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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 Merriam (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 Merriam. 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 northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals were in the next county to the west. 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 west 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.

Merriam is located in Johnson 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 Johnson County: Douglas, Franklin, Leavenworth, Miami, Wyandotte, Cass (MO) & Jackson (MO).

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

  • Johnson County     (The home county of Merriam)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Merriam, with the one closest to Merriam listed first.
    • Mission
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Mission is located in Johnson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mission
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,873 people
      • Former name for Mission:
      • Mission Hill Acres
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mission <1>
    • Countryside
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Countryside is located in Johnson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Countryside
    • Fairway
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Roeland Park
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Prairie Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Mission Hills
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Mission Hills is located in Johnson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mission Hills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,533 people
    • Mission Woods
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Mission Woods is located in Johnson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mission Woods
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
    • Westwood Hills
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Westwood Hills is located in Johnson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood Hills
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 390 people
    • Westwood
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Westwood is located in Johnson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westwood
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,642 people
    • Lake Quivira
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Lake Quivira is located in Johnson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Quivira
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 930 people
    • Leawood
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Lenexa
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Douglas County
  • Franklin County
    • Wellsville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Jefferson County
  • Leavenworth County
  • Miami County
  • Wyandotte County
  • Cass County (MO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Merriam, with the one closest to Merriam listed first.
    • Loch Lloyd
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the south)
      • Loch Lloyd is located in Cass County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loch Lloyd
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 835 people
      • Loch Lloyd has also been known as:
      • Loch Lloyd village
    • Belton
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Lee's Summit
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
    • Raymore
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Raymore is located in Cass County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raymore
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 22,532 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Raymore <1>
    • Harrelson
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Harrelson is located in Cass County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harrelson
    • Riverview Estates
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Riverview Estates is located in Cass County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverview Estates
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 84 people
      • Riverview Estates has also been known as:
      • Riverview Estates village
    • Lake Winnebago
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Lake Winnebago is located in Cass County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Winnebago
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,370 people
    • Cleveland
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Coleman
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Peculiar
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Lake Annette
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Lake Annette is located in Cass County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Annette
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 102 people
    • West Line
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Clay County (MO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Merriam, with the one closest to Merriam listed first.
    • North Kansas City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Avondale
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Avondale is located in Clay County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avondale
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 456 people
    • Oaks
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Oaks is located in Clay County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oaks
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 135 people
    • Oakwood
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Oakwood is located in Clay County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 197 people
    • Woodhill
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • East Kansas City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • East Kansas City is located in Clay County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Kansas City
    • Gladstone
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Oakview
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Oakview is located in Clay County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakview
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 393 people
    • Oakwood Park
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Oakwood Park is located in Clay County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oakwood Park
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 198 people
    • Randolph
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Sugar Creek
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Linden
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Jackson County (MO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Merriam, with the one closest to Merriam listed first.
    • Indian Village
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Indian Village is located in Jackson County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Village
    • Kansas City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Holmes Park
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • New Santa Fe
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • New Santa Fe is located in Jackson County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Santa Fe
    • Leeds
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Martin City
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Martin City is located in Jackson County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Martin City
    • Raytown
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Raytown is located in Jackson County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raytown
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 28,816 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Raytown <1>
    • Grandview
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Maywood
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Belvidere
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Belvidere is located in Jackson County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belvidere
    • Independence
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Little Blue
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
  • Platte County (MO)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Merriam, with the one closest to Merriam listed first.
    • Riverside
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Parkville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Houston Lake
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
      • Houston Lake is located in Platte County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Houston Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 248 people
    • Northmoor
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Northmoor is located in Platte County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Northmoor
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 362 people
    • Lake Waukomis
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Lake Waukomis is located in Platte County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Waukomis
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 874 people
    • Platte Woods
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Platte Woods is located in Platte County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Platte Woods
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 406 people
    • Waldron
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Waldron is located in Platte County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldron
    • Weatherby Lake
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Weatherby Lake is located in Platte County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weatherby Lake
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,086 people
    • Farley
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
      • Farley is located in Platte County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 304 people
    • Ferrelview
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Ferrelview is located in Platte County (MO)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ferrelview
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 800 people
    • Linkville ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
    • East Leavenworth
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Merriam ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Merriam.

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 Merriam - one of the links might be able to help.

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Merriam covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Merriam, with the one closest to Merriam 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.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Merriam had a population of 127 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Merriam had a population of 11,128 people.

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

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Merriam ...

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 52 newspapers that have been published in the area around Merriam.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Merriam. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Merriam and those printed in the larger area surrounding Merriam.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 16 miles [25.7 km]<4> of Merriam.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we start with 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 Merriam:

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>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.
<3>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 Merriam, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Merriam) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.