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 Melvern (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 Melvern. 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 Melvern ...
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 occur.
Melvern has also been known as: Melvin.
Another variation: Malverne.
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.
Melvern is located in Osage 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 Osage County: Coffey, Douglas, Franklin, Lyon, Shawnee & Wabaunsee.
Below are the counties that are near Melvern. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Melvern:
- Osage County (The home county of Melvern)
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvern, with the one closest to Melvern listed first.
- Olivet
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Olivet is located in Osage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olivet
- Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
- Lyndon
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
- Quenemo
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Quenemo is located in Osage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quenemo
- Population from the 2020 Census: 372 people
- Quenemo has also been known as:
- Quenemo Agency
- Vassar
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Osage City
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
- Barclay
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
- Barclay is located in Osage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barclay
- Peterton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Peterton is located in Osage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Peterton
- Overbrook
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Scranton
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Burlingame
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Burlingame is located in Osage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burlingame
- Population from the 2020 Census: 884 people
- Former name for Burlingame:
- American Settlement
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Burlingame <1>
- Carbondale
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the north)
- Carbondale is located in Osage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbondale
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,347 people
- Mineral Springs
(23 miles [37 km] to the north)
- Mineral Springs is located in Osage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mineral Springs
- Anderson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvern, with the one closest to Melvern listed first.
- Harris
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Harris is located in Anderson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harris
- Central City
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Central City is located in Anderson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Central City
- Former name for Central City:
- Jerome
- Central City has also been known as:
- Central
- Glenlock
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
- Glenlock is located in Anderson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenlock
- Westphalia
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Westphalia is located in Anderson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westphalia
- Population from the 2020 Census: 164 people
- Scipio
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
- Scipio is located in Anderson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scipio
- Mont Ida
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Mont Ida is located in Anderson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mont Ida
- Garnett
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
- Greeley
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Welda
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
- Welda is located in Anderson County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Welda
- Coffey County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvern, with the one closest to Melvern listed first.
- Waverly
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Agricola
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Agricola is located in Coffey County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Agricola
- Halls Summit
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Halls Summit is located in Coffey County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halls Summit
- Lebo
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- New Strawn
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
- Ottumwa
(18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
- Ottumwa is located in Coffey County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottumwa
- Jacobs Creek Landing
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Jacobs Creek Landing is located in Coffey County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jacobs Creek Landing
- Burlington
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- Aliceville
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Aliceville is located in Coffey County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aliceville
- Le Roy
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
- Douglas County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvern, with the one closest to Melvern listed first.
- Globe
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
- Globe is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Globe
- Worden
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Worden is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Worden
- Lone Star
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Lone Star is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Star
- Baldwin City
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Clinton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)
- Clinton is located in Douglas County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clinton
- Franklin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvern, with the one closest to Melvern listed first.
- Williamsburg
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Ransomville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Ransomville is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ransomville
- Pomona
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Homewood
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Homewood is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Homewood
- Richter
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Richter is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richter
- Princeton
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
- B N Junction
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- B N Junction is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for B N Junction
- Ottawa
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
- Centropolis
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Centropolis is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Centropolis
- Ottawa Junction
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Ottawa Junction is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ottawa Junction
- Richmond
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Norwood
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Norwood is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Norwood
- Imes
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
- Imes is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Imes
- Lyon County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvern, with the one closest to Melvern listed first.
- Reading
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
- Miller
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Miller is located in Lyon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Miller
- Neosho Rapids
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Neosho Rapids is located in Lyon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neosho Rapids
- Population from the 2020 Census: 262 people
- Hartford
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Lang
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
- Lang is located in Lyon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lang
- Lang has also been known as:
- Hortonville
- Admire
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Emporia Junction
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Emporia Junction is located in Lyon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emporia Junction
- Allen
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Allen is located in Lyon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allen
- Population from the 2020 Census: 169 people
- Berkeley Hills
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Berkeley Hills is located in Lyon County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berkeley Hills
- Emporia
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
- Shawnee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvern, with the one closest to Melvern listed first.
- Richland
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Richland is located in Shawnee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richland
- Auburn
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Auburn is located in Shawnee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Auburn
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,203 people
- Berryton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Berryton is located in Shawnee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Berryton
- Cullen Village
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
- Cullen Village is located in Shawnee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cullen Village
- Wabaunsee County
- The following are listed by their distance from Melvern, with the one closest to Melvern listed first.
- Wilmington
(23 miles [37 km] to the northwest)
- Wilmington is located in Wabaunsee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmington
- Harveyville
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Harveyville is located in Wabaunsee County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harveyville
- Population from the 2020 Census: 246 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Melvern, see our County-by-County Page for Melvern.
Cemeteries Near Melvern ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Melvern.
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 Melvern - one of the links might be able to help.
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Melvern covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Melvern, with the one closest to Melvern listed first.
- Malvern Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Sutton Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
- Pleasant View Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Danish Cemetery
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
- Rock Creek Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Alpine Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Waverly Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Pleasant View Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Lyndon Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Oak Hill Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Hill Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Oak Hill Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located less than 2 miles<2> to the northwest of Quenemo.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #93214 <3>
- Key West Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
- Curry Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Continue List (150 more) ...
- Vassar Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Mt. Hope Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mt. Hope Cemetery
- To give a relative sense of its location, the Mt. Hope Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the east of Williamsburg.
- Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #93133 <3>
- Central Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
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.<4>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Melvern had a population of 461 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Melvern had a population of 368 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Melvern, with the one closest to Melvern listed first.
- Olivet
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
- Olivet is located in Osage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Olivet
- Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
- Waverly
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
- Quenemo
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
- Quenemo is located in Osage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quenemo
- Population from the 2020 Census: 372 people
- Quenemo has also been known as:
- Quenemo Agency
- Agricola
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Agricola is located in Coffey County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Agricola
- Silkville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Silkville is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silkville
- Silkville has also been known as:
- Boissiere Silk Farm
- Valeton
- Lyndon Station
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Lyndon Station is located in Osage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lyndon Station
- Williamsburg
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Vassar
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Halls Summit
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the south)
- Halls Summit is located in Coffey County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Halls Summit
- Ransomville
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
- Ransomville is located in Franklin County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ransomville
- Pomona
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
- Arvonia
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
- Arvonia is located in Osage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arvonia
- Continue List (16 more) ...
- Lebo
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
- Michigan Valley
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Michigan Valley is located in Osage County
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Michigan Valley
- Osage City
(13 miles [20.9 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 Melvern. See our List of 1890's Communities around Melvern.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Melvern ...
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 70 newspapers that have been published in the area around Melvern.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Melvern. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Melvern and those printed in the larger area surrounding Melvern.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<2> of Melvern.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to 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 Melvern:
- Websites specific to Kansas
- Pages specific to Osage County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Anderson County
- Coffey County
- Douglas County
- Franklin County
- Lyon County
- Shawnee County
- Wabaunsee 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> | 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Melvern) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'. |
| <3> | 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. |
| <4> | 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 Melvern, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |