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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 Shields (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 Shields. 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 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.

Shields is located in Lane 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 Lane County: Finney, Gove, Hodgeman, Ness & Scott.

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

  • Lane County     (The home county of Shields)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shields, with the one closest to Shields listed first.
    • Dighton
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Healy
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Healy have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Healy
      • Healy is located in Lane County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Healy <1>
    • Alamota
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alamota have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alamota
      • Alamota is located in Lane County
    • Amy ‑ Historic
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Amy have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Amy
      • Amy is located in Lane County
      • Former name for Amy:
      • Ellen
  • Gove County
    • Gove City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gove City
      • Gove City is located in Gove County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 68 people
      • Gove City has also been known as:
      • Gove
  • Logan County
    • Elkader
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elkader. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkader
      • Elkader is located in Logan County
  • Ness County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shields, with the one closest to Shields listed first.
    • Utica
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Beeler
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beeler
      • Beeler is located in Ness County
    • Arnold
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arnold have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arnold
      • Arnold is located in Ness County
    • Laird
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Laird. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laird
      • Laird is located in Ness County
    • Ransom
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
  • Scott County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Shields, with the one closest to Shields listed first.
    • Manning
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Manning. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manning
      • Manning is located in Scott County
    • Scott City
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scott City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scott City
      • Scott City is located in Scott County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,736 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scott City <1>

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

Cemeteries Near Shields ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Shields.

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

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

  • Shields Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shields Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shields Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • White Rock Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the White Rock Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the White Rock Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Dighton Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Dighton Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Dighton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Alanthus Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Alanthus Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Alanthus Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Swedish Lutheran Cemetery
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Swedish Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Swedish Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Utica Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Utica Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Utica Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Morning Star Cemetery
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Morning Star Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Morning Star Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ward Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ward Cemetery
    • The Ward Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Dole Cemetery
    • Whipple Cemetery
  • Beeler Cemetery
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Beeler Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Beeler Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sutton Cemetery
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sutton Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sutton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Prairie Chapel Cemetery
    (20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prairie Chapel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prairie Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Thomas Cemetery
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Thomas Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Thomas Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Arnold Cemetery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Arnold Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Arnold Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Amish Cemetery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Amish Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Amish Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Pyramid View Cemetery
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Pyramid View Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Pyramid View 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.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Shields had a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Dighton
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
  • Healy
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Healy have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Healy
    • Healy is located in Lane County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Healy <1>
  • Alamota
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alamota have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alamota
    • Alamota is located in Lane County
  • Manning
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Manning. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manning
    • Manning is located in Scott County
  • Utica
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
  • Alanthus ‑ Historic
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alanthus have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alanthus
    • Alanthus is located in Gove County
  • Beeler
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beeler
    • Beeler is located in Ness County
  • Gove City
    (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gove City
    • Gove City is located in Gove County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 68 people
    • Gove City has also been known as:
    • Gove
  • Laird
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Laird. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laird
    • Laird is located in Ness County
  • Elkader
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Elkader. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elkader
    • Elkader is located in Logan County
  • Scott City
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scott City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scott City
    • Scott City is located in Scott County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,736 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Scott City <1>
  • Ransom
    (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)

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

Newspapers Published in Shields ...

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 49 newspapers that have been published in the area around Shields.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Shields, there are papers which were published within 27 miles [43.5 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Shields.

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 Shields:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Shields. 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>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>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 Shields, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>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- Shields) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Shields. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.6156, Longitude: -100.4451       In this case, the coordinates for Shields have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025