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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 WaKeeney (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 WaKeeney. 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 WaKeeney ...

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.

Another variation: Wa-Keeney.

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 northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. 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 east 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.

WaKeeney is located in Trego 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 Trego County: Ellis, Gove, Graham, Ness, Rooks, Rush & Sheridan.

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

  • Trego County     (The home county of WaKeeney)
    • The following are listed by their distance from WaKeeney, with the one closest to WaKeeney listed first.
    • Ogallah
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ogallah
      • Ogallah is located in Trego County
    • Trego
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trego have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trego
      • Trego is located in Trego County
      • Trego has also been known as:
      • Trego Center
      • Trego Tank
    • Collyer
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Collyer have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collyer
      • Collyer is located in Trego County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 98 people
  • Ellis County
    • The following are listed by their distance from WaKeeney, with the one closest to WaKeeney listed first.
    • Ellis
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Hog Back
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hog Back have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hog Back
      • Hog Back is located in Ellis County
    • Yocemento
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Yocemento have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yocemento
      • Yocemento is located in Ellis County
  • Gove County
    • The following are listed by their distance from WaKeeney, with the one closest to WaKeeney listed first.
    • Quinter
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quinter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quinter
      • Quinter is located in Gove County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,073 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Quinter <2>
    • Park
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park
      • Park is located in Gove County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 109 people
  • Graham County
    • The following are listed by their distance from WaKeeney, with the one closest to WaKeeney listed first.
    • Saint Peter
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Saint Peter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Saint Peter
      • Saint Peter is located in Graham County
    • Hill City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hill City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hill City
      • Hill City is located in Graham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,354 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hill City <2>
    • Penokee
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Penokee
      • Penokee is located in Graham County
    • Morland
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morland
      • Morland is located in Graham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 143 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Morland <2>
    • Bogue
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bogue
      • Bogue is located in Graham County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 131 people
      • Bogue has also been known as:
      • Wildhorse
    • Nicodemus
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Nicodemus have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Nicodemus
      • Nicodemus is located in Graham County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Nicodemus <2>
  • Ness County
    • The following are listed by their distance from WaKeeney, with the one closest to WaKeeney listed first.
    • Ransom
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Arnold
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Arnold have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arnold
      • Arnold is located in Ness County
    • Brownell
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
    • Utica
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Rooks County
    • The following are listed by their distance from WaKeeney, with the one closest to WaKeeney listed first.
    • Palco
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palco
      • Palco is located in Rooks County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 262 people
    • Damar
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Zurich
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Zurich have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Zurich
      • Zurich is located in Rooks County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 94 people
  • Sheridan County
    • Studley
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Studley
      • Studley is located in Sheridan County

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

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of WaKeeney ...

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 66 newspapers that have been published in the area around WaKeeney.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of WaKeeney. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of WaKeeney and those printed in the larger area surrounding WaKeeney.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 30 miles [48.3 km]<3> of WaKeeney.

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 WaKeeney:

Cemeteries Near WaKeeney ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of WaKeeney.

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

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

  • Wakeeney City Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Wakeeney City Cemetery is a large cemetery that is located outside and to the southeast of WaKeeney.
    • The Wakeeney City Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Wakeeney Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Wakeeney City Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #94009 <4>
  • Christ the King Catholic Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • To give a relative sense of its location, the Christ the King Catholic Cemetery is located outside and to the southeast of WaKeeney.
    • The Christ the King Catholic Cemetery has also been known as:
    • Wakeeney Catholic Cemetery
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Christ the King Catholic Cemetery
    • Jump to Find-A-Grave: FG ID #2150688 <4>
  • Christ the King Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Christ the King Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Christ the King Cemetery
  • Kansas Veterans Cemetery at Wakeeney
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
  • Saline Valley Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Saline Valley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Saline Valley Cemetery
  • Oglala Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oglala Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oglala Cemetery
  • Zion Lutheran Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Lutheran Cemetery
  • Prairie Home Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prairie Home Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prairie Home Cemetery
  • Emanuel Lutheran Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Emanuel Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Emanuel Lutheran Cemetery
  • St. Michaels Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Michaels Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Michaels Cemetery
  • Union Cemetery
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Union Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Union Cemetery
  • Leland Cemetery
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Leland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Leland Cemetery
  • Continue List   (43 more) ...
    • St. Anthony Cemetery
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Anthony Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Anthony Cemetery
    • Morlan Twp. Cemetery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Morlan Twp. Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Morlan Twp. Cemetery
    • Old Order German Baptist Cemetery
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Old Order German Baptist Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Old Order German Baptist Cemetery

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 WaKeeney had a population of 439 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, WaKeeney had a population of 1,738 people.

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

  • Ogallah
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ogallah
    • Ogallah is located in Trego County
  • Collyer
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Collyer have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Collyer
    • Collyer is located in Trego County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 98 people
  • Ellis
    (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
  • Quinter
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quinter have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quinter
    • Quinter is located in Gove County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,073 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Quinter <2>
  • Hog Back
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hog Back have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hog Back
    • Hog Back is located in Ellis County
  • Penokee
    (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Penokee
    • Penokee is located in Graham County
  • Palco
    (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Palco
    • Palco is located in Rooks County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 262 people
  • Hill City
    (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hill City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hill City
    • Hill City is located in Graham County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,354 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hill City <2>
  • Morland
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Morland have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Morland
    • Morland is located in Graham County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 143 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Morland <2>
  • Damar
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
  • Bogue
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bogue
    • Bogue is located in Graham County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 131 people
    • Bogue has also been known as:
    • Wildhorse
  • Ransom
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
  • Continue List   (7 more) ...
    • Park
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park
      • Park is located in Gove County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 109 people
    • Alanthus ‑ Historic
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alanthus have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alanthus
      • Alanthus is located in Gove County
    • Brownell
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)

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

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for WaKeeney. 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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- WaKeeney) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in WaKeeney. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.0235, Longitude: -99.8824    
<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 WaKeeney, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024