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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 Osborne (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 Osborne. 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 Osborne ...

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.

Osborne has also been known as: Peru.

Other variations include: Osborn City, Osborn and Osborne City.

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 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.

Osborne is located in Osborne County and is the County Seat.

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 Osborne County: Ellis, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Rooks, Russell & Smith.

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

  • Osborne County     (The home county of Osborne)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Osborne, with the one closest to Osborne listed first.
    • Bloomington
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Portis
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Downs
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Alton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alton
      • Alton is located in Osborne County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 92 people
    • Natoma
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Natoma have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <1>
  • Jewell County
    • Esbon
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Esbon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Esbon
      • Esbon is located in Jewell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 91 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Esbon <1>
  • Mitchell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Osborne, with the one closest to Osborne listed first.
    • Tipton
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Cawker City
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cawker City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cawker City
      • Cawker City is located in Mitchell County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 426 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cawker City <1>
    • Blue Hill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blue Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Hill
      • Blue Hill is located in Mitchell County
    • Glen Elder
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Hunter
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hunter have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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 <1>
  • Phillips County
  • Rooks County
  • Russell County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Osborne, with the one closest to Osborne listed first.
    • Luray
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
    • Waldo
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
      • 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 Osborne to Waldo
    • Paradise
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paradise have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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
    • Lucas
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
  • Smith County

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

Cemeteries Near Osborne ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Osborne.

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

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

  • St. Aloysius Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Aloysius Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Aloysius Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Osborne Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Osborne Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Osborne Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Baker Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
  • Bethany Center Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethany Center Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethany Center Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bristow Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bristow Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bristow Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bloomington Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Iowa Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Iowa Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Iowa Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Hope Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Zimmerman Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zimmerman Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zimmerman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Corinth Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Corinth Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Corinth Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Downs Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Downs Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Downs Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (100 more) ...
    • Rose Valley Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Rose Valley Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Rose Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Hammond Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hammond Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hammond Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Butler Cemetery
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Butler Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Butler Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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.<3>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Osborne had a population of 1,174 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Osborne had a population of 1,280 people.

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

  • Bloomington
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
  • Corinth
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Corinth have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Corinth
    • Corinth is located in Osborne County
  • Portis
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Downs
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Covert
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Covert have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Covert
    • Covert is located in Osborne County
  • Harlan
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)
  • Tipton
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Alton
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alton
    • Alton is located in Osborne County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 92 people
  • Cawker City
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cawker City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cawker City
    • Cawker City is located in Mitchell County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 426 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cawker City <1>
  • Gaylord
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Vincent
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vincent have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vincent
    • Vincent is located in Osborne County
  • Cheyenne
    (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cheyenne have been provided by the GNIS.<2> 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
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Blue Hill
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blue Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blue Hill
      • Blue Hill is located in Mitchell County
    • Cedar
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedar have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar
      • Cedar is located in Smith County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 13 people
    • Dentonia
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dentonia have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dentonia
      • Dentonia is located in Jewell County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Osborne ...

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 143 newspapers that have been published in the area around Osborne.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Osborne. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Osborne and those printed in the larger area surrounding Osborne.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4> of Osborne.

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 Osborne:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Osborne. 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>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.
<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 Osborne, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<4>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- Osborne) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Osborne. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.4382, Longitude: -98.6947    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025