RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Kansas >> Russell County >> Lucas >> Genealogy HelperIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Kansas

The Commemorative Quarter for Kansas





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 Lucas (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 Lucas. 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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals 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.

Lucas is located in Russell 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 Russell County: Barton, Ellis, Ellsworth, Lincoln, Osborne, Rooks & Rush.

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

  • Russell County     (The home county of Lucas)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lucas, with the one closest to Lucas listed first.
    • Luray
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Dorrance
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dorrance have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorrance
      • Dorrance is located in Russell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 180 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dorrance <2>
    • Waldo
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldo
      • Waldo is located in Russell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 29 people
      • Former name for Waldo:
      • Pleasant Run
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Waldo
      • From Lucas to Waldo
    • Bunker Hill
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bunker Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bunker Hill
      • Bunker Hill is located in Russell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 93 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bunker Hill <2>
    • Russell
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Paradise
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paradise have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise
      • Paradise is located in Russell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 48 people
    • Balta ‑ Historic
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Balta. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Balta
      • Balta is located in Russell County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Balta
      • From Lucas to Balta
    • Gorham
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gorham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gorham
      • Gorham is located in Russell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 336 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gorham <2>
  • Barton County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lucas, with the one closest to Lucas listed first.
    • Dubuque ‑ Historic
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Beaver
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beaver have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver
      • Beaver is located in Barton County
    • Hitschmann
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hitschmann. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hitschmann
      • Hitschmann is located in Barton County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hitschmann
      • From Lucas to Hitschmann
  • Ellsworth County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lucas, with the one closest to Lucas listed first.
    • Wilson
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
    • Ellsworth
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Lincoln County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lucas, with the one closest to Lucas listed first.
    • Sylvan Grove
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sylvan Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvan Grove
      • Sylvan Grove is located in Lincoln County
      • 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 <2>
    • Denmark
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Lincoln Center
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lincoln Center have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln Center
      • Lincoln Center is located in Lincoln County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,189 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lincoln Center <2>
    • Quartzite
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
    • Barnard
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Barnard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barnard
      • Barnard is located in Lincoln County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 64 people
    • Beverly
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beverly have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beverly
      • Beverly is located in Lincoln County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 146 people
  • Mitchell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Lucas, with the one closest to Lucas listed first.
    • Hunter
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hunter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hunter
      • Hunter is located in Mitchell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 53 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hunter <2>
    • Tipton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Blue Hill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blue Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 Lucas, with the one closest to Lucas listed first.
    • Osborne
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Natoma
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Natoma have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Natoma
      • Natoma is located in Osborne County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 296 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Natoma <2>
    • Downs
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
    • Bloomington
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Lucas ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Lucas.

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

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

  • Lucas Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
  • Rosette Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rosette Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rosette Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Delhi Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Luray Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
  • Cheyenne Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Cheyenne Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Cheyenne Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pottersburg Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pottersburg Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pottersburg Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Spillman Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Spillman Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Spillman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Vesper Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Vesper Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Vesper Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Elm Creek Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Amherst Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
  • Patterson Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Patterson Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Patterson Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Vincent Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Vincent Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Vincent Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (85 more) ...
    • Grand Center Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Bunker Hill Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bunker Hill Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bunker Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • St. Joseph Cemetery
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • 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.<1> 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.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Lucas had a population of 183 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Lucas had a population of 390 people.

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

  • Sylvan Grove
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sylvan Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sylvan Grove
    • Sylvan Grove is located in Lincoln County
    • 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 <2>
  • Cheyenne
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cheyenne have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cheyenne
    • Cheyenne is located in Osborne County
    • Cheyenne has also been known as:
    • Cheyenne City
  • Luray
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
  • Vesper
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vesper have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vesper
    • Vesper is located in Lincoln County
  • Denmark
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
  • Vincent
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vincent have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vincent
    • Vincent is located in Osborne County
  • Dorrance
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dorrance have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dorrance
    • Dorrance is located in Russell County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 180 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Dorrance <2>
  • Waldo
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldo
    • Waldo is located in Russell County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 29 people
    • Former name for Waldo:
    • Pleasant Run
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Waldo
    • From Lucas to Waldo
  • Bunker Hill
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bunker Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bunker Hill
    • Bunker Hill is located in Russell County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 93 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bunker Hill <2>
  • Wilson
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
  • Victor
    (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Victor have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Victor
    • Victor is located in Mitchell County
  • Homer
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Homer have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homer
    • Homer is located in Russell County
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Blue Hill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blue Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Hill
      • Blue Hill is located in Mitchell County
    • Tipton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
    • Russell
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Lucas ...

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 Lucas.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

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

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 helpful 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 Lucas:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Lucas. 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>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.
<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 '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- Lucas) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Lucas. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.0595, Longitude: -98.5380    
<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 Lucas, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

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.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025