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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 Jennings (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 Jennings. 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 Jennings ...

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.

While the name of this city is Jennings, be aware that it's the common practice of mapmakers to remove the apostrophe from possessive names<1>. So Jennings may originally have been Jenning's.

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 hospitals 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.

Jennings is located in Decatur 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 Decatur County: Norton, Rawlins, Sheridan, Thomas, Furnas (NE) & Red Willow (NE).

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

  • Decatur County     (The home county of Jennings)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Jennings, with the one closest to Jennings listed first.
    • Allison ‑ Historic
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Allison. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allison
      • Allison is located in Decatur County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Allison
      • From Jennings to Allison
    • Dresden
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Kanona
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kanona. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kanona
      • Kanona is located in Decatur County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Kanona
      • From Jennings to Kanona
    • Leoville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leoville have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leoville
      • Leoville is located in Decatur County
    • Norcatur
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Oberlin
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oberlin have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oberlin
      • Oberlin is located in Decatur County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,669 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oberlin <3>
    • Lyle
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lyle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyle
      • Lyle is located in Decatur County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lyle
      • From Jennings to Lyle
    • Traer
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Traer have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Traer
      • Traer is located in Decatur County
  • Graham County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Jennings, with the one closest to Jennings listed first.
    • Morland
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morland have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morland
      • Morland is located in Graham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 143 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Morland <3>
    • Penokee
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Smithfield
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Smithfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Smithfield
      • Smithfield is located in Graham County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Smithfield
      • From Jennings to Smithfield
  • Norton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Jennings, with the one closest to Jennings listed first.
    • Clayton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clayton have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clayton
      • Clayton is located in Norton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
    • Dellvale
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Rockwell City ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rockwell City have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockwell City
      • Rockwell City is located in Norton County
    • Lenora
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lenora have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lenora
      • Lenora is located in Norton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lenora <3>
    • Oronoque
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Norton
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Norton have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norton
      • Norton is located in Norton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,709 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Norton <3>
    • Edmond
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Edmond have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edmond
      • Edmond is located in Norton County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 46 people
      • Edmond has also been known as:
      • Edmond City
    • Densmore
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
  • Rawlins County
    • Herndon
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Herndon have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herndon
      • Herndon is located in Rawlins County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 129 people
  • Riley County
  • Sheridan County
  • Thomas County
  • Red Willow County (NE)

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

Cemeteries Near Jennings ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Jennings.

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

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

  • Jennings Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jennings Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jennings Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Big Timber Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Big Timber Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Big Timber Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Jackson Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Jackson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Jackson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Dresden Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dresden Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dresden Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Allison Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Allison Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Allison Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Clayton Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Gettis Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gettis Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gettis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Adell Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Adell Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Adell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Joseph Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Joseph Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Joseph Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Kanona Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Kanona Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Kanona Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Shibboleth Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
  • Norcatur Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Norcatur Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Norcatur Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (54 more) ...
    • Lucerne Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Lucerne Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Lucerne Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Vallonia Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Vallonia Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Vallonia Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Oberlin Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oberlin Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oberlin Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<4> 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.<7>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Jennings had a population of 200 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Jennings had a population of 90 people.

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

  • Dresden
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Allison ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Allison. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allison
    • Allison is located in Decatur County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Allison
    • From Jennings to Allison
  • Clayton
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clayton have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clayton
    • Clayton is located in Norton County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 54 people
  • Kanona
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Kanona. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kanona
    • Kanona is located in Decatur County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Kanona
    • From Jennings to Kanona
  • New Almelo
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Almelo have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Almelo
    • New Almelo is located in Norton County
  • Norcatur
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
  • Lucerne
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lucerne have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lucerne
    • Lucerne is located in Sheridan County
  • Dellvale
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Rockwell City ‑ Historic
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rockwell City have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockwell City
    • Rockwell City is located in Norton County
  • Lenora
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lenora have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lenora
    • Lenora is located in Norton County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 229 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lenora <3>
  • Oronoque
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Oberlin
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oberlin have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oberlin
    • Oberlin is located in Decatur County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,669 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oberlin <3>
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Selden
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Lyle
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lyle. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyle
      • Lyle is located in Decatur County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lyle
      • From Jennings to Lyle
    • Tasco
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tasco have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tasco
      • Tasco is located in Sheridan County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Jennings ...

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 57 newspapers that have been published in the area around Jennings.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Jennings. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Jennings and those printed in the larger area surrounding Jennings.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5> of Jennings.

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 Jennings:

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

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

Footnotes ...

<1>It's generally believed that possessive apostrophes are removed to prevent confusion on maps where the apostrophe may be confused with a cartographic symbol. While this is generally true, it's not uncommon to find possessive apostrophes in administrative names (such as towns or counties).
<2>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>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.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Jennings) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Jennings. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.6797, Longitude: -100.2940    
<6>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.
<7>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 Jennings, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025