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 Homer (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 Homer. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and 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.
Homer 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 Homer. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Homer:
- Russell County (The home county of Homer)
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Russell
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Bunker Hill
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Balta ‑ Historic
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Balta is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balta
- Dorrance
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Milberger
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Milberger is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milberger
- Gorham
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Luray
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Luray is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luray
- Population from the 2020 Census: 182 people
- Waldo
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- 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
- Paradise
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Paradise is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise
- Population from the 2020 Census: 48 people
- Lucas
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Barton County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Susank
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Susank is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Susank
- Population from the 2020 Census: 31 people
- Dubuque ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the southeast)
- Dubuque is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dubuque
- Millard
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Millard is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millard
- Stickney
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Stickney is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stickney
- Beaver
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
- Beaver is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver
- Galatia
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Galatia is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galatia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 36 people
- Hitschmann
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
- Hitschmann is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hitschmann
- Odin
(23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
- Odin is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Odin
- Boyd ‑ Historic
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Boyd is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boyd
- Hoisington
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Olmitz
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Farhman
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
- Farhman is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farhman
- Ellis County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Walker
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Walker is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
- Victoria
(18 miles [29 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
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Emmeram is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmeram
- Pfeifer
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Pfeifer is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pfeifer
- Catharine
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
- Catharine is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Catharine
- Catharine has also been known as:
- Catherine
- Toulon
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Toulon is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toulon
- Munjor
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Munjor is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Munjor
- Hays
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Turkville
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
- Turkville is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turkville
- Schoenchen
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Schoenchen is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Schoenchen
- Population from the 2020 Census: 206 people
- Ellsworth County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Wilson
(17 miles [27.4 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
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
- Lincoln County
- Sylvan Grove
(23 miles [37 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>
- Osborne County
- Natoma
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
- Rooks County
- Codell
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Codell is located in Rooks County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Codell
- Former name for Codell:
- Florreyville
- Rush County
- The following are listed by their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Loretta
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
- Loretta is located in Rush County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loretta
- Former names for Loretta:
- Illinois
- Marienfeld
- Otis
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Homer, see our County-by-County Page for Homer.
Cemeteries Near Homer ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Homer.
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 Homer - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Homer covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Bunker Hill Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Blooming Grove Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
- Trinity Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Hyde Park Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Michaels Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Cross Plains Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
- Colony Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- St. Joseph Cemetery
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Milberger Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milberger Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Milberger Cemetery is located in the vicinity of Milberger
- St. Mary's Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Gorham Cemetery
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Schoenfeld Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Continue List (76 more) ...
- Schneider Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Concordia Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
- Immanuel Cemetery
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
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.<2>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Homer had railroad service and no post office.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Homer, with the one closest to Homer listed first.
- Russell
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
- Bunker Hill
(5 miles [8 km] to the east)
- Dorrance
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Gorham
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Walker
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
- Walker is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walker
- Millard
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
- Millard is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millard
- Waldo
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- 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
- Galatia
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
- Galatia is located in Barton County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galatia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 36 people
- Wilson
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Wilson is located in Ellsworth County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilson
- Population from the 2020 Census: 713 people
- Luray
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Luray is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Luray
- Population from the 2020 Census: 182 people
- Fairport
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Fairport is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairport
- Paradise
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Paradise is located in Russell County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise
- Population from the 2020 Census: 48 people
- Continue List (17 more) ...
- Victoria
(18 miles [29 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
- Lucas
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Pfeifer
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Pfeifer is located in Ellis County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pfeifer
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Homer. See our List of 1890's Communities around Homer.
Newspapers Published in Homer ...
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 98 newspapers that have been published in the area around Homer.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Homer, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Homer.
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 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 Homer:
- Websites specific to Kansas
- Pages specific to Russell County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Barton County
- Ellis County
- Ellsworth County
- Lincoln County
- Osborne County
- Rooks County
- Rush 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> | 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 Homer, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <3> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Homer) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |