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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 Utopia (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 Utopia. 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 southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

Utopia is located in Greenwood 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 Greenwood County: Butler, Chase, Coffey, Elk, Lyon, Wilson & Woodson.

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

  • Greenwood County     (The home county of Utopia)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Utopia, with the one closest to Utopia listed first.
    • Hamilton
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Eureka
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Eureka is located in Greenwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,301 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eureka <1>
    • Neal
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Neal is located in Greenwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neal
    • Lapland
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Lapland is located in Greenwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lapland
    • Virgil
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Virgil is located in Greenwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Virgil
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 62 people
    • Climax
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
      • Climax is located in Greenwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Climax
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 64 people
    • Reece
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
      • Reece is located in Greenwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reece
    • Ivanpah
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • Ivanpah is located in Greenwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivanpah
    • Madison
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Lamont
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
    • Severy
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Severy is located in Greenwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Severy
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 224 people
    • Piedmont
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
  • Butler County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Utopia, with the one closest to Utopia listed first.
    • Rosalia
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Beaumont
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
    • Cassoday
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Aikman
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Aikman is located in Butler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Aikman
    • Keighley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Keighley is located in Butler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keighley
    • Pontiac
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Pontiac is located in Butler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pontiac
    • Chelsea ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Chelsea is located in Butler County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chelsea
  • Chase County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Utopia, with the one closest to Utopia listed first.
    • Matfield Green
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Bazaar
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Bazaar is located in Chase County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bazaar
  • Coffey County
    • Gridley
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Gridley is located in Coffey County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gridley
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 323 people
  • Elk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Utopia, with the one closest to Utopia listed first.
    • Fiat
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
      • Fiat is located in Elk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fiat
    • Cave Springs
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Cave Springs is located in Elk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cave Springs
    • Howard
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Howard is located in Elk County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howard
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 600 people
      • Former name for Howard:
      • Howard City
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Howard <1>
  • Lyon County
    • Olpe
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
  • Wilson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Utopia, with the one closest to Utopia listed first.
    • Coyville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Coyville is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coyville
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 41 people
    • Middletown
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Middletown is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middletown
    • New Albany
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • New Albany is located in Wilson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Albany
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 50 people
  • Woodson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Utopia, with the one closest to Utopia listed first.
    • Toronto
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Batesville
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Batesville is located in Woodson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Batesville
    • Yates Center
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Durand
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Durand is located in Woodson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Durand
    • Hasty
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Hasty is located in Woodson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hasty
    • Rose
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Rose is located in Woodson County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose

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

Cemeteries Near Utopia ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Utopia.

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

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

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

  • Homer Creek Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Ott Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Township Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Stewart Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Highland Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Prairie Chapel Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Ladd Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
  • Neal Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Rocky Ford Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Virgil Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (79 more) ...
    • Reece Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Quincy Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Watts Haven Cemetery
      (13 miles [20.9 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 Utopia had a population of 11 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Tonovay
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Tonovay is located in Greenwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tonovay
  • Eureka
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Eureka is located in Greenwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eureka
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,301 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eureka <1>
  • Hamilton
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Neal
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Neal is located in Greenwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neal
  • Thrall
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Thrall is located in Greenwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thrall
  • Lapland
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Lapland is located in Greenwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lapland
  • Climax
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Climax is located in Greenwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Climax
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 64 people
  • Quincy
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Quincy is located in Greenwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quincy
  • Virgil
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Virgil is located in Greenwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Virgil
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 62 people
  • Reece
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Reece is located in Greenwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reece
  • Hilltop
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Hilltop is located in Greenwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilltop
  • Ivanpah
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Ivanpah is located in Greenwood County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivanpah
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Toronto
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Madison
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Severy
      (18 miles [29 km] to the south)
      • Severy is located in Greenwood County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Severy
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 224 people

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

Newspapers Published in Utopia ...

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 107 newspapers that have been published in the area around Utopia.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Utopia, there are papers which were published within 29 miles [46.7 km]<2>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Utopia.

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 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 Utopia:

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 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Utopia) 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 Utopia, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.