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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 Harlan (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 Harlan. 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 Harlan ...

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.

Another variation: Thompson City.

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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors 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.

Harlan is located in Smith 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 Smith County: Jewell, Osborne, Phillips, Rooks, Franklin (NE) & Webster (NE).

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

  • Smith County     (The home county of Harlan)
  • Jewell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Harlan, with the one closest to Harlan listed first.
    • Esbon
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Esbon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Esbon
      • Esbon is located in Jewell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Esbon <1>
    • Burr Oak
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burr Oak have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burr Oak
      • Burr Oak is located in Jewell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
  • Mitchell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Harlan, with the one closest to Harlan listed first.
    • Cawker City
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cawker City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cawker City
      • Cawker City is located in Mitchell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 426 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cawker City <1>
    • Tipton
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Glen Elder
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
    • Blue Hill
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blue Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Hill
      • Blue Hill is located in Mitchell County
  • Osborne County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Harlan, with the one closest to Harlan listed first.
    • Portis
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Bloomington
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Osborne
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Downs
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Alton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alton
      • Alton is located in Osborne County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 92 people
  • Phillips County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Harlan, with the one closest to Harlan listed first.
    • Kirwin
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Agra
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Glade
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
  • Rooks County

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

Cemeteries Near Harlan ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Harlan.

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

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

  • Hammond Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hammond Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hammond Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Garrett Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Garrett Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Garrett Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bell Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Cedar Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cedar Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cedar Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Gaylord Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gaylord Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gaylord Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Butler Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Butler Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Butler Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Twelvemile Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Twelvemile Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Twelvemile Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Crystal Plains Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crystal Plains Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crystal Plains Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Christ Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Christ Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Christ Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bloomington Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Bethany Center Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethany Center Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethany Center Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (109 more) ...
    • Rose Valley Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rose Valley Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rose Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Custer Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Osborne Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Osborne Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Osborne Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.

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.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Harlan had a population of 100 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Portis
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
  • Gaylord
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
  • Cedar
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedar have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar
    • Cedar is located in Smith County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 13 people
  • Bloomington
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Osborne
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
  • Smith Center
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Alton
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alton
    • Alton is located in Osborne County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 92 people
  • Downs
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Athol
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Bellaire
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
  • Dentonia
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dentonia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dentonia
    • Dentonia is located in Jewell County
  • Corinth
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Corinth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corinth
    • Corinth is located in Osborne County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Lebanon
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Cawker City
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cawker City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cawker City
      • Cawker City is located in Mitchell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 426 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cawker City <1>
    • Kensington
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)

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

Newspapers Published in Harlan ...

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 140 newspapers that have been published in the area around Harlan.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Harlan, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Harlan.

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 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 Harlan:

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

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

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 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>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 Harlan, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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- Harlan) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Harlan. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.6069, Longitude: -98.7669    









 

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In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025