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,411 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dewey <2>

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

Newspapers Published in Elgin ...

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 163 newspapers that have been published in the area around Elgin.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Elgin, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Elgin.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we like to start with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer 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 Elgin:

Cemeteries Near Elgin ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Elgin.

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

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

  • Elgin Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elgin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elgin Cemetery
  • District 1 Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the District 1 Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the District 1 Cemetery
  • Oak Grove Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Grove Cemetery
  • De Bask Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the De Bask Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the De Bask Cemetery
  • Wilson Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Wilson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wilson Cemetery
  • Boulanger Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Boulanger Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Boulanger Cemetery
  • Robert Marshall Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Robert Marshall Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Robert Marshall Cemetery
  • Moore Prairie Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Moore Prairie Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Moore Prairie Cemetery
  • McClarney Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the McClarney Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the McClarney Cemetery
  • Oak Hill Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Hill Cemetery
  • Findley Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
  • Rose Dale Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rose Dale Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rose Dale Cemetery
  • Continue List   (88 more) ...
    • Ozro Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ozro Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ozro Cemetery
    • Casement Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Casement Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Casement Cemetery
    • Denick Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Denick Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Denick 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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Elgin had a population of 156 people in 1895 with railroad service and no post office. In 2020, Elgin had a population of 79 people.

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

  • Chautauqua
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chautauqua have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chautauqua
    • Chautauqua is located in Chautauqua County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 88 people
  • Hewins
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hewins have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hewins
    • Hewins is located in Chautauqua County
  • Rogers
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rogers have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rogers
    • Rogers is located in Chautauqua County
  • Jonesburg ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jonesburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jonesburg
    • Jonesburg is located in Chautauqua County
  • Sedan
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sedan
    • Sedan is located in Chautauqua County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 992 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sedan <2>
  • Wauneta
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wauneta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wauneta
    • Wauneta is located in Chautauqua County
  • Osro
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Osro have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Osro
    • Osro is located in Chautauqua County
    • Osro has also been known as:
    • Osrow
    • Ozro Falls
    • Ozro
    • Ozrow
  • Peru
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Peru have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peru
    • Peru is located in Chautauqua County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 125 people
  • Monett
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Monett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Monett
    • Monett is located in Chautauqua County
  • Cedar Vale
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Vale
    • Cedar Vale is located in Chautauqua County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 503 people
    • Cedar Vale has also been known as:
    • Cedar
    • Cedarvale
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cedar Vale <2>
  • Niotaze
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Niotaze have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Niotaze
    • Niotaze is located in Chautauqua County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 72 people
  • Grafton
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grafton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grafton
    • Grafton is located in Chautauqua County
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Taussig
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Taussig have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taussig
      • Taussig is located in Cowley County
    • Caney
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Caney have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Caney
      • Caney is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,948 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Caney <2>
    • Havana
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Havana have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Havana
      • Havana is located in Montgomery County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 104 people

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

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

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 '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- Elgin) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Elgin. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.0022, Longitude: -96.2788       In this case, the coordinates for Elgin have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Elgin, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024