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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 Cecil (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 Cecil. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors and hospitals 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.

Cecil is located in Emmet County.

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

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Emmet County: Charlevoix & Cheboygan.

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

  • Emmet County     (The home county of Cecil)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cecil, with the one closest to Cecil listed first.
    • Mackinaw City
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Carp Lake
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Bliss
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Bliss is located in Emmet County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bliss
    • Levering
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Van
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
      • Van is located in Emmet County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Van
    • Cross Village
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Marsh Corner
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Marsh Corner is located in Emmet County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marsh Corner
    • Pellston
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
    • Brutus
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Good Hart
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Stutsmanville
      (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
      • Stutsmanville is located in Emmet County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stutsmanville
    • Middle Village
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Middle Village is located in Emmet County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middle Village
  • Charlevoix County
    • Bay Shore
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
      • Bay Shore is located in Charlevoix County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bay Shore
  • Cheboygan County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cecil, with the one closest to Cecil listed first.
    • Point Nipigon
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
      • Point Nipigon is located in Cheboygan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Point Nipigon
      • Point Nipigon has also been known as:
      • Point Nip-i-gon
    • Riggsville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Riggsville is located in Cheboygan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riggsville
    • Cheboygan
      (18 miles [29 km] to the east)
    • Mullett Lake
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Mullett Lake is located in Cheboygan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mullett Lake
    • Silver Beach
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast)
      • Silver Beach is located in Cheboygan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Beach
    • Long Point
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Long Point is located in Cheboygan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Point
    • Veery Point
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Veery Point is located in Cheboygan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Veery Point
    • Burt Lake
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the south)
    • Giauque Beach
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Giauque Beach is located in Cheboygan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Giauque Beach
    • Topinabee
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Indian River
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Wildwood
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the south)
      • Wildwood is located in Cheboygan County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildwood
  • Chippewa County
    • Dick
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
      • Dick is located in Chippewa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dick
  • Mackinac County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Cecil, with the one closest to Cecil listed first.
    • Gros Cap
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Gros Cap is located in Mackinac County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gros Cap
    • Saint Ignace
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
    • British Landing
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • British Landing is located in Mackinac County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for British Landing
    • Mackinac Island
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Mackinac Island is located in Mackinac County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mackinac Island
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 478 people
    • Pointe Aux Pins
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
    • Allenville
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
      • Allenville is located in Mackinac County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allenville
    • Moran
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
    • Pontchartrain Shores
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Pontchartrain Shores is located in Mackinac County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pontchartrain Shores
    • Kenneth
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
      • Kenneth is located in Mackinac County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kenneth
    • Hessel
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Simmons ‑ Historic
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Simmons is located in Mackinac County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Simmons
    • Epoufette
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Epoufette is located in Mackinac County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Epoufette

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

Cemeteries Near Cecil ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Cecil.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

Although we don't have the information ourselves, if you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our list of websites on our Genealogy Helper Page for Cecil - one of the links might be able to help.

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

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

  • Lakeview Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
  • Bliss Twp. Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
  • Levering & Carp Lake Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
  • Mackinaw City Bible Church Cemetery
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Hebron Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Gros Gap Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
  • Lakeside Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • St. Ignace's Catholic Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Greenwood Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
  • Sailors & Indians Cemetery
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
  • Holy Cross Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
  • St. Nicholas Cemetery
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for St. Nicholas Cemetery
    • The St. Nicholas Cemetery has also been known as:
    • St. Nichols Cemetery
  • Continue List   (69 more) ...
    • Indian Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • McKinley Twp. Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)
    • Munro Cemetery
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)

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.<2>

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

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

  • Bliss
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
    • Bliss is located in Emmet County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bliss
  • Carp Lake
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
  • Mackinaw City
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
  • Levering
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
  • Freedom
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Freedom is located in Cheboygan County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freedom
  • Saint Ignace
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
  • Cross Village
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
  • Mackinac Island
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Mackinac Island is located in Mackinac County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mackinac Island
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 478 people
  • Pellston
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the south)
  • Riggsville
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Riggsville is located in Cheboygan County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riggsville
  • Pointe Aux Pins
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
  • Moran
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
  • Continue List   (13 more) ...
    • Pleasant View
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Pleasant View is located in Emmet County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant View
    • Ayr
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
      • Ayr is located in Emmet County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ayr
    • Brutus
      (17 miles [27.4 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 Cecil. See our List of 1890's Communities around Cecil.

Newspapers Published in Cecil ...

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 49 newspapers that have been published in the area around Cecil.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Cecil, there are papers which were published within 26 miles [41.8 km]<3>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Cecil.

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 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 Cecil:

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>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 Cecil, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>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- Cecil) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.