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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 Vilas (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 Vilas. 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.

Vilas 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 Vilas. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Vilas:

  • Wilson County     (The home county of Vilas)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • South Ridge ‑ Historic
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Ridge
      • South Ridge is located in Wilson County
    • Rest
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • 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 Vilas to Rest
    • Buffalo
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Guilford
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
      • 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 Vilas to Guilford
    • Benedict
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Roper
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Altoona
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Benedict Junction
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
    • Middletown
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
      • 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 Vilas to Middletown
    • Hilford
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hilford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilford
      • Hilford is located in Wilson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Hilford
      • From Vilas to Hilford
    • Fredonia
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fredonia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <3>
    • Neodesha
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Neodesha have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Neodesha
      • Neodesha is located in Wilson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,211 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Neodesha <3>
    • Coyville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
  • Allen County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • Petrolia
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Petrolia have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petrolia
      • Petrolia is located in Allen County
    • Octagon City ‑ Historic
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Humboldt
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Leanna
      (15 miles [24.1 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 Vilas to Leanna
    • Bassett
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bassett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Iola have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <3>
    • Gas
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gas
      • Gas is located in Allen County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 504 people
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Gas
      • From Vilas to Gas
    • La Harpe
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Savonburg
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Savonburg have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Savonburg
      • Savonburg is located in Allen County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 103 people
    • Geneva
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the north)
    • Carlyle
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Elsmore
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Moran
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
  • Bourbon County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • Porterville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Porterville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Porterville
      • Porterville is located in Bourbon County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Porterville
      • From Vilas to Porterville
    • Rockford ‑ Historic
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rockford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockford
      • Rockford is located in Bourbon County
  • Coffey County
  • Crawford County
    • Walnut
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
  • Elk County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • Busby
      (28 miles [45.1 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 Vilas to Busby
    • Upola
      (28 miles [45.1 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 Vilas to Upola
    • Cave Springs
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Greenwood County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • Fall River
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fall River have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <3>
    • Neal
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
  • Labette County
  • Montgomery County
  • Neosho County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • Chanute
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Earlton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Earlton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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
    • Rollin
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
    • Thayer
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Galesburg
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Erie
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erie have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <3>
    • Saint Paul
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Paul have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Paul
      • Saint Paul is located in Neosho County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 594 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Saint Paul <3>
    • Stark
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stark have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stark
      • Stark is located in Neosho County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 66 people
  • Woodson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Vilas, with the one closest to Vilas listed first.
    • North Ridge ‑ Historic
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Ridge
      • North Ridge is located in Woodson County
    • Cookville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
      • 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 Vilas to Cookville
    • Rose
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rose have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose
      • Rose is located in Woodson County
    • Athens
      (17 miles [27.4 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 Vilas to Athens
    • Durand
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Yates Center
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yates Center have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <3>
    • Piqua
      (18 miles [29 km] to the north)
    • Batesville
      (19 miles [30.6 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 Vilas to Batesville
    • Hasty
      (20 miles [32.2 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 Vilas to Hasty
    • Vernon
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Toronto
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Toronto have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 <3>
    • Neosho Falls
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Neosho Falls have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 Vilas, see our County-by-County Page for Vilas.

Cemeteries Near Vilas ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Vilas.

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

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

  • Vilas Bethel Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Pleasant Valley Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Zion Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Village Creek Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Crane Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Crane Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Crane Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Colfax Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Colfax Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Colfax Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Green lawn Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Green lawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Green lawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Patricks Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Patricks Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Patricks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Swede Center Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Swede Center Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Swede Center Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Memorial Park Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Elmwood Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Continue List   (153 more) ...

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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Vilas had a population of 24 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service.

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

  • Rest
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • 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 Vilas to Rest
  • Earlton
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Earlton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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
  • Chanute
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
  • Buffalo
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Benedict
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Guilford
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • 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 Vilas to Guilford
  • Roper
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
  • Altoona
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
  • Benedict Junction
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
  • Cookville
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • 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 Vilas to Cookville
  • Rose
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rose have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rose
    • Rose is located in Woodson County
  • Urbana
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Urbana have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Urbana
    • Urbana is located in Neosho County
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...

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

Newspapers Published in Vilas ...

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 Vilas.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Vilas, there are papers which were published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Vilas.

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 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 Vilas:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Vilas. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Kansas: https://portal.kansas.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>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.
<5>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 Vilas, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>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- Vilas) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Vilas. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.6550, Longitude: -95.5854       In this case, the coordinates for Vilas have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025