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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 Kiowa (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 Kiowa. 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 Kiowa ...

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.

Kiowa has also been known as: Kiowa.

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.

Kiowa is located in Barber 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 Barber County: Comanche, Harper, Kingman, Kiowa, Pratt, Alfalfa (OK) & Woods (OK).

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

  • Barber County     (The home county of Kiowa)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kiowa, with the one closest to Kiowa listed first.
    • Stubbs
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Hazelton
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Hardtner
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Gerlane
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gerlane. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gerlane
      • Gerlane is located in Barber County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Gerlane
      • From Kiowa to Gerlane
    • Eldred ‑ Historic
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Eldred. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eldred
      • Eldred is located in Barber County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Eldred
      • From Kiowa to Eldred
    • Pixley
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pixley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pixley
      • Pixley is located in Barber County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pixley
      • From Kiowa to Pixley
    • Sharon
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sharon have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharon
      • Sharon is located in Barber County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 142 people
      • Former name for Sharon:
      • Bible Valley
    • Medicine Lodge
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Mingona
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Mingona. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mingona
      • Mingona is located in Barber County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Mingona
      • From Kiowa to Mingona
    • Forest City ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Forest City have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest City
      • Forest City is located in Barber County
    • Aetna ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Deerhead
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Deerhead. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deerhead
      • Deerhead is located in Barber County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Deerhead
      • From Kiowa to Deerhead
    • Lake City
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Harper County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kiowa, with the one closest to Kiowa listed first.
    • Crisfield
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Crisfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crisfield
      • Crisfield is located in Harper County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Crisfield
      • From Kiowa to Crisfield
    • Waldron
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Waldron have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldron
      • Waldron is located in Harper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10 people
    • Ruella
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ruella have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruella
      • Ruella is located in Harper County
    • Attica
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Attica have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Attica
      • Attica is located in Harper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 547 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Attica <1>
    • Anthony
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
  • Kingman County
  • Alfalfa County (OK)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kiowa, with the one closest to Kiowa listed first.
    • Burlington
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burlington have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burlington
      • Burlington is located in Alfalfa County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 160 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Burlington <1>
    • Amorita
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Amorita have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amorita
      • Amorita is located in Alfalfa County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 38 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Amorita <1>
    • Byron
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Byron have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Byron
      • Byron is located in Alfalfa County (OK)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 35 people
    • Ingersoll
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Cherokee
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Lambert
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Yewed
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Vining
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Jet
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Carmen
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
  • Grant County (OK)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Kiowa, with the one closest to Kiowa listed first.
    • Manchester
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
    • Sand Creek
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sand Creek. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sand Creek
      • Sand Creek is located in Grant County (OK)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sand Creek
      • From Kiowa to Sand Creek
  • Woods County (OK)

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

Cemeteries Near Kiowa ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Kiowa.

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

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

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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Kiowa had a population of 893 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Kiowa had a population of 917 people.

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

  • Hazelton
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Hardtner
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Corwin
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Corwin have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corwin
    • Corwin is located in Harper County
  • Driftwood
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Driftwood have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Driftwood
    • Driftwood is located in Alfalfa County (OK)
  • Crisfield
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Crisfield. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crisfield
    • Crisfield is located in Harper County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Crisfield
    • From Kiowa to Crisfield
  • Eldred ‑ Historic
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Eldred. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eldred
    • Eldred is located in Barber County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Eldred
    • From Kiowa to Eldred
  • Sharon
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sharon have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sharon
    • Sharon is located in Barber County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 142 people
    • Former name for Sharon:
    • Bible Valley
  • Pixley
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pixley. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pixley
    • Pixley is located in Barber County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Pixley
    • From Kiowa to Pixley
  • Winchester
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Winchester. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winchester
    • Winchester is located in Woods County (OK)
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Winchester
    • From Kiowa to Winchester
  • Alva
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Ruella
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ruella have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ruella
    • Ruella is located in Harper County
  • Medicine Lodge
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Cherokee
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
    • Noel
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Noel have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Noel
      • Noel is located in Woods County (OK)
    • Attica
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Attica have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Attica
      • Attica is located in Harper County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 547 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Attica <1>

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

Newspapers Published in Kiowa ...

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 83 newspapers that have been published in the area around Kiowa.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Kiowa, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Kiowa.

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 Kiowa:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Kiowa. 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>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>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.
<4>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.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Kiowa) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Kiowa. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.0171, Longitude: -98.4853    
<6>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 Kiowa, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025