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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 Black Lake Bluffs (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 Black Lake Bluffs. 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 Black Lake Bluffs ...

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.

For example, a typical abbreviation for Black Lake Bluffs: Black Lk. Blfs.

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 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.

Black Lake Bluffs is located in Presque Isle County.

To see how the shape of Michigan's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Presque Isle County: Alpena, Cheboygan & Montmorency.

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

  • Presque Isle County     (The home county of Black Lake Bluffs)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Black Lake Bluffs, with the one closest to Black Lake Bluffs listed first.
    • Huron Beach
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huron Beach
      • Huron Beach is located in Presque Isle County
    • Onaway
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onaway
      • Onaway is located in Presque Isle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 831 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Onaway <1>
    • Ocqueoc
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocqueoc
      • Ocqueoc is located in Presque Isle County
    • Millersburg
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millersburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millersburg
      • Millersburg is located in Presque Isle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 195 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Millersburg <1>
    • Moltke
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moltke
      • Moltke is located in Presque Isle County
    • Hawks
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hawks
      • Hawks is located in Presque Isle County
    • Rogers City
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rogers City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rogers City
      • Rogers City is located in Presque Isle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,665 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rogers City <1>
    • Calcite
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Calcite have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Calcite
      • Calcite is located in Presque Isle County
    • Hagensville
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hagensville
      • Hagensville is located in Presque Isle County
    • Metz
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Metz. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Metz
      • Metz is located in Presque Isle County
    • Liske
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liske
      • Liske is located in Presque Isle County
    • Posen
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Posen have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Posen
      • Posen is located in Presque Isle County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 221 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Posen <1>
  • Cheboygan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Black Lake Bluffs, with the one closest to Black Lake Bluffs listed first.
    • Black Lake
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Lake
      • Black Lake is located in Cheboygan County
    • Tower
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tower have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tower
      • Tower is located in Cheboygan County
    • Fingerboard Corner
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fingerboard Corner
      • Fingerboard Corner is located in Cheboygan County
    • Afton
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Mullett Lake
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mullett Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mullett Lake
      • Mullett Lake is located in Cheboygan County
    • Long Point
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Point
      • Long Point is located in Cheboygan County
    • Silver Beach
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Beach
      • Silver Beach is located in Cheboygan County
    • Veery Point
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Veery Point
      • Veery Point is located in Cheboygan County
    • Cheboygan
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cheboygan have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cheboygan
      • Cheboygan is located in Cheboygan County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,697 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cheboygan <1>
    • Giauque Beach
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Giauque Beach
      • Giauque Beach is located in Cheboygan County
    • Topinabee
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Indian River
      (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Indian River have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian River
      • Indian River is located in Cheboygan County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Indian River <1>
  • Emmet County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Black Lake Bluffs, with the one closest to Black Lake Bluffs listed first.
    • Alanson
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alanson have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alanson
      • Alanson is located in Emmet County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 755 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alanson <1>
    • Brutus
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brutus have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brutus
      • Brutus is located in Emmet County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brutus <1>
    • Pellston
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Ponshewaing
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ponshewaing
      • Ponshewaing is located in Emmet County
    • Van
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van
      • Van is located in Emmet County
    • Levering
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Oden
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Carp Lake
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Conway
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Conway have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Conway
      • Conway is located in Emmet County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Conway <1>
  • Mackinac County
  • Montmorency County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Black Lake Bluffs, with the one closest to Black Lake Bluffs listed first.
    • Canada Creek Ranch
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canada Creek Ranch
      • Canada Creek Ranch is located in Montmorency County
    • Royston
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Royston
      • Royston is located in Montmorency County
  • Otsego County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Black Lake Bluffs, with the one closest to Black Lake Bluffs listed first.
    • Green Timbers
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Green Timbers. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Timbers
      • Green Timbers is located in Otsego County
    • Vanderbilt
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Black Lake Bluffs ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Black Lake Bluffs.

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 Black Lake Bluffs covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

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

  • Black Lake State Forest Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Black Lake State Forest Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Black Lake State Forest Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Reuther's Graves
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Reuther's Graves
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Reuther's Graves have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Waverly Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Waverly Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Waverly Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • North Allis Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the North Allis Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the North Allis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Grace Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Grace Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Grace Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Trinity Lutheran Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Forest Lawn Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Lawn Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Lawn Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Elmwood Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Elmwood Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Elmwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Paul's Catholic Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Paul's Catholic Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Paul's Catholic Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Allis Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Allis Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Allis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ocqueoc Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ocqueoc Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ocqueoc Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • St. Francis Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St. Francis Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St. Francis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (63 more) ...
    • Johnson Grave
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Johnson Grave
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Johnson Grave have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Devereaux Grave
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Devereaux Grave
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Devereaux Grave have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Oak Hill Cemetery
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Hill Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Hill 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>

While we didn't find Black Lake Bluffs in the Atlas, the following 1895 communities would have been found near the current location of Black Lake Bluffs.

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

  • Manning
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Manning have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manning
    • Manning is located in Cheboygan County
  • Onaway
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Onaway
    • Onaway is located in Presque Isle County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 831 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Onaway <1>
  • Ocqueoc
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocqueoc
    • Ocqueoc is located in Presque Isle County
  • Mullett Lake
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mullett Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mullett Lake
    • Mullett Lake is located in Cheboygan County
  • Cheboygan
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cheboygan have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cheboygan
    • Cheboygan is located in Cheboygan County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,697 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Cheboygan <1>
  • Topinabee
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
  • Indian River
    (18 miles [29 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Indian River have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian River
    • Indian River is located in Cheboygan County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Indian River <1>
  • Riggsville
    (19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riggsville
    • Riggsville is located in Cheboygan County
  • Rondo
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rondo have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rondo
    • Rondo is located in Cheboygan County
  • Rogers City
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rogers City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rogers City
    • Rogers City is located in Presque Isle County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,665 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rogers City <1>
  • Pointe Aux Pins
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Wolverine
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wolverine have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolverine
    • Wolverine is located in Cheboygan County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 234 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wolverine <1>
  • Continue List   (14 more) ...
    • Trowbridge
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trowbridge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trowbridge
      • Trowbridge is located in Cheboygan County
    • Burt Lake
      (23 miles [37 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Burt Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Burt Lake
      • Burt Lake is located in Cheboygan County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Burt Lake <1>
    • Wildwood
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wildwood. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildwood
      • Wildwood is located in Cheboygan County

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

Newspapers Published in Black Lake Bluffs ...

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 25 newspapers that have been published in the area around Black Lake Bluffs.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Black Lake Bluffs, there are papers which were published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Black Lake Bluffs.

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 Black Lake Bluffs:

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

The official website for State of Michigan: https://www.michigan.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 Black Lake Bluffs, 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' (or 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- Black Lake Bluffs) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Black Lake Bluffs. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 45.4722, Longitude: -84.2370       In this case, the coordinates for Black Lake Bluffs have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025