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 Roper (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 Roper. 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 southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors 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.
Roper is located in Wilson 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 Wilson County: Allen, Elk, Greenwood, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho & Woodson.
Below are the counties that are near Roper. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Roper:
- Wilson County (The home county of Roper)
- The following are listed by their distance from Roper, with the one closest to Roper listed first.
- Benedict
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Rest
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rest. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rest
- Rest is located in Wilson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Rest
- From Roper to Rest
- Buffalo
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Guilford
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Guilford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guilford
- Guilford is located in Wilson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Guilford
- From Roper to Guilford
- Benedict Junction
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Middletown
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Middletown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middletown
- Middletown is located in Wilson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Middletown
- From Roper to Middletown
- Vilas
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vilas. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vilas
- Vilas is located in Wilson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Vilas
- From Roper to Vilas
- South Ridge ‑ Historic
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Ridge
- South Ridge is located in Wilson County
- Coyville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Altoona
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- Fredonia
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fredonia have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredonia
- Fredonia is located in Wilson County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,182 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fredonia <1>
- New Albany
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Allen County
- The following are listed by their distance from Roper, with the one closest to Roper listed first.
- Petrolia
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Petrolia have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petrolia
- Petrolia is located in Allen County
- Octagon City ‑ Historic
(18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
- Humboldt
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Leanna
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leanna. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leanna
- Leanna is located in Allen County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Leanna
- From Roper to Leanna
- Bassett
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bassett have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bassett
- Bassett is located in Allen County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 23 people
- Iola
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Iola have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iola
- Iola is located in Allen County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,264 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Iola <1>
- Gas
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Geneva
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Carlyle
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- La Harpe
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
- Coffey County
- Le Roy
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
- Elk County
- The following are listed by their distance from Roper, with the one closest to Roper listed first.
- Busby
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Busby. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Busby
- Busby is located in Elk County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Busby
- From Roper to Busby
- Upola
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Upola. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Upola
- Upola is located in Elk County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Upola
- From Roper to Upola
- Cave Springs
(23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
- Oak Valley
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
- Longton
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Fiat
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Fiat. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fiat
- Fiat is located in Elk County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Fiat
- From Roper to Fiat
- Greenwood County
- The following are listed by their distance from Roper, with the one closest to Roper listed first.
- Fall River
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fall River have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fall River
- Fall River is located in Greenwood County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 142 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fall River <1>
- Neal
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
- Virgil
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Virgil have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Virgil
- Virgil is located in Greenwood County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 62 people
- Climax
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Climax have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Climax
- Climax is located in Greenwood County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 64 people
- Severy
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Labette County
- The following are listed by their distance from Roper, with the one closest to Roper listed first.
- Morehead
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the southeast)
- Dennis
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
- Montgomery County
- The following are listed by their distance from Roper, with the one closest to Roper listed first.
- Sycamore
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Elk City
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
- Cherryvale
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
- Independence
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
- Neosho County
- The following are listed by their distance from Roper, with the one closest to Roper listed first.
- Chanute
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Earlton
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Earlton have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Earlton
- Earlton is located in Neosho County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 52 people
- Thayer
(18 miles [29 km] to the southeast)
- Rollin
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Galesburg
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
- Erie
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erie have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erie
- Erie is located in Neosho County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,081 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Erie <1>
- Woodson County
- The following are listed by their distance from Roper, with the one closest to Roper listed first.
- Rose
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rose have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose
- Rose is located in Woodson County
- North Ridge ‑ Historic
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Ridge
- North Ridge is located in Woodson County
- Cookville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cookville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cookville
- Cookville is located in Woodson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Cookville
- From Roper to Cookville
- Yates Center
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yates Center have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yates Center
- Yates Center is located in Woodson County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,267 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Yates Center <1>
- Batesville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Batesville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Batesville
- Batesville is located in Woodson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Batesville
- From Roper to Batesville
- Durand
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)
- Toronto
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toronto have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toronto
- Toronto is located in Woodson County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 252 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Toronto <1>
- Athens
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Athens. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Athens
- Athens is located in Woodson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Athens
- From Roper to Athens
- Hasty
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hasty. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hasty
- Hasty is located in Woodson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Hasty
- From Roper to Hasty
- Piqua
(21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
- Vernon
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Neosho Falls
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Neosho Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neosho Falls
- Neosho Falls is located in Woodson County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 133 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Roper, see our County-by-County Page for Roper.
Cemeteries Near Roper ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Roper.
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 Roper covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Roper, with the one closest to Roper listed first.
- Maple Grove Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Maple Grove Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Maple Grove Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Farmington Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
- Summit Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
- Buffalo Cemetery
(5 miles [8 km] to the north)
- Little Sandy Cemetery
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Little Sandy Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Little Sandy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Trimmell Cemetery
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Trimmell Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Trimmell Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Pleasant Valley Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Pleasant Valley Cemetery
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
- Pleasant Valley Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pleasant Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Vilas Bethel Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Vilas Bethel Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Vilas Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Big Sandy Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Big Sandy Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Big Sandy Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Coyville Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Coyville Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Coyville Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Continue List (138 more) ...
- Hunter Cemetery
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hunter Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hunter Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Village Creek Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Village Creek Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Village Creek Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Oliver Cemetery
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oliver Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oliver Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<3> 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 in 1895, Roper had a post office and railroad service.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Roper, with the one closest to Roper listed first.
- Benedict
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
- Rest
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rest. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rest
- Rest is located in Wilson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Rest
- From Roper to Rest
- Buffalo
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
- Benedict Junction
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
- Guilford
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Guilford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Guilford
- Guilford is located in Wilson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Guilford
- From Roper to Guilford
- Middletown
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Middletown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middletown
- Middletown is located in Wilson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Middletown
- From Roper to Middletown
- Vilas
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Vilas. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vilas
- Vilas is located in Wilson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Vilas
- From Roper to Vilas
- Rose
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rose have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose
- Rose is located in Woodson County
- Coyville
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Fredonia
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fredonia have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fredonia
- Fredonia is located in Wilson County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,182 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fredonia <1>
- Altoona
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
- New Albany
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
- Continue List (14 more) ...
- Cookville
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cookville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cookville
- Cookville is located in Woodson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Cookville
- From Roper to Cookville
- Yates Center
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yates Center have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yates Center
- Yates Center is located in Woodson County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,267 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Yates Center <1>
- Batesville
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Batesville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Batesville
- Batesville is located in Woodson County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Batesville
- From Roper to Batesville
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Roper. See our List of 1890's Communities around Roper.
Newspapers Published in Roper ...
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 30 newspapers that have been published in the area around Roper.
Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Roper, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<4>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Roper.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we begin 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 Roper:
- Websites specific to Kansas
- Pages specific to Wilson County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Allen County
- Coffey County
- Elk County
- Greenwood County
- Labette County
- Montgomery County
- Neosho County
- Woodson County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Kansas
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Roper. 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> | 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- Roper) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Roper. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.6610, Longitude: -95.7327 |
<5> | 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. |
<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 Roper, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |