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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 Brinton (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 Brinton. 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 Brinton ...

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.

Brinton was originally named Letson

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.

A Few Details for Brinton ...

While it's still very early in our research, we found that:

  • Brinton was established in 1862.

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.

Brinton is located in Isabella 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 Isabella County: Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm & Osceola.

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

  • Isabella County     (The home county of Brinton)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brinton, with the one closest to Brinton listed first.
    • Sherman City ‑ Historic
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Weidman
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Weidman have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weidman
      • Weidman is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Weidman <2>
    • Lake Isabella
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
    • Beal City
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beal City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beal City
      • Beal City is located in Isabella County
    • Vernon City
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vernon City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vernon City
      • Vernon City is located in Isabella County
    • Rosebush
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
    • Jordan
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jordan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jordan
      • Jordan is located in Isabella County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jordan
      • From Brinton to Jordan
    • Loomis
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
    • Blanchard
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Blanchard have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blanchard
      • Blanchard is located in Isabella County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Blanchard <2>
    • Winn
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Winn have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winn
      • Winn is located in Isabella County
    • Mount Pleasant
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Alembic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
  • Clare County
  • Gladwin County
  • Gratiot County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brinton, with the one closest to Brinton listed first.
    • Riverdale
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riverdale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverdale
      • Riverdale is located in Gratiot County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Riverdale <2>
    • Forest Hill
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Forest Hill. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Hill
      • Forest Hill is located in Gratiot County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Forest Hill
      • From Brinton to Forest Hill
    • Elm Hall
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elm Hall have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elm Hall
      • Elm Hall is located in Gratiot County
    • Elwell
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southeast)
  • Mecosta County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brinton, with the one closest to Brinton listed first.
    • Barryton
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Barryton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barryton
      • Barryton is located in Mecosta County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 357 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Barryton <2>
    • Remus
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Chippewa Lake
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Millbrook
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millbrook have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millbrook
      • Millbrook is located in Mecosta County
    • Mecosta
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mecosta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mecosta
      • Mecosta is located in Mecosta County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 459 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mecosta <2>
    • Pogy
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pogy. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pogy
      • Pogy is located in Mecosta County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Pogy
      • From Brinton to Pogy
    • Rodney
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rodney have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rodney
      • Rodney is located in Mecosta County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rodney <2>
    • Canadian Lakes
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Halls Corner
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Rustford
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rustford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rustford
      • Rustford is located in Mecosta County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rustford
      • From Brinton to Rustford
    • Big Rapids
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Big Rapids have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Rapids
      • Big Rapids is located in Mecosta County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,408 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Big Rapids <2>
    • Paris
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
  • Midland County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brinton, with the one closest to Brinton listed first.
    • Coleman
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
    • Oil City
      (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oil City have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oil City
      • Oil City is located in Midland County
    • Alamando
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the east)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Alamando. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alamando
      • Alamando is located in Midland County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Alamando
      • From Brinton to Alamando
    • North Bradley
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
  • Missaukee County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brinton, with the one closest to Brinton listed first.
    • Vogel Center
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • McBain
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Montcalm County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brinton, with the one closest to Brinton listed first.
    • Wyman
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Six Lakes
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Cedar Lake
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedar Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Lake
      • Cedar Lake is located in Montcalm County
    • Edmore
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Vestaburg
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
    • Lakeview
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • McBride
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for McBride have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McBride
      • McBride is located in Montcalm County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 203 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for McBride <2>
    • Amble
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Newaygo County
  • Osceola County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Brinton, with the one closest to Brinton listed first.
    • Sears
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sears have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sears
      • Sears is located in Osceola County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sears <2>
    • Evart
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evart have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evart
      • Evart is located in Osceola County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,886 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Evart <2>
    • Avondale
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Avondale. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Avondale
      • Avondale is located in Osceola County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Avondale
      • From Brinton to Avondale
    • Hersey
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hersey have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hersey
      • Hersey is located in Osceola County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 347 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hersey <2>
    • Marion
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
    • Reed City
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
    • Park Lake
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
    • Dighton
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Ashton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ashton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ashton
      • Ashton is located in Osceola County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ashton
      • From Brinton to Ashton
    • Highland
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Le Roy
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)

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

Cemeteries Near Brinton ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Brinton.

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

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

  • Odd Fellows Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Odd Fellows Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Odd Fellows Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Conley Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Conley Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Conley Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • North Brinton Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Sherman City Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Sherman City Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Sherman City Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Fork Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fork Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fork Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Flake Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
  • Strong Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Strong Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Strong Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Forest Hill Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Forest Hill Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Forest Hill Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Garfield Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Garfield Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Garfield Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Garfield Twp. Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
  • Fairview Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Gilmore Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Gilmore Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Gilmore Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (180 more) ...
    • Redman Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Redman Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Redman Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Brown Cemetery
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Brown Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Brown Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Bennett Cemetery
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bennett Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bennett Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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.<5>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Brinton had a population of 75 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

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

  • Sherman City ‑ Historic
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
  • Lake
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • Horr
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Horr have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Horr
    • Horr is located in Isabella County
  • Farwell
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Clare
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the east)
  • Sears
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sears have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sears
    • Sears is located in Osceola County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sears <2>
  • Remus
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)
  • Lake George
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
  • Hatton
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Hatton. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hatton
    • Hatton is located in Clare County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Hatton
    • From Brinton to Hatton
  • Chippewa Lake
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
  • Mecosta
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mecosta have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mecosta
    • Mecosta is located in Mecosta County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 459 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Mecosta <2>
  • Millbrook
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Millbrook have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millbrook
    • Millbrook is located in Mecosta County
  • Continue List   (18 more) ...
    • Dover
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northeast)
    • Evart
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Evart have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evart
      • Evart is located in Osceola County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,886 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Evart <2>
    • Jordan
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Jordan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jordan
      • Jordan is located in Isabella County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Jordan
      • From Brinton to Jordan

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

Newspapers Published in Brinton ...

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 112 newspapers that have been published in the area around Brinton.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Brinton, 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 Brinton.

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 Brinton:

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

The official website for Isabella County: www.isabellacounty.org/

The official website for State of Michigan: https://www.michigan.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>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>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 Brinton, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Brinton) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Brinton. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 43.7704, Longitude: -85.0107    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025